Farming on the Isthmus of Panama 



231 



Photo by Dillwynn M. Hazlett 



Panamau Mango 



fronts the Isthmian Canal Commission 

 and will confront the contractor, if the 

 work is sublet, is that of "unskilled 

 labor." The report of the Commission 

 is : "The question of labor is a grave and 

 perplexing" one. A sufficient supply of 

 labor can be secured from near-by trop- 

 ical islands and countries, so far as num- 

 bers are concerned. The question of 

 quality is a very different matter. Un- 

 less a much greater efficiency can be de- 

 veloped than is secured at present, it will 

 be necessary to look elsewhere for a bet- 

 ter class. As compared with the best 

 common labor in the United States, its 

 efficiency is rated at from 25 to 33 per 

 cent." I do not believe that either the 

 government or the contractor will be 



satisfied with this inefficiency. If they 

 are the canal will not be finished in less 

 than 20 years, or at less than four times 

 its estimated cost. All alien labor is in- 

 efficient in comparison with the good 

 common labor in the United States. The 

 best way to get rid of the inefficiency of 

 alien labor would be to employ the brawn 

 of the farm and factory that is in the 

 States. With good sanitation, housing 

 and feeding, and a fair wage, this kind 

 of unskilled labor could be had. To 

 thousands of our citizens labor has not 

 yet become dishonorable, nor has the 

 spirit of patriotism departed. We as 

 Americans have said, "The canal shall be 

 built." "We shall succeed where others 

 fail." "We have not only the money and 



