The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-10-07
REORGANIZATION
In PANAMA CANAL
is RECOMMENDED
Radical Changes Affecting
Employment of Labor and
Operation of Zone

WASHINGTON, Oct 7.-Thorough
reorganization of the administrative
machinery in the Panama Canal zone
with radical changes in existing poll.
cies affecting employment of labor.
| physical operations Of the canal and
railroad pay of employees and other
important subjects, is recommended in
the preliminary report submitted to
| Secretary Weeks by the commission,
which recently investigated conditions
in the Canal Zone at his request. The
commission estimates that an annual
saving of s5,O0O,OOO will result from
adoption of its suggestions.
chief among its recommendation
IS that the governor Of the Canal Zone
be directed not 10 make agreements
or understandings with the canal en-
ployes or any class thereof, for any
period Of time, but that the wages
be periodically adjusted in accordance
with the law, which bases the canal
wages on the pay Of similar employees,
in the government service in the
United States, and that the governor
shall not deal with labor organizations
as organizations, but shall deal with
committees of employees.
Wants Open Shop
1t is further recommended. the re-
port says, that the open shop princ-
pie be actually put into effect on the
lsthmus and that in all departments a
substantial proportion of nonuflion
men be employed =
In another section the document as |
serts that the open shop policy in |
theory is followed on the Canal but
in some departments it is only a
theory and the employees are com,
plctely unionized.
The commission fully believes, the |
report adds, in collective dealing be. |
tween the operatives and executives |
on the canal and believes that thereby |
MISUNDERSTANDING will be obviated .
and cordial relations attained, but it !
is absolutely opposed to having the
policy of the canal dictated by labor
organizations Of the United States
or elsewhere and it is equally opposed
TO outside agencies coming into the
Canal Zone and fomenting dissatisfac-
tion.
Wage Boards Urged
For positions in the zone for which
none is found TO correspond in the
United States. the commission recon-.
mends appointment of wage boards
to fix an average wage based on wages
actually paid for similar services in
various representative parts of the
United States.
Another recommendation is that all
agreements limiting the use of tropical
labor be abrogated. and that the canal
shall hereafter retain
freedom as TO its policy in
the employment of union, non-union
or tropical labor.
Representatives of union labor in the
zone have been in conference with Sec.
retary Weeks and Governor Morrell,
regarding the recommendations Of the ,
affecting labor which, il
S said, they came TO Washington to
'esist. Asserting that it has failed to
ind anything 10 justify continued ex-
,enditure OF canal funds to maintain
naval base at the canal, the report re
'ommends that operation of various IA
,ilities for naval purposes cease i'm
nediately, and that hereafter the canal
,e operated entirely as a commercial
agency, until congress shall other.
wise indicate.
Recommendations also is made that
my Of the canal activities not neces.
AIRY for ordinary commercial or ca
ial activities be closed up.
Finding the employment of United 4
states white citizens instead OF natives
o be another form of expenditure, the
ommission recommends that tropical
workers. be employed, TO the extent
ossible.