Show SOLVING HUMAN PROBLEMS IN ADMINISTRATION t I LOCKS LOCIS top and the explosion that rent asunder the dyke between the Pacific 1 I and the canal This was al one of the final steps in th the completion of the canal canaL- TI The e dyke had hod been left a mile below Miraflores to enable steam shovels to pursue their work and when all nIl was ready it was wac removed by t the e discharge of twenty tons of or d dynamite J a y T I a L. L ae s 1 nr t i M hG N o A r ham kY k Y l d r r I v FOMa would bo bl so very ery many who would forsake tho the pots flesh-pots an and tho the devil as offered in Panama an and Colon for the benefits of the clubhouses It is true that there might not have o been many but ha having hang ng s seen en a number of men go to the had bad I felt that if one were saved it would offset off the criticism ism that r tf would follow He TIc was obdurate fr- fr and t rea realizing izing th that t r I Ir would be unable to effect erred a change chango of policy because of tho the influence that would mould b bo ho exerted against me mc I gave gme up the tho idea for a time When time the reorganization of the tho force was arranged arranged arranged ar ar- ar- ar ranged the largest canal settlement was was in such close proximity to Panama that I again took up the tho question and through the the- influence of Cleveland eland H. H lod Dodge fie and Cyrus II Mc McCormick both of w whom om fortunately for for- visited the Isthmus at an opportune time Sunda Sunday opening was secured with ith the proviso to which I 1 gladly consented that games g would not be allowed during the hours bours set sel aside asido for tho the church services Sunday Baseball and Clubs for Women Arrangements arc are made to bring to the Isthmus some of tho the traveling companies of or entertainers which make tho the circuit of the time Y M. M C. C As A.'s in tho the United States and in addition picture picture motion films are nrc rented thus giving the members their families and friends many pleasant evenings at these club club- houses bouses Every encouragement was an and is given giyen to tennis and baseball For the latter an nil Isthmian league was formed and employees organized stock companies laid aid out grounds and built grandstands There was great grent rivalry y among the teams in their efforts for forthe forthe the time championship professionalism crept in finally and practically ruined the thc name me With rith the changed conditions due to the closing down of construction work the abandonment of old settlements and aud the building of new ones new ones time the old baseball fields di disappeared as well as the league but recently a new league was or organized l lands were assi for tho the fields grandstands were built by bythe bythe the Panama railroad and good games of amateur ball ballare arc are played on Sundays and holida holidays s The Time ministers on the Isthmus entered a protest against these Sunday Sunday Sun Sun- day n games ames but they are arc pla played ed at nt a time of day when they do not interfere with religious religions services It is a n. form of wholesome amusement and recreation which the men can have hn at no other time because of the work hours and it keeps them away from other and possibly more moro hurtful desecration of the tho Sabbath The tropical climate is more apt to provo prove injurious to a woman from the time temperate zone than to a man and while the children thrived tho the women often suffered in health The Tho men had their work 0 rk an and therefore ha had only the evenings to dispose of but the women their housch household duties finished and and these were necessarily simple simple hind had time the days as well as the evenings and with them time often dragged heavily Those who stayed In the zone willingly and cheerfully and proved genuine helpmeets to their husbands were also strong influences for good in the tho places where thoy they lived and they deserve high praise In u September 1907 1007 Miss hiss Helen Holen Vari Varick k Boswell of or time the Federation of r Women's omen 6 Clubs in the tho United States Slates came caroe to the tile Isthmus to look over the thc field fiel with a view to making suggestions which would encourage encourage en en- courage the women of tho the zone to form organizations to be affiliated with tho General Gener 1 Federation oCy of oC Women's y ns n's Clubs As AI the result of this vi visit it meet meet- ings ing- were held in the clubhouses at various places along tho time line interest was stimulated anc and womEn's women's wom worn ens en's clubs were finally formed in U of the principal principal prin prin- cipal settlements These clubs no doubt did considerable good ilL in bringing bringing- the women together getting them acquaint acquainted ac ac- quaint d and in other ways But BItt with a no population ion that shifted as ours onIS ours did not only from the Isthmus to the United States but also from one station to another along the line lino of the canal it was difficult for any formal organization of considerable membership membership membership member member- ship to retain its solidarity ty 1 Straightening Out Domestic Tangles With our employees drawn from all classes and every place place from from ever every state in the union and from the large Jarge cities as well as the rural communities it it is not surprising that there was some discord and instances in in instances stances in which husband and wife failed to pull together to to together gether in double harness In tho the United States such cases would be carried to a law court but this was rarely done on the Isthmus instead tho the complaining person came to my office and after I had heard beard hisor his hisor hisor or her more frequently her si side e a formal investigation investigation investigation gation would ensue with statements from those directly interested and from others who might know whether Mr aIr Smith was really abusive and cruel to toward toward to- to ward Mrs Smith ha had to purchase for fOl her a proper amount of clothing had lead como corno home homo intoxicated intoxicated tho the previous Saturday night and broken the tho dishes had been un unduly uly attentive to Mrs Jones ox Jones oc whatever might be the tho moving cause of the com com- plaint In some same cases we were able abIo to pour oil on the troubled trouble waters so that the domestic sailed on smoothly thereafter If this could not be done the arrangement was made mado that was considered fair and best 1st for all concerned A lot of what amounted to alimony alimonY an an agreed sum of money given monthly- monthly has been paid in the zone without the intervention of a court of law I fear that my decisions have not been uniformly wise but tho the procedure ure has ln had bad advantages advantages ad ad- ad 4 vantages to to the principals principals they they were not kept in suspense but were given a quick decision and thc they had to pay no court costs or attorneys attorney's s 's fees fecs Gambling became a serious source of complaint from the wives of employees who suffered the time consequences consequences consequences con con- sequences for rather mine largo large a slakes were Avero involved It was d difficult to break brenk this p hut but fin finally all by using the time information obtained at nt these Sunda Sunday morning sessions and appealing to the tho players themselves most of tho the games were stopped From rom information received the games in Panama Cil City were apparently not not sh straight Whether these reports were founded found found- ed on facts or resulted from fhe flue losses lasses sustained I Iwas Iwas Iwas was not able to determine tho the stakes stukes were high and the losses were the cause of much distress Through h President Taft pressure was brought to bear on officials of tho the republic but hut the apparent pt to stop slop the games was not effectual The hc great greatest cst part of time the force did not be belong on to the tho teetotaler class nor di did the tho prohibition movement h have Ye many supporters outside of the tho clergy y When the United States assumed control there were saloons n nin in all the settlements that existed existe and these were continued but when new settlements were stab stab- established established u f saloon oon licenses were not extended to them Consequently we had some some wet and amid some II dry dl towns The license fee fcc was a high one 1200 a year an annn and an nn analysis of the limo liquor sold within the tIe zone was made from time to time with tho the penalty of tho Limo re revocation revocation revocation re- re vocation of the license Ii ense in cases whore adulteration was wn found Licenses were limited lh at first to a Lain tain number of or saloons saloon in each ach locality but as this I caused charges of favoritism and required discrimination discrimination nation the number n was unlimited though care care was exercised in their issue The Strict Watch Over the S Saloons loons The saloons were Werl s segregated kept under the constant constant con con- stant surveillance of or the p police lice and the hours honra for business prescribed an and strictly enforced Later regulations prohibited of chairs and tables in inthe inthe the tho barrooms thus removing remo those comforts mig might t tend to loitering or conviviality Giving credits credit by y tho the saloons to their patrons was WM discouraged through refusal b by the authorities to render any as assistance us- us in the collection the of bills Again all ca cases es of alcoholism treated in the tho hospitals were reported and noted on the personal records the men understanding ing that alcoholism was VAS a cause for discharge from tho the service service c. c It is is' a curious fact the police but police records showed that th there re were more arrests for d disorderly conduct due to liquor in the to s where I liquor quor was was than in in the others others- and this was for the tho reason reason that in it the former pla places es s the tho men would bring a the liquor out from the terminal cities by br the tho bottle and drink until tIe the supply was exhausted while in the tho latter lattery being obliged to stand as they drank there was not so much temptation to overindulgence and the men after thc they had satisfied their thirst went ent to their homes or about their business Tho The ministers employed by the commission and others protested against the granting of licenses within the zone and occasionally letters o on the time subject subject sub sub- reached us from the United States The he work ork was of the earth earthly and the men engaged onit on it were more of the sinning class than saints We Wo employed cd the ministers to look after the spirit spiritual a welfare of our people and I 1 suggested to them that if they would make tho the men raen more saintly through their teachings and labors among them the saloons would disappear w without the necessity of administrative action So long as liquor was so casil easily purchasable in the terminal cities I much preferred that the saloons bo be kept in the zone zone where our men could remain under time tho observation of our own on people and where unadulterated liquor could be bou bought ht When Las Cascadas as was turned over for fOT o occupation occupation m- m pation to the Tenth infantry the saloons in that community were closed anti and later ater after discussing time the question with the secretary of war Hen Henry I L Stimson I a agreed reed that at nt the expiration of the term ferm of the time licenses for 1913 the saloons at Empire Empire Empire Em Em- pire the thc nearest settlement would be closed also also- 0 l or for they were ere too accessible to the enlisted men cn I Iwas was very anxious to start a canteen for the thc benefito benefit o of the employees eeR and the soldiers but the necessary necessary s. s sary authority could mild not be obtained When hen the the the closing closing of the salo saloons ns at Empire wa was wasa discussed ed at nt the time commission meeting in n April 1913 it was decided to close those at tit Culebra a and nd q at It the tho same time those be being being the g-the the o only ly remaining remaining- towns in the tho re l liquor quor w was is i's sold By time the tho construction work ork was as drawing to a a. close making it n necessary to reduce the force employed and many of the dl drinkers l kers were selected for diScharge discharge discharge dis diS- charge so that the drinking element was reduced materially thou though h it did not not di disappear entirely Consulting With the Men Sunday mornings were not the only times devoted de do- voted to tho the human problems nor were were those presented presented pre pre- then the only problems in in- connection with the tho human buman element that received attention I 1 was accessible to any anyone one desiring to sec see me whenever I was in the office my mornings were mornings were spent nt going around from one place to an another ther inspecting the tho various phases of the e enterprise and gathering information information inv in- in v formation not so much from the officials as ag from the tho men These were cre consulted about their particular particular par par- tasks and encouraged to express their views vic freely as to the time methods employed and tho the manner of doing Not only did tho the individual take greater grenter interest in consequence but I obtained a a. knowledge kno of de details details de- de tails which could have haye been een acquired in no other wa way This knowledge of details was described by byone one writer as H uncanny uncanny and was responsible for forthe time the report in circulation that U gumshoe men were employed and scattered over the isthmus for forthe forthe the tho purpose se of keeping me informed about everything everything every every- thing that went on I was amused ed to learn from the chairman of the thc labor commission which visited the isthmus in 1908 1903 some timo time after its arrival that he had employed an and brought with him a n. Russian Russian Rus Rus- sian sinn who had bad experience in th the tho secret service to ascertain if there were any foundation for tho the charge e relative to time the U gumshoe men i t IThe iThe The executive order governing accounting provided pro vided for time inspectors who were engaged in checking up the men employed ed on various parts of the work with tho the time reported in the time books au and they were obliged to report any irregularities there thero was also a 0 man connected with my office who investigated complaints that had been made in order that all parties concerned might have e an opportunity to present their sido of the time story There was however however how how- there need of ever cr no secret service service nor was any aimy The isthmus was Wl fort seven forty en miles of gossip information and misinformation circulated rapidly and through the tho complaints that resulted re everything everything- of the kind reached mo sooner or later Inter furthermore I could always get got nn any information desired through my visitors who in fact were the tile real and only gumshoes Of tho various administrative ve problems problem that had narl to be taken up and solved those outlined her herein in were time the most difficult constituting the tho most tiresome tiresome tiresome tire tire- some and exhausting of my duties Thoy They were assumed assumed as as- voluntarily and for a purpose purpose- I had learned by bv experience both in the army and on civil il works that the the- best results are arc secured through the cooperation cooperation cooperation co co- co- co operation of men men who are contented and who h have Ye respect for and confidence in their leader At the smoker which was given en at Corozal on March 17 1907 I |