Campaign and Results 299 



consequently only poor and unintelligent labor 

 could be obtained. Any intelligent laborer could 

 find employment elsewhere at a higher rate of 

 pay. Even the men employed for scavenging and 

 ditching were used as a fumigation squad. Some 

 of them had not enough sense to hurry while 

 working in sulphur fumes. It was not unusual 

 for them to leave us while fumigations were in 

 progress, for working in sulphur fumes day after 

 day at the lowest rate of wages was not attractive. 

 At that time in the Canal Zone a laborer could 

 find work anywhere else for the asking and often 

 at higher wages. The sanitary inspectors deserve 

 great credit for the manner in which they won 

 success in spite of the numerous diffictdties they 

 faced. Apparently many of the laborers had 

 never moved with celerity before in their lives, 

 and some of them could not even climb a ladder. 

 Otheis who went into the rooms to open -windows 

 after fumigation did not understand enough to 

 return quickly, and were dragged out in a state of 

 collapse. This was the only class of labor allowed 

 the sanitary department. We had to use it, and 

 succeed or fail. 



Many of the native houses were so loosely built, 

 and so full of cracks, that it was necessary to paste 

 paper over the outside of the greater part of them, 



