The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-04-27
SKILLED LABOR ON
PANAMA CANAL
REBELS At
REDUCTION
Presidents Order Effective
April First Said to Be Caus
ing Serious Discomfort
Among Employees.
UNEMPLOYED BECOMES
PROBLEM IN THE ZONE

Panama. April 27-Much opposi-
ton TO the wage reduction of skilled
labor on the canal has arisen since
the new wage scale WAS PROMULGATED
ia conformity with an executive or
der issued by President Wilson, OPP
oratiye on April J. when the perman-
cnt government OF the Panama can"
al went INTO effect.
The skilled workers have been In
communication with the parent
unions In the United States. with the
result thai the metal trades depart
mcnt OF the American Federation OF
Labor has Instructed the unions on
the isthmus To Immediately begin
formation Of "a metal trades council
in Panama several mcctings al
ready have been held at which
strong opposition 60 any wage re-
ductiun was voiced.
Under the terms Of the Adamson
act establishing permanent GOVERN
rqcnt OF the Panama canal II is pro-
Nldrd that no y On the canal force
shall be paid more than 20 per cont
IA excess Of tho average wage Tor
similar work paid in the United
states. In conformity with this pro-
vision. Col George ". Cocktails, gov
crnor of the Panama canal Issued a
circular establishing a new wage
scale. This provided for consider
ablo reductions all along the line
II IN understood here that Colonel
Goethais personally favors tho con-
t|iuuution OF d present wage scale
unti the period OF construction shall
have been ended ~ this o. done the
reduction Will become effective grad
unlly and mot until anch the cOn-
structiou of the canal has been fully
completed.
The various labor unions repre-
stnted on the isthmus, ID Is UNDER
stood have communicate or VIII
communicate with thclT parent or
~FaniNnlung with the View of ahtatns
ing strike sanction. II AZ not tho M
mediate ~iiAentlon. according 10 la.
horers here to make use OF tho
strike weapon 10 enforce The pres
cnt scale. but only In an emergency
al such a character as TO make It's
use ~ueCtssary
~ L. not anticipated that any OPP
position 90 the new wage scale VIII
come irum the numerous clerks and
other organized employee OF the ca
nal force. As Yet no active opposi-
ton has appeared amonE them, al
template %rcsigninE ana returning 10
the United States aud seeking other
employment. This clnss ct cmploSe
lu any event viii suffer considerable
F~tinkage through the gradual re-
luction made necessary By the com
plctiou of construction work
A series 81 problems also con-
fronts the authorities OF he canal
zone and the republic 81 Pannn1
because Of the increasing number OF
unemployed men.
Within tho last year many thou
sands uf uuskillcd canal Workers
have been thrown upon their own
resources because there was no more
work tor them
I'm almost every cuse they have
saved uo money for a rainy day The
result has been an Increasing amount
ot iuwicssness, running particularly
INTO thc lime OF petty hurglaries.
For uuskillcd tabor there b. now
absolutely no emand either on the
isthmus. the outlying provinces 81
the republic. or the n~eighhoring re-
puhilCs OF central and South Ameri-
ga. The proposed government r.h-
way la the province OF Chirique ia
expected Co afford some relief. bUt
the hope 81 it's early start b. not
at all bright here.
There is little or no construction
work IN progress Public work, with
tho exception OF the national expo
Sitiun. practically Is at a stand sthl
fitiun, practically Is at a standstill
Dn the zone the roads are bclng
constructed by the prisoners 10 the
p~cniteuuary. This also ~ the case
iu the Panam republic.
Both Panama city and Colon. the
two most important cities Ia the
Panama republic, are filled with idlc
negroes who are lOoked pOn more
or less as a menace hy the poles
forces. The panamanlan authorities
ray that the problem Is one Of solu'
tion hy the vanal government.
The question ct the unemployed
jamaican negro IL simple. when h'
loft his native shore to come 10 Pan
ama to work on the canal he wa'
compelled 90 deposit 50 for his re-
turn passage when the job was done
Many of them. however DO no
wish 10 return, for the reason tina
they are now accustomed to largeI
wages han they have ever been nbil