Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-11-11

force Of 5000 employees has been en-
titled to these gratuities. and 1t Is fg-
ured that the total investment by the
commission in that period for all free
service and gratuities runs between
e1O.OO0,OOO and $2O.OOO.O00.
To married employee the free al
lowance is as follows: An individual
house or d6 apartment in building
with two or four families, range
double bed. two pillows. six dining
chairs. two kitchen chairs. one chif-
fonier. two center tables. mosquito
bar. a refrigerator. a double dresser. a
double mattress. kitchen table. Din
ing table. sidehoard bedroom mat and
three wicker porch chairs.
Married quarters were assigned IN
Is ID and 1906 on the basis OF one
square foot for each dollar Of salary.
with extra allowances for the wife ana
children This method was abandoned.
and. quarters are assigned without re-
gard to salary. except that officials re-
ceive first consideration. There are
one. two and four family houses. en-
tirely screened on the outside. Every
house or apartment has its shower
bath. tubs not being used. and each
town has Il complete sewer system.
Bachelors. whether men or women.
are treated correspondingly well.
Quarters with two. three or four In
room and janitOr service are free. In
the early days there WAS unpleasant
ri hs., - hn
buildings. but only occasionally has
there been congestion in late years
These buildings shelter from dozen
to sixty men and. like the married
quarters. are screened on the outside
Hotels operated by the commission
are the boarding places for the bach
elOr employees The wide verandas
are screened. and tables here are re-
served for the bachelor girls and for
the men who wear coats at meantime
Inside the employees may eat in their
shirt sleeves. The meals cost 30 cents
each and are paid for by coupons that
come fifty to the book. These books
cost SIS. and the amount Is deducted
from the employees salary ut the end
Of the month. so that no cash Is handled
at the hotels. except from nonempi0y'
ees. who must pay so cents for meal.
The fare could not he duplicated in
the United States for Is cents meal.
A typical thirty cent menu includes
soup. two kinds of meat. four kinds OF
vegetables, hot rolls or light bread.
salad. tea. coffee or cocoa. and for des-
Sert ice cream or pie. On every table
are fruit. olives. preserves. condiments.
and for several years in the early
malarial antidote-
The hotels for the gold employees
usually have been operated ut Slight
loss. Willie the European laborers
messes and the colored lahorers' kitch
ems have shown Il profit At the mess
es for the Europeans. principally
Spaniards and Italians. the cost OF
three meals is 40 cents. while at the
kitchens where the West Indian labor
ers get their food cooked to take away
and eat the cost is 80 cents for three
meals. The food is always wholesome
IL
rious nationaities are studied to give
them that to which they are accustom
ed. The West Indians consume more
than 100 tons of rice monthly. the Ital-
ians want macaroni. and the Spaniards
eat vast quantities of bread.
Stewards ut the hotels for the gold
employees found that each man aver
aged only two meals a day. The saw
ing to an employee by cutting out one
meal is 50 Il month. They substitute
fruit or a sandwich from the clubhouse
for the third meal and in the two they
do eat stow away enough to satisfy
their needs. Three meals Il day Mt 30
cents each would cost $27 month.
Two meals day. or sixty for the
month. cost SIS Some Of the employ
ees cut out breakfast and some lunch.
SO the stewards prepare food for an
average Of two meals per employee.
The Tivoli hotel at Ancon. on the
Pacific side is the tourist hotel oper-
ated by the commission. Its rates.
American plan. are $3.50 day and
up. There are 21S rooms and Il dining
room that will seat 100 persons. AT
Colon. on the Atlantic side. the com
mission operates the Washington hotel
for the use Of visitors to the canal zone.
Still another factor that makes liv-
ing in the caral zone cheaper than in
the United States is the result Of the
climate With a uniformly warm
temperature the quality Of clothes does
not vary the year round for the wom-
en-. light. summary goods. largely
white: for the men. duck or linen suits
or light staple cloths The saving
from not having to buy new clothes
with the change of seasons Is impor-
tant. and the employees generally try
to arrange their vacations so rs to he
in the United States in mild weather.
4 bride starts ont life there ON Il
basis thai means rude jolt to her
when the canal is finished and she re-
turns to the United States. Young
couples who have been treading the
easy path of high salary. free rent.
free water. light ana fuel. cheaper
Good. clothes and furniture. elastic
class distinctions and plentiful though
not ELI Gent servants must ever look
htck upon their canal zone experience
rs the PARTICULARS bright period in
their ,'rrpers The wi; lnr:ng blasts of
sucini competition h.h cost of living
and ~ nri"S from ga" ~ two thirds
lower ip the United states will make
the ri~v going. UvergentrpuS life at
paurmn seem the temps de luxe" in
their lives