THE READERS' COLUMN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 305, 17 May 1913, Page 6

THE READERS' COLUMN.

THE rANAMA CANAL. | (By James Wortley.) '"'Panama and What it Means," by John Foster-Fraser, Author of "America at Work," etc. (Cassell and Co., 1913). Fostcr-Fraser can be depended upon to give us impressionist sketches of people and places in the public eye, very much as we get the world's weekly topics at the picture palace, and he screens his picture with a master-hand, giving us just what we want to keep interested, and providing us with a background upon which to place what further knowledge we acquire of the subject. Panama is a subject that lends itself to Mr. Fraser's style of treatment, and the result is a very fascinating book. We may agree or disagree with the opinions expressed, but the chapters dealing with the work actually being carried on, the I history of the Panama Canal, and of the •ittle Republic of that name, could not ' well be improved upon. To begin with ; the author takes us a hurried trip of the route, and then leisurely returns pointing out bit by bit the items that mark the great undertaking- as the "big-. gest job" yet accomplished. THE FIGHT WITH THE MOSQUITO. When the French came to Panama ! they died like flies, and the first thing i the Americans did was to make it possible to live there. To this end they j made use of the medical discoveries during the Cuban war relative to. tropical diseases, with the magnificent results that to-day what is called the Canal zone, is quite a healthy spot ior the workers. The medical officers sent out have scotched the ravages of the fever carrying mosquito: To do this we are told it is costing the States £250,000 a year, and finds constant employment on the Canal route for 1500 men, who do nothing but look after the health of the actual men who are "digging the ditch." "The Isthmus is not yet a popular health resort, but in the immediate Canal regions it is no longer a country dangerous to health. AIT likely breeding grounds (for the mosquito) are saturated with kerosene. You go for miles and the air stinks with the black, slimey stuff. Nearly every ditch is smeared with it. Where, pools accumulate in the vicinity of the workings, niggers with copper cans on their backs canter round and spray freely. The residences of the. j officials at Colon are all like gigantic meat safes. The horses are enclosed in cases of copper screening, and folk sit on the balcony and look at you through the mesh. The white man is guarded from the malaria-carrying mosquito. THE WORKERS AT PANAMA. The authorities, jealous of American prestige among the coloured races, do not permit cheap white labor. Consequently the West Indies have been drawn upon for thousands of Coolies. The Barbados provides the bulk. They are big healthy fellows, and come across to Colon with their families and every wordly possession, filling all available deck space with a mass of black and picturesque humanity. SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT. Colonel GoctJials has been chaffed for trying to run his huge staff like a Sunday school, but the fact is that the very latest principles of dealing with the workers are, employed. Those in command know 1 that if the worker is doing his task under the best conditions lie will do it better and quicker. Consequently no railing at the laborers is allowed, and "language" is practically unknown. The Y.M.C.A. have been invited to conduct a branch of their organisation at the Canal, and at the expense of the Commissioners, look after the social life of the worker as far as passible. Very interesting chapters deal with such subjects as—The Spanish at Panama—Early Projects for a Canal—History of the Panama Republic—The Canal in its relation to the West Indies—Resources of the Isthmus—and the Future of the Pacific. There are long and interesting descriptions of the manner of carrying out the various works, and the whole is well illustrated by -about fifty admirable photos of the work in progress. SOME RECENT FICTION. *"The West Wind," by Cyrus Townserid Brad)", Author of ''The Chali.se of Courage"" (Chicago: McClurv and Co.; 1012). A stirring love tale, having for its setting,; an account of two border battles] between the settlers and Indians of Wyoming. Amy Benham is loved by two! men of sterling worth —one, the manager of her father's property—the ; Other, a captain of U.S. Cavalry. For- ' tune;goes with the soldier, who ultimately wins the fair lady's hand, but not before we have been shown what a magnificent fellow Sullivan is. His single- ', handed fight with the horde of Indians : in the rocky defile is a fine piece of descriptive writing, and we await with imi patience the final outcome of the conl flict. The April special number of the "Bookman," notices a great many new ■ novels. Of those reviewed the more im- . portant are: "The Amateur Gentleman," , by Jeffrey Farnol (Sampson Low); "The j Second-Sigh tor's Daughter," by G. B. j Lurgin (Hutchinson); "Doctor Whitty," by <?. A. Birmingham (Methuen); "The Little Grey Shoe," by- Percy Brebner (Hodder and Staughton); "An Affair of State," by J. C. Smaith (Methuen); and "White Motlcv," by Max Pemberton ' (Cassell). NOTES.. London files to hand bring word of the death of Mr. W. Hales White, well- . known to book-lovers, as "Mark Rutherl ford." Mr. White! who was a native of - Bedford, died at Tunbridgc Wells in his i cightv-third year. Tn the early eighties ) he published two anonymous works, "The ; Autobiography of Mark Rutherford," 1 and "The Revolution in Farmer's Lane," 2 both of which created considerable stir. f Literary critics have continued to talk - about them, and msinv people consider ■. that his writings will become still more r widely known as time goes on. The s "Bookman" propose to issue a "Mark 2 Rutherford" number at an early date. l According to the "Bookseller," which I gives a very full report, it must have 1 been an interesting svioech given at the Publishers' Annual Dinner, by Sir Wm.