GEORGE W. GOETHALS 207
- * Come to my office any time you like, * ' he said to the work-
men, ' ^ and we '11 talk things over ; but we will sign no agree- ments." In this position, after much pressure, Boosevelt upheld him. It was inevitable that sooner or later these conflicting ideas should come to a final clash. An engineer named Lough while intoxicated ran over his signals, collided with a train, and killed the conductor. He was tried and sentenced to a year in the penitentiary. His union, backed generally by all organized labor on the Isthmus, met and resolved to demand his release. Goethals being then on the ocean returning to Panama, they delayed striking until he arrived. A conmiit- tee called and delivered its ultimatum. Unless Lough was re- leased they would all resign that evening and tie up the en- tire canal — as they could easily do. Goethals heard them through quietly, said very little, shook hands with them when they departed. About eight o 'clock that evening the conmiit- tee began to worry, and finally, calling Goethals on the tele- phone, asked what he was going to do about it. "Why, he said, **I thought you had all resigned."
- You don't want the work tied up, do yout" they asked.
- I shall not be tying it up; you'll be tying it up. You for-
get that this is not a private enterprise; it is a government job."
- * Well, what are you going to do t "
- Any man not at work to-morrow morning will be per-
manently dismissed. I have nothing further to say. ' ' The next morning only one man failed to appear — and there has been no labor disturbance of any consequence on the Isthmus since. If Goethals had stopped there, however, he might still have failed. The refusal to recognize the union is a well-estab- lished method of private enterprise — not to do justice to the men, but to keep down wages. But the new point of view, be- ing nothing superficial with Goethals, led him to still broader policies. It is evident that if you are not to treat with the men on the old basis of conflict you must accept unreservedly the new basis of cooperation. In a true public work men
