The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1914-01-08
States for similar work. but this is not
all he receives gratis.

1t DaS Deen inquired tnat IN SIX years
the commission grants to each married
employee sratuities that cost it $4,000
and to bachelor employee gratuities
that cost $3.50. The monthly service.
such us commisSary. fuel and distilled
water deliveries. removal of garbage.
etc, to a married employee costs Sl2.
and janitor service and other service
to bachelor employee cost $225
monthly. In six years an average
force of 5000 employees has been en-
titled to these gratuities. and it is tig-
ured that the total Investment by the
service and gratuities runs between
$1OO00,00O and $2O.OOO.OOO.
To Il married employee the free al
/ lowance is us follows: An individual
house or an apartment in building
with two or four families, Il range. a
double bed. two pillows. six dining
chairs. two kitchen chairs. one chif
fOnier, two center tables. Il mosquito
bar. Il refrigerator. Il double dresser. n
double mattress. IL kitchen table, Il din
ing table. sideboard bedroom mat and
, three wicker porch chairs.
! Married quarters were assigned In
! 1905 and 1906 on the basis of one
/ square foot for each dollar of salary.
with extra allowances for the wife and
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 it's shower
bath. tubs not being used and each
town has Il complete sewer system.
Bachelors. whether men or women.
are treated corresl,ondingly we'll
Quarters with two. three or four in a
room and janitor service are free In
the early days there was unpleasant
crowding because of the scarcity of
buildings. but only occasionally has
there been congestion in late years
These buildings shelter from a 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
eior employees. The wide verandas
are screened. and tables here are re-
served for the bachelor girls and for
the men who wear coats ut meatime.
Inside the employees may eat in their
shirt sleeves The meals cost 30 cents
come fifty to the book. These books
cost S15. and the amount is deducted
from the employees salary at the end
Of the month. so that no cash Is handled
ut the hotels. except from nonemploy-
ees. who must pay 20 cents for meal.
The fare could not be duplicated in
the United States for 10 cents IL meal
4 typical thirty cent menu includes
soup. two kinds of meat. four kinds of
vegetables. hot rolls or light bread. a
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
stages an open bowl of quinine as a
maIariai antidOte.
The hotels for the gold employees
usually have been operated ut a slight
loss. while the European labOrers
messes and the colored laborers' kitch
ems have shown Il profit, At the mess
es for the Europeans. principally
Spnniards 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
AMI plentiful. and the tastes of the va
ruls nationalities are studied to give
them that to which they are accustom
ed The West Indians consume more
than 100 tons of rice monthly. the ltal
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 IL day. The saw
ing to an employee by cutting out one
meal is 50 II month They substitute
fruit or sandwich from the clubhouse
for the third meal and in the two they
do eat stow away enough to satisfy
their needs. Three meals day at &c
cents each would cost S27 month
Two meals day, or sixty for the
month. roSt $lS Some Of the employ
ees cut out breakfast and some lunch
So the stewards prepare food for az
average of two meals per employee.
The Tivol hotel ut Ancon. on the
Pacific side. is the tourist hotel oper'
a,ed by the commission. Its rates
American plan. are $3.50 a day and
up. There are 21S rooms and dining
room that will seat $50 persons. Al
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 canal zone cheaper than In
the United States is the result of the
climate. With uniformly warm
temperature the quality of clothes does
not vary the year round-for the WON
ell. light. summery 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 as to be
in the United States in mild weather.
A bride starts out life there ON
basis that means rude jolt to hel
when the canal is finished and she re
turns to the United States. Young
roupies who have been treading the
} easy path of high salary. free rent
; free water. light and fuel. cheaper