Gift ofthe Panama Canal Muse,

IHE

CJt5'-'-a^'-/f ^0)

Vol. 1, No. 2 BALBOA, HEIGHTS, CANAL ZONE, AUGUST 4, 1950 5 cents

CANAL-RAILROAD ESTABLISHES ENVIABLE RECORD

IN 1950 AS COMPARED WITH PRE-WAR OPERATIONS

Work Load and Force ^ , „ m . r i . Durine Past 12 Months ^^^ •'"^" nouses Wearing lompletion

Compared with 1938 ——«—

(iVf slory on page 20)

In a world of unstable political

and economic conditions, The Pan- ama Canal on June 30th completed

its 35th full fiscal year of operations

with an enviable record in achievement and economical operation.

The average citizen long since

accustomed himself to a critical and

somewhat c>nical attitude toward

increasing expenditures with littk' apparent increase in work load and

accomplishments, especially in Ciovernment operations.

In the past 12 years the Canal

expenditure of appropriated funds

has more than doubled.

Since the Canal's primary purpose

is to transit ocean commerce between

the Atlantic and the Pacific and

about the same number of ships

transited the Canal in both years, it

is little wonder that the average

citizen asks himself why the cost

of operating the waterway is more

than doubled.

The answer to this rhetorical

question is simple—conditions have

changed. The explanation of the answer is much more complicated.

In comparing Canal operations and

costs for the two years without consideration of basic changes would be

as illogical as a fruit grower who

complains that the color, taste and

quality of his oranges had decidedhchanged from one year to another

without considering such important

One of the busiest places in the Canal Zone iiuri:ij; ih.- past si.\ months has bujn the San Juan area in .\ncon where the major house building program of the past fiscal year was in progress. This scene, looking up .\ncon Hill from Ancon Boulevard, shows the group of one-family houses which are nearing completion. Three duplexes are on the

opposite side of Ancon Boulevard. The two-family houses are to be completed and ready

for assignment during .August while the one-family buildings will be completed at the rate

of one about every 10 days beginning the first of September.

factors as the amount of sunlight,

parasitic infection, or fertility of the

soil for the trees. Watermarks Are Needed

For a clear explanation of the

Canal's predicament of rising costs and steady income it is necessary,

first of all, to establish certain defi- nite watermarks for comparison

watermarks of money values, water- marks of force levels, and water- marks of work actually done.

For the benefit of thousands of Canal-Railroad employees, and for others interested, who have heard and

read criticisms of constantly increasCANAL ZONE

1938 42,000

POPULATION

1950 -52,500

ing costs. The Panama Canal Review has undertaken in this issue to give a comparative review of the

Canal's operations and expenditures

in the fiscal years 1938 and 1050. The fiscal year 1938 was selected for comparative purposes since commercial traffic in the two years were more or less equal ; force levels were

such as to permit reasonable comparisons; and both were peacetime

years. In the latter category, the

past year sufi^ers in the comparison

since the dying effects of World War

II were still evident in 1950 and

world economic conditions by no means had the stability of 1938.

Not intended as a full-scale eco- nomic survey, this review includes

consideration of some of the basic

factors influencing {See page. 12)

046NEWU.S. LEAVE RATE

0.83 PUBLIC LAW 600—

j

2.40 NEW LOCAL LEAVE

2.79 CASH RELIEF —

661% Id.36%

|"i938 APiPROPPJ AT10N5 j ^10,523,760 IADJU5TED DOLLAR VALUE 40HR.

WEEK

tu

H- ^20,727,760

: 1950 APPRGPRJATIONS~^ 2

1

.2 50,000

•'*'' -—---
THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW August 4, 1950

Co\vs Accorded Tender Care

By Mindi Dairy Personnel

If ck'anliiU'ss is next t« viotUiness, as the old proverb sa>s, all the cows

at Mindi Dairy are slated for heavenh' pastures when they die. Without taking the comparison

further, it can be fairly stated that no debutante is more carefulK' scrubbed and groomed for her round

of the night spots than Mrs. Moo

at Mindi Dairy when she is ready on her twice-a-day schedule to fur- nish \ou with tht bottle of milk \ on

sleepih' take in from the back porch

the next morning.

Not only has boss>- been thoroughly scrubbed from head to foot and horns to switching tail, but her

milk manufacturing parts have been

sterilized with chlorme solution and

her attendants, milker and feeder,

have bathed and changed their

clothes to attend her. Even before

she enters the milking barn Mrs.

Moo has been given a thorough and

expert inspection to see that she

feels completely up to snutt. Such tender care must be deserved

and Dr. C. C. Clay, Manager of Mindi Dairy Farm, says it is. To his way of thinking, the manufacture of a bottle of milk is no less a delicate and painstaking job than

the making of a fine watch. The

process is different and the manufacturing machine appears clumsier but

only a fine craftsman, he says, can make you a precision timepiece or

deliver a bottle of fresh milk to your

door every morning which is free of impurities and rich in butter fat and

food value.

A Commissary Unit

Mindi Dairy, one of the many and

diversified units of the Commissary

Division, with its present cattle population of 1,600 Holsteins, Guernseys, Jerseys, and Brown Swiss, has

a proud 33-year record. Presently,

it supplies more than a half million

gallons of inilk, enough for every

Canal Zone man, woman, and child to have ten gallons a ^ear. The importance of this ready supply of fresh, pure milk was made

hiehlv annarent during World War

II when till' supi)l>' lines to the Isth- mus were almost severed by submarine warfare. During that pre- carious four-year ]icriod when ships

\\(.Te n(_'e(lcil t(ir sdnictlriiii; other

Dr. C C Clav, Man i r> Farm, lookb on lliu pruducLiuii ul a boule

of milk as a delicate and painstaking job.

Despite their placid appearance, cows can

be as temperamental as a prima donna. The cows are scrubbed and groomed for each milking and Dr Clay requires the men

at the dairy to handle them gently

than transporting cows and milk to the Isthmus, infants, hospital patients and others needing fresh milk

for health purposes were assured of a steady supply at uniform prices even though the supply was not then

enough to meet the demand of the

greatly increased Zone population.

The dairying industry in the Canal

Zone has n rr\'\r-h lone-er history than

^ The dairying industry iii ilic C.imI /unc li.iu-- li.uk lo ilu- u.irh- tcinal cnnsirucium

period although the dairy at Mindi was not established until soon after the first V\'orld War. More than 1,000 Holsteins, Guernseys, Jerseys, and Brown Swiss presently stand on the production line at Mindi Dairy.

that at Mindi. From the beginning

of the Canal construction period in 1904, a herd of cattle was maintained

by .Ancon (now Gorgas) Hospital on

the slopes of Ancon Hill. The pasture extended from where the Governor's house now stands to San

Juan Place and between what is now

Gorgas Road and Ancon Boulevard.

The only remaining evidence of this dairy farm is a huge concrete watering tank near the intersection of Ancon Boule\ard and Cascadas

Road.

This herd was kept solely to suppl\- hospital needs and was moved

to Corozal after a few years. The

Corozal dairy farm was abandoned

not long after Mindi Dairy was es- tablished in 1917 near the old Mindi

Dock with a herd of about 100

Colombian cattle. The farm was moved to its present site the following year and the herd was increased

to about 2,000 Colombian cattle and

200 registered cattle imported from

Michigan.

Years of Experience

By many years of experience in handling pure bred cattle in the

tropics the herd has been gradually

evolved to its present size without

the necessity of cross breeding with

native cattle which prodiice less milk but have more stamina in withstanding the tropical heat and rains. Dr. Clay says there is little differ- ence in tile health of the various

breeds in the tropics and none of the

pure breds withstand the extreme

heat and excessive rain too well. Mindi Dair\- stocks more Holsteins

because of the high volume of milk

produced. The present census shows

864 Holsteins, 141 Guernseys, 30

Jerseys, and 28 Brown Swiss among

the milk producers. The Brown Swiss

have only recently been stocked at the farm but they are already fa- vorites with Dr. Clay who says they

are high producers of fine quality

milk. They are comparable in size to the Holsteins and Guernseys.

Jerseys, long a favorite among dairy- men in the United States, produce

less volume but milk of high butter

fat content. The extra care Dr. Clay and his assistants give to cleanliness of the cows, the barns, personnel assigned

to milking and utensils used at the

dairy shows in the revealing figures on bacteria count of Mindi Dair>-

milk. During the past year Board

of Health Laboratory reports showed

an annual average bacteria count of

22,000 per cubic centimeter of raw

milk and 1,500 bacteria count per

cubic centimeter of pasteurized milk

from Mindi. Minimum standards set by the United States Public Health

-Service are 200,000 bacteria count

for Grade A raw milk and 30,000 for ])asteinized milk. The Health Department demands minimum requirements of 500,000 and 50,000 for Grade .\ raw and pasteurized milk.

Both agencies call for not less than

3.25 percent butter fat content and

Mindi Dairy milk more than meets

this standard with an annual average

past year of 3.6 percent.

Solicitous Care Given

The solicitous care which the cows

receive does not begin {See page 3)
August 4, 1950 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW

DISTINCTIVE RECORD To The Employees

Clarence Elie, the only native of the Virgin Islands in the CanalRailroad service, is the sole citizen of the Ihiited States now on the paxrolls who entered service in 1905. He was born in St. Thomas and came to the Isthmus in 1904, the

year the Canal construction was

undertaken by the ITnitcd States. He is a familiar figure to patrons of The Panama Canal Library where

he has been employed since 1940. Prior to that time he had been

employed for more than 25 years as messenger and office helper at the

Administration Building.

He had only a few years of government service during the Canal

construction period, being privateh'

employed as a tailor for about five years during this period.

Cows Given Good Care

(Continued from page 2) and end in the milking barn. It starts when a cow or calf is first listed in the cattle census and does not end until they

are dropped from the rolls. An indi- vidual history and record of ever>- cow, bull, ^nd calf is kept which

would do justice to the personnel

records of a Government agency.

When a calf is born at the farm,

which occurs about ten times ever> week, it is given a metal check, a system long since abandoned by the

Canal for its paid employees. Meanwhile, an index card is prepared

showing the calf's genealogy, sex, breed, weight, and any other data

of importance. This begins a run- ning record which continues through- out the animal's stay on the farm.

Napier grass, brought to the Canal

Zone from Africa about 22 years ago, forms a staple item of diet for^Mindi

cows, and each cow eats about 25

pounds a day. The local grass, however, merely supplements the basic

diet which consists of feeds procured

in the Ihiited States or other world

markets and shipped to the Isthmus

at full commercial transportation

rates which are an important factor

in keeping production costs high in relation to those in the States. Thes^

feeds include alfalfa hay, corn meal,

hominy feed, malt sprouts, salt, bone

meal, ground oats, mineral concenThe first fundamental change generally

affecting all units, ami

to a lesser degree all personnel, of the CanalRailroad to he made in

the 36 years of the Canal's operating his- tory took place on

Jul'v 1. the fact that this major realignment was

accomplished with no

perceptible interruption or confusion in

the complex activities is a high tribute to the individuals who

were concerned. To me, it is a source

of great satisfaction and pride in our

organization and personnel to observe

the facility with which this change was made and the responsive attitude of the employees.

Plans for the reorganization had

been under active consideration for a period of about three years prior to July 1. The underlying reasons which

prompted the change in the organization have been publicly set forth on

several occasions. Ilow'ever, it is not amiss to call attention once more to the basic reason. The primary and long- range objective in the change is a more

economical operation of the waterway

and railroad, and it was recognized

that this could be accomplished only

through an orderly regrouping of the principal functions which would per- mit a more logical and definite control

over those activities that naturally be- long together. It was knoiun in ad- vance that an appreciable savings in

money could not be effected immediately. However, I am confident that a step in the right direction has been taken and with the continued cooperation of our employees, not only in

this matter but in other ways that

affect living in the Canal Zone, there

will be a heightened feeling of responsibility in the job, no matter hoiv small,

and of satisfaction in doing it well. In many respects, tJie fiscal year 1950 was one of the most critical of

the Canal operating history. An almost constant readjustment of personnel was

required to accommodate the organization

to changing conditions

of a local and zvorldu'idc nature. Obviously,

this state of affairs was

not conducive to a feel- ing of individual se- curity and thisfact bore

heavily on the minds

of those administrative

officers whose duties

required force reductions or other similar

readjustments.

Even in the face of such obstacles,

much was accomplished in the past year in which Canal-Railroad employees can take justifiable pride. To

those inclined to belittle present day

accomplishments or long for the "good

old days," a study of the comparative

statistics on Canal-Railroad operations in the fiscal years 193S and 1950,

carried in this issue of The Canal

Review, is recommended.

At this, the beginning of a new

fiscal year, prospects for a brightening

of world conditions or a lessening of

world tensions are not encouraging.

The Canal may again be called on to play a vital role in world affairs. Under such circumstances I hav

every confidence in the strength of tJie Canal organization and the loyal cooperation of its employees of all ranks. Examples of this strength and loyalty are plentiful in the Canal's history

from the beginning of its construction

and through past crises in world af- fairs. While I am hopeful that the coming year will be one of less strain

and stress to our employees individually and collectively, I urge everyone

to take heart from the past and, in all circumstances, continue the great tra- ditions established by the builders and

the operating personnel of The Pan- ama Canal for the past 46 years.

-hi(.

Governor

tr,-ites, soybean meal, wh^at bran,

wheat middlings, gluten mjal and

feed, and linseed meal. This impressive menu is topped off w'ith molasses

and brewers grain, bought locally, as a kind of dessert, and the favorite

part of the meal.

Imported Feed High

Illustrating the costs involved in importing feed, alfalfa hay, of which

1,773 tons were purchased last year, cost an average of $24.50 a ton in the United States. Freight costs

w-ere greater than the value of the

hay, with the result that the landed

cost on the Isthmus was from S51.00

to S54.00 a ton. Like most men of long experience

in handling animals, the Manager of Mindi Dairy has a quiet and kindh'

air about him. He moves without

haste and speaks in modulated tones. He thinks kindly of the animals and

requires the men on the farm to

treat them so. They are not permitted to strike or frighten the cows

at any time and non-violent methods are used to quiet a frightened or unruly cow. This pays good divi- dends in milk for, despite their placid

appearance, many cows are highstrung and particularly nervous at milking hour.

Dr. Clay had several years experi- ence in veterinary practice and

dairying in his home state of Iowa

before joining the Canal service in 1924. All of his service has been at Mindi Dairy and he became Manager of the farm four years ago after die retirement of Dr. T. L. Casserly.

Dr. Clay's chief assistants are Dr.

P. H. Dowell, graduate veterinarian,

Frank Fxnan, Foreman of the farm,

and Charles Thompson, Night Fore- man. In all, Mindi Dairy provides

employment for about 150 men, all but four of whom are local-rate employees.
THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW August 4, 1950

Record Year Expected in Zone Schools;

Fort Kobbe Elementary School to Open

1 hi-^ IjuiuiHi imp (il \<nitliiiils art^ nuw

read\ for their high school careers. They

completed Balboa junior high school in June and are shown here at the commencement exercises, listening to an address by

I )i Laurenie |ohn--c)n, SuptrMilendent of Schools. '1 he class totals 180 Se\enty-six

completed their junior high school training

in Cristobal in June. A large number of new students are scheduled to enter high school work in La Boca

and Silver Cit> this \ear. There were 130

pupils who completed junior high school work in these schools during the past school term.

Preparations have been made for a record enrollment of more than

5,600 pupils in the Canal Zone

schools for white children during the

1950-51 school term which opens

September 7, according to Dr. Lawrence Johnson, Superintendent of

Schools.

This anticipated enrollment ex- ceeds by more than 650 the February 1950 enrollment, which also was

a record high. In addition, approximately 200 full-time students are expected to register for Canal Zone

Junior College work.

New records in the number of

students are also expected in the

Canal Zone schools for colored chil- dren which open this year next Monday, August 7. The major factor in the rising en- rollments is the increased birth rate

of World War II period. That this increase has been reflected in the

Canal Zone schools is evidenced by

the fact that 784 pupils were enrolled

in the first grade of the Zone white

schools last January as compared

with 374 i 1 Grade 6 and 21 1 in Grade

12. Fort Kobbe School Opens

While plans of the Division of

Schools for this banner year include some minor changes in school dis- tricting, the major change will bj

the opening of a new 27-room ele- mentary school at Howard Field. The new school, officially named the

Fort Kobbe School, will be operated

with a staff of 15 teachers under the

direction of Miss Helen Starr as

Principal. Children from kindergarten through the sixth grade who

reside at Fort Kobbe, Howard Field,

Farfan, Lacona, Rousseau, Rodman,

and the Naval Ammunition Depot

will be assigned there. Before the

year ends, the school rolls are expected to list about 560 students.

As a result of the opening of the new school, enrollment at Cocoli, up

to now the only elementary white

school on the west side of the Canal,

is expected to drop from a high of 473 last January to about 140 next month.

All pupils up through the sixth

grade who reside at Fort Davis on

the Atlantic side are to be transferred this coming school term from

Gatun to Margarita, because of a

large increase in enrollmentsexpected

in the first two grades at Gatim.

Ancon Kindergarten Opens

On the Pacific side, the major

changes in the assignment of pupils

will include the opening of a kindergarten at the Ancon School and the

transfer of all grade 6 pupils residing in Ancon to Balboa Elementary School.

Transfer of sixth grade students from

Ancon has been under consideration

for several years and will be made

possible this year with the removal

of the administrative offices of the

Division of Schools from the third

floor of Balboa PZlementary School

to the Civil Affairs Building.

The change will enable the five- year-olds in .Ancon to attend school

much nearer their homes. Formerly,

all kindergarten pujiils in .Ancon were transported by bus to Balboa.

New quarters are being provided

for the kindergarten in Balboa this year. .Alterations will soon be completed on a suite of four rooms on

the south end of the building. The

alterations include the cutting of open archways between the rooms,

installation of asphalt tile floors of attractive patterns, and a complete

interior paint job in soft, pastel

colors. A considerable amount of new equipment will also be installed. Preparations for the opening of

schools each year entail much de.

tailed planning by the administra

tive staff many months before the

first school bells ring in September.

Such plans are materially complicated in a year like 1950 when substantial changes are expected in enrollments.

This year, as a result of the antici- pated increase in enrollments, ten additional elementary teachers will be employed, including three trained

kindergarten teachers. In addition,

22 teachers new to the Canal Zone

schools have been emplo>ed for the

coming school term as rej^lacements

caused by the resignation of six ele- mentary, four junior high, and four

senior high school teachers; the re- tirement of two elementary teachers;

and the granting of one-year leaves

of absence to six other faculty members. New Teachers Listed

A partial list of the new teachers,

their homes in the United States,

and their assignments for the coming

year, has been announced by the

Superintendent of Schools as follows

.

F"ort Kobbe School: Virginia R. Boyer, of Frostburg, Maryland

;

Shirley Moffett, of Long Beach, California; Katherine Brewer, of Carthage, North Carolina; Marion M.

Martin, of St. Petersburg, Florida;

Elizabeth L. Schlunt, of Cumberland, Maryland; Rosemary T. Spragg, of Indianapolis, Indiana;

and Alice L. Marple, of Heaters,

West Virginia.

Cocoli School: Vivian M. Patterson, of Santa Maria, California; and

Janet Baffert, of Tucson, Arizona.

Pedro Miguel: Dolores A. Chaput,

of Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Gamboa: Frances Ferguson, of Moorhead, Mississippi. {See page 18)
Augusf 4, 1950 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW

FORTY YEARS AGO

In

April - May - June

PICTURE OF THE PERIOD

"Rubber-neck" trains were a common sight in Ciilebra (now Gaillard) Cut 40 years ago as tourists from all parts of the world flocked to the Isthmus to see the modern engineering wonder. The trains were run along one of the upper Canal berms, or levels, to keep the tourists from underfoot and give them a good view of the work.

Times were tough on the Isthmus 40 years ago. The Canal was far from

being completed, work was hard and the hours were long; housing was poor and the bosses were short tempered. Some employees were for catching the

ne.xt ship back home and others were for sticking it out a little longer.

Col. George W. Goethals had been

at the hehn of the Canal work for just three years in 1910. The work

which began with a slow start was

reaching a crescendo and the time

for the first ship to go through the

"Big Ditch" was already in sight. In 1910, after six years of frustration, argument and hard work, the

employee engaged in the construction of the Panama Canal could

begin to see the major outlines of

his work and skill. Some of the

things he could see as landmarks of progress in digging the big ditch were

:

Clearing was begun during the sec- ond quarter of 1910 on the Canal channel through the Gatun Lake section. The clearing of the new channel

between Balboa and Corozal was completed and work of clearing of the Balboa inner harbor was initiated. The flooding of Gatun Lake was

begun by the closing of the west diversion, the Channel through which Chagres River was diverted at Gatun while

Gatun Dam was under construction. With the flooding of the lake arej,

amateur orchid hunters began an e.v- tended Roman holiday.

The McClintic- .Marshall Construction Companv, of Pittsburgh, submitted the low bid of $5,375, OUU for fur- nishing and erecting the Canal lock- gates—46 gates of two leaves each. The relocation of the Panama Railroad, which then followed the proposed

Canal channel, zvas being pushed to conclusion. The relocated tracks betiveen Gatun and Gamboa were completed during the quarter and the first passenger train ran over the new track on May 1, 1910. Meanwhile, employees of the Isthmian Canal Commission had other news of local or international interest to cogitate:

The long fight involving international issues, on fortification of the Canal Zone was settled and President

Taft asked Congress to appropriate

slightly over $14,000,000 to fortify

the Canal. His recommendation was

based on a report made by a board of Army and N'avy officers which recom- mended the emplacement of ten 14- inch rifles, twelve 6-inch rifles, and

twenty-eight 12-inch mortars for the sea coast defenses. Their report and

estimate was a revision of one made

in 1905 at which time the estimated

cost of Canal defenses had been placed

at a figure just under five million

dollars. The Panama Canal tug, M. E.

Scully, later to become famous for the first circumnavigation of South

.America and other exploits, was re- named the Reliance.

The troublesome Canal slides re- quired the removal of several buildings

because of the sloughing off of banks

at the west Culebra slide area. The memorial window in St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Ancon,

for "all who die in the construction

of the Panama Canal" was dedicated

May 8, 1910. The window cost $350. The design, based on a painting b\' Schonheer, a German reli- gious painter of the early 19th century, was executed by the ecclesi- astical firm of R. Geissler in \ew

York.

Commis.mry prices held firm during

the quarter and prime rib roast was

quoted at 20 cents a pound and porterhouse steaks cost 21 cents a pound.

850 Electric Stoves

On Order; Delivery

Expected Next Month

New electric ranges will be in- stalled in many Canal homes within

a short time. The first of 850 stoves purchased from Westinghouse to re- place an equal number now in use

are expected to arrive during September and will be installed starting soon afterwards.

Replacements in quarters will be

mide solely on the basis of the age

of the stoves now in use. Generally

the new ranges will replace stoves

that have been in service 15 years

or more and are considered fully

depreciated.

The new stoves will be four-burner

cabinet models with automatic oven

temperature control similar to the

electric ranges installed in the early

part of 1948 in the last major re- placement program when 1,000 new

stoves were put in service. The new stoves do not have such

refinements as oven timers and oven

lights, omitted because the additional cost would have reduced considerably the number of stoves which

could be purchased with the authorize 1 allotment and because of the

a 1 litional expense and difficulty in- volved in maintenance.

No Deep-Well Cookers

The ranges also have a fourth reg- ular burner instead of a deep-well

cooker since most housewives have

expressed a preference for the fourth

cooking unit to the top-of-the-stove

cooker, a feature of the ranges in- stalled in 1948. The new stoves will replace Westinghouse and Monarch four-burner

stoves purchased in 1931, 1932, and

1933. The Electrical Division has fol- lowed a policy of replacing electric ranges after 15 years of service. The

regular replacement schedule was

suspended during the war years

when electrical equipment was unavailable. Installation of the 850 new models, plus the supply placed

in service in 1948, will begin to nor- malize the regular replacement rate

for the approximately 5,000 electric ranges in use in Canal quarters.

The new Ancon Corral was completed. The buildings erected in- cluded a carriage shed, a wagon shed,

two large stables, a sick bay and

dispensary for horses and mules, a blacksmith and horseshoeing shop,

and a wagon repair shop.

A circulating library 7i>as opened in

Balboa with 225 books. Forty-six applications for liquor

licenses in the Canal Zone were

granted during the fiscal year 1910. Sleeping accommodations were opened to the traveling public at the Hotel Washington with rates at $2.00

a day for all but two rooms which

rented for $1.00. Up until this time

the hotel had been used as a "line"

hotel of the L C. C for employees

onlv.
THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW August 4, 1950

PEOPLE YOU KNOW

Two popular veteran employees of the Atlantic side and one of less years, in age and service, of the

Pacific side inaugurate a new feature

of The Canal Review- People You

Know —in this issue. The feature

will bring you regularly the pictures

and brief biographical sketches of the men and women you know well

men and women who have a big

part in running The Panama Canal

and the Panama Railroad.

This first issue of People You

Know brings you

:

Ernie Cotton, Printer, baseball

fan and writer, civic and fraternal worker, homebody, and about the

most affable man on the Gold Coast.

In the adjoining picture you see him

in one of his most typical poses, deeply engrossed in one of the

knotty printing problems of the

Panama Railroad Press. Mr. Cotton was born in Columbus, Ohio, and dipped his fingers in printer's ink before he was many

years old. One of the youngest old timers of the Canal-Railroad organization, he began work at the Press

in February 1911 when he was employed on the "Silver" roll as a compositor at 20 cents an hour. He was

promoted to Printer in December

1946.

Doc Gilder who has been treat- ing the ills and ailments of Canal

and Railroad employees and their

families for nearly 30 years. There

is no better known individual on the

Atlantic side. Although officially listed on the Canal rolls as a Medical

Officer, he actually is just a plain

family physician—the kind people

want to see when they get sick. His home is in Butler, Alabama,

and he was graduated in medicine

from Tulane University in New Orleans. His internship was served in Colon Hospital. Although he served

about five years in quarantine work,

most of his time on the Isthmus has

been as the District Physician in charge of the dispensary or medical

clinic located in Colo i Hospital.

JiMMiE Tho.mpson who is known

to one and all who want to take a

trip to the States. His duties in charge of the transportation desk in the Administrative Branch brings

him a steady stream of visitors, and

the smiling pose of him with .Miss Carolyn Magner, of the Health

Bureau, is both natural and constant. Jimmie smiles even when he

doesn't have such a pretty girl to advise about transportation problems.

His most trying times come during early summer vacation periods

when everybody wants to go to the

States at once. Then it takes all the

steadiness he displays on a gun club

range, where he spends much of his spare time, to keep smiling and say no to irate employees. He also began

work as an employee on the "Silver"

roll, being first employed as a helper

Ernest C. Cotton, Printer, The Panama Railroad Press

Dr. Wayne Gilder, Colon Medical Clinic

James M. Thompson, Transportation Unit, .Administrative Branch

in the Mechanical Division. Practically all of his employment has

been in the Administrative Bureau

of the Personnel Division. His

work was transferred last >ear

to the Record Bureau, which is now a unit of the .Administrative

Branch.
August 4, 1950 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW

An Official Panama Canal Publication

Published Quarterly at BALBOA HEIGHTS, CANAL ZONE

Printed by the Panama Railroad Press Mount Hope, Canal Zone

F. K. NEWCOMER

Governor

HERBERT D. VOGEL

Lieutenant Governor

E. C. LOMBARD

Executive Secretary

J. RUFUS HARDY

Editor

On sale at commissaries, clubhouses

and hotels in the Canal Zone at five cents a copy.

The printing of this publication has

been approved bv the Director of the

Budget on March 9, 1950.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letters containing inquiries, suggestions, criticisms or opinions of a general nature will be accepted. In all cases

possible, letters to the Review will be answered individually. Those of suffi- cient general interest will be published

in this paper. Letters must be authentic and be signed although signatures

will not be published unless requested

and names of authors will be kept confidential. Return address should be

given but the Review will not undertake to return correspondence of any

nature.

Special Canal Review

Envelopes on Sale

A limited supply of special en- velopes for mailing The Panama

Canal Review is being placed on

sale at the larger Panama Canal

Clubhouses. The use of these

attractively printed envelopes will permit the mailing of the Canal

Review for three cents a copy to any address in the Postal Union.

Fold your copy once, insert in the

envelope with the metal fastener,

and mail unsealed.

Copies of The Review mailed

to \our famil}- or friends save much letter writing.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Mail subscriptions for four issues of "The Panama Canal Review" will be accepted at 40 cents each. Subscriptions for five issues, in- cluding this issue, will be accepted at 50 cents each, if received not later than

August 15. Subscriptions for the next

four issues will be accepted up to Nov- ember 15. No subscriptions will be accepted after that date until further

notice because of the difficulty of maintaining irregular mailing lists for a periodical published at widely-separ- ated intervals. Subscriptions should be mailed to the Editor, The Panama Canal Review,

Balboa Heights, Canal Zone. Money

orders covering subscriptions should be made payable to The Treasurer, The

Panama Canal.

Overwhelming approval of The Panama

Canal Review was voiced after its first issue in May in letters from such a wide

range of personages as former Governors of The Panama Canal, retired employees, shipping and other business interests, and men

in the newspaper profession. In most instances these letters were in response to direct invitations to criticize or suggest improvements in the new employee

publication. .-Mmost invariably the criti- cisms and suggestions were limited to the

facts that the Review is a quarterly publi- cation and no convenient subscription plan was announced in the first issue. The latter criticism has been well received and an announcement of subscription rates are made elsewhere in this issue. Emplojees on the active rolls, despite an open invitation for criticism and suggestions, confined themselves almost exclusively to oral comment. The consensus of these was for a more frequent issue of the magazine.

Only one letter of suggestion for improve- ment of the Review or any other Canal

unit or activity was received in response to an invitation issued just prior to the first publication. In that announcement, two

free tickets to a Clubhouse theater were

promised for those letters worthy of publication. Since this offer elicited only one

replv, two free tickets are being sent to W. W. H., of Cristobal. Letters asking information on arrange- ments for subscriptions were received from W. L. Hersh, President of the Panama

Canal Society of Florida; Victor J. Johnson,

Secretary of the Panama Canal Society of Washington, D. C; Walter G. Guptil, Sec- retary-Treasurer of the New York Societ\'

of The Panama Canal; and several individual letters from former Canal and Railroad employees. Former Governor Julian L. Schley, who

now lives in Washington, sent a special message to Canal-Railroad employees in a

letter to Governor Newcomer. It read:

" I congratulate \ou and your CanalRailroad .Administration on seeing the need

of a direct, fair medium of information and

communication between it and you, and on

creating The Panama Can.\l Review to

fill that need. "I feel certain that this publication, besides the many other sen'ices which it will provide, will help maintain the bond

of common interest of the administration and your employees in your great undertaking: First, to serve ocean ships in world

trade, and second, to maintain conditions

in the Canal Zone conducive to living a

full life." Excerpts from a large number of other

letters indicating the general tenor of the comments are carried below. The letter of suggestion which won the two free movie tickets follows:

Sir: Those of us now purchasing new 25-cycIe

electrical equipment are becoming preoccupied with

information that within the next few years the Canal Zone will change over to 60-cycle current. Will converters be available for the motors on our washing

machines, refrigerators, etc? Will the Canal Zone

Administration assume replacement costs? Your re- lease of this information will be highly appreciated. W. W. H.

Cristobal "W. W. H.: Two free movie tickets will be forwarded to >ou. A complete story on

this subject will be published later. Meanwhile, buy what 25-cycle equipment you

need. When 60-cycle current is adopted, your rights will be protected."

Letters from former Canal officials and

others:

"I have received with appreciation and read with

great pleasure Vol. 1, No. 1 of The Panama Canal

Review. I desire to extend my congratulations to you and to the editors upon the initiation of this publication and upon the excellence of the first issue. "With my congratulations I send, also, my ijest wishes for the continued success of the project, so

well begun, and my best regards to you and my other

friends and associates in the splendid organization in which it is an honor to ser\'e—The Panama Canal." Former Governor Glen E. Edgerton

Washingloti, D. C.

"I believe you should issue it oftener—at least once a month and perhaps twice—and I think the reader acceptance would be good. I'm quite sure you could sign up nearly all retired employees." Frank H. Wang

Former Executive Secretary Metda Park, Calif.

Maj. Gen. Julian L. Schley, now retired, served as Governor of The Panama Canal

from 1932 until 1936. He is the only Governor, who later served as Chief of Engineers. He has maintained his high interest in the Canal and its affairs and plans to visit the Isthmus this winter with Mrs. Schley and

their friends Gen. and Mrs. Frederic H. Smith

who are also former Isthmian residents.

"A quick page-through observation of the content

evidences the reasons for its popularity and fine reception in the Canal Zone."

Col. Charles G. Holle

Former Engineer of Maintenance

.Vfw Orlt-ans. La,

"Congratulations upon the birth of The Panama

Canal Review. It's a lusty child and should live to a ripe old age." Daniel E. McGrath

United States District Attorney A neon, C. Z.

Brief quotes from shipping interests on

the Isthmus and abroad follow:

"It seems to me that this publication fills a longfelt want. The printing is excellent, as is the presentation, and the material is very well selected. It does not seem that there can be a resident of the Canal Zone who will not find something of interest

in tlie Review. Personally, I found it all of interest and read every word."

G. S. Bennett

General Agent. United Fruit Company

Cristobal

"The statistical section is very well prepared and

seems to cover for the time being, those items which

should appear to be of principal interest to the ship- ping concerns engaged in traffic through the Panama

Canal."

L. M. Breece

Surveyor, American Bureau of Shipping

Balboa

"As a matter of fact. I like the little newspaper so well that I am wondering if we could receive each month about (10) copies which we would in turn send to our steamship companies which have the

greatest number of vessels transiting the Canal." John Forney Rlidy

Director of Public Relations National Federation of American Shipping, Inc. Washington, D. C.

"We, as Steamship Agents, find this first issue very

interesting and instructive ..."

Robert J. Bo\-d Boyd Brothers, Inc. Balboa, C. Z.

"We have perused the first number with much

interest and should like to be the first to congratulate you on its generally fine appearance—format, printing, photographs, and so on—and especially for its articles, ail of which we find of much interest." Alan N. Dodd

Manager for Central America

Pacific Steam Navigation Company

Cristobal

"We intend to purchase and mail from this office about 25 copies of each edition to our shipowner

friends and so we hope that the statistical section

will be a regular feature." G. MORLAND

Manager, C. B. Fenton and Co.. Inc. Cristobal

(See page 22)
THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW August 4, 1950

Recent Library Move

Brings More Readers

And Book Borrowers

Reading habits have change;! and

reading as a pastime or for pleasure

among Isthmian resi:lenls has materialK' increased since The Panama

Canal Library niovetl to its more

comfortable and commodious quarters in the Civil Affairs Building.

More patrons come to the Library,

the\- sta>' longer, and the\- borrow- more books. .According to Mrs.

Lleanor Burnham, Librarian, the per capita book circulation increased

nearly 20 percent in the first half of

this year over a comparable period

in 1949. The Library was moved to its new- location six months ago from the

first floor of the Administration

Building w^here it was cramped for room and light, and parking facilities were at a prendum throughout office hours.

In its new- cjuarters on Gaillard

Highway-, the convenient parking

area is more than ample and many

refinements have been made possible

in the Librar\- and its service to make reading, browsing, reference

work, and book borrowing more comfortable and leisurely procedures.

-Several innovations in the Libraryservice since moving to the new- quarters have proved popular with

patrons.

Better Spacing Possible The larger quarters made possible

wider and more comfortable spacing

among the open book shelves with a corresponding improvement in lighting conditions. The adjoining reading area is also larger and more air\-

with broad tables and upholstered

chairs. Two writing desks have been

added to the reading area for the

convenience of students and others

doing light research work.

The reference section is now sepa- rated from the main Library and

its location in a separate room pro- vides quiet and solitude for the seri- ous readers and researchers. A part

of the reference room is devoted to the Library's outstanding collection

of books and reference material on

the Isthmus of Panama.

An innovation in the Library serv^- ice which met with instantaneous

approval of those engaged in research

work was the "closed stack pass"

policy by which patrons, on application at the Circulation Desk, ma\-

be admitted to the closed file and

reference rooms on the first floor. Other improvements resulting from

the transfer of the main library are

technical in nature and are therefore not noticeable to the general public.

Among these improvements are the

larger work rooms which have greatly facilitated the library work and

service generally, and especially its supply lines to the six branch libraries in the system.

In its new location, the Library

staff has placed on a permanent

basis the plan for exhibition of rare

PERSONNEL CHANGES OF INTEREST

i

i

1

I he Canal Zoru' gained ^li^hlK' in jKipulatinn in 1 In- c\<.iiaiiL;(-' "I l.iniilic- lors of the Engineering and Constriinion Bureau eari\ in July.

In the top picture are shown Colonel Howard Ker and his family, Cynthia, Mrs. Ker, and Keith, aboard the Panama liner on the da\- the\' sailed for his new assignment as a faculty member of the new .Army War College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Colonel and Mrs. George K. Withers and their family of four boys are shown in the bottom picture. The boys are, left to right: George, Jr., Geoffrey, William, and Peter. Colonel Withers swapped a professor's robe for his new Canal assignment, having

been on duty for the past four years on the stafT and faculty of the Command and General

Staff College at Fort Leavenworth.

books, maps, and other collections

of an unusual nature. Three exhibits have already been displa>-ed in

thi' large, lighted exhibit case in the

l()l)by of the Civil .Affairs Building.

Of these, one was a loan from an

interested patron.

Plans for Museum

Plans are also afoot to use the

e.\tra public space in the building

for a Canal museum which will be

a part of the Library. A large 25-

foot relief map of the Canal and

Canal Zone, constructed in the course of the Isthmian Canal Studies

of 1947, is already on display in the

lobby. Other similar displays, in- cluding relics and models which

depict the romantic history of the

Panama Canal are to be added.

I^ibrar>- records and personal observations of the staff indicate some

changes in the makeup of book bor- rowers since the library was moved.

The most outstanding of these has

been a 34 percent increase in the

circulation of children's books. This

is attributerl partly to the more con- venient location for mothers who

take their children by car to the

Library, and partly to emphasis on

the children's librarv service. .A

staff member in the newly created

position of Children's Librarian now

devotes indi\idtial attention to the

small fr\- bonk borrowers and con- ducts personal tours of the complete

library to class groups. The transfer of the Library to its new location has not been without

disadvantages. Those accustomed

to walk to the Library in its central

location at Balboa Heights and those

who use public transportation have

been inconvenienced b\- the change.

Lmployees in the .Administration

Building engaged in technical re- search work required less time and

effort when it was possible to walk a few steps into the reference room,

and in this connection the Reference

Library reports a material increase

in the number of reference questions

b\- telephone.

Efforts are underwax- to mitigate some of the recognized deficiencies in the service at the new quarters. .An attempt is being made to augment

the bus service to the Library from

the various communities and plans

have been made to improve the

night lighting in the book stacks

which has proved a troublesome

problem since the Library was

changed to its new location.
August 4, 1950 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW

TEN YEARS AGO

In

PETER C. MAINS DESCENDANTS

April - May - June

Times were toinih on the Isthmus 10 years ago. The commissaries were overcrowded and milk was scarce, as more and more SIPers moved in; war was

getting closer day-by-day, and housin-> was scarce. Some were for catching

the next ship back home and others were for sticking it out a little longer.

PICTURE OF THE PERIOD

1^^^

The $277,000,000 Ihinl l.uck> project was inaugurated just 10 years ago. Gov'er- nor Glen E. Edgerton climbed to the lever- room of the dipper dredge Cascadas and

handled the controls to lift out the first dipperful of mud from the entrance channel

to the new Miraflores Loclcs, in the early

morning of July 1, 1940.

Items about Isthmians 10 years ago said

:

George H. Cassell was promoted to District Quartermaster in Pedro Miguel.Dr. I. Robert Berger was employed

in the Health Department.

Walter R. Smith and J. F. Prager

were promoted in the Storehouse Division to be Chief of the Purchasing Section and clerk in charge of U. S. Requisitions and Bills, respectively.

W. H. Dunlop, Chief of the Plans

Section, began a four-month vacation

and J. F. Lewis, Jr., was named

acting Chief of the Section. Bernard F. Burdick, Assistant

Comptroller in the Washington Office, was appointed Chief of Office to fill the vacancy created bv the death of H. A. A.Smith.

The Section of Surveys ivas diviied

into two units and George E. Matthew was made Chief of the Section of Meteorology and Hydrography while R.

B. Ely was named Chief of the Section

of Surveys.

Rear Admiral Hugh Rodman, first Marine Superintendent of The Pan- ama Canal, died in Washington, D. C. William A. Van Siclen was trans- ferredfrom the Office Engineering Division to the Locks Division and was

assigned to duty as a towing locomotive operator at Gatun Locks.

Lt. Commander (now Captain)

Worthington S. Bitler completed a

two-year tour of duty with the Canal

as Assistant to the Marine Superintendent.

Phillippe Bunau-Varilla, one of

the most prominent figures in the early Canal construction history, died

in Paris.

The Corral area, opened just 30

years previously, was being trans- formed into a residential area. The Panama Railroad, having re- cently completed the reballasting of

its tracks from end to end, was insti- tuting other improvements, among

them being the purchase of five new

Diesel-electric and five new steam

locomotives, 50 all-steel freight cars, and construction of a new railroad

station in Gamboa.

An Executive Order establishing

the military reservation of Fort Kobbe was issued by President

Roosevelt.

A wartime restriction of 1940 ivas

the prohibition by Executive Order of

the possession of cameras or the taking

of pictures aboard vessels passing

through the Panama Canal. Preliminary tests were made of the air raid

sirens lately installed in all Canal

Zone communities.

A force of workers began surveys on the relocation of the Panama

Railroad between Quebrancha and

Mount Hope, a phase of the Third

Locks project.

The fill, intended for use as a public playground, was completed between

the Panama Railroad tracks and

GaUlard Highway opposite Balboa

Railroad Station. The population of the Canal Zone was thickening rapidlv with the big

expansion of the Canal-Railroad

force for S. I. P. and Third Locks

work being one of the main contributing factors. The U. S.-rate force reached the 5,000 mark in May 1940

for the first time since the construction days. However, with the major

construction and improvement pro- gram hardly underway, serious difficulties were being experienced in getting sufficient labor locally and a major recruitment program was fore- seen in surroimding areas. The Safety Section was organized .

. . Diablo Heights post office was

opened and construction was begun

on the main Special Engineering Division headquarters and the Diablo

Heights dispensary . . . Self service was inaugurated in the grocery section

at Pedro Miguel Commissary, fifth to adopt the sale plan.

-An appropriation of SI 5, 000,000

and contract authorizations totaling

§99,300,000 were approved for the

Third Locks work in June covering

the fiscal year 1941. The first International Business

Machines were iiistaUed in the Accounting Department.

The new fireproof Pier 64 in New

York, leased by the Panama Line, was dedicated.

Colonel Peter C. Hains III, Inspector General of the U. S. Army Caribbean, and

his son, Peter C. Hains IV, West Point

Cadet, watch with fascination the inner workings of the Panama Canal in which

their ancestor played a prominent role. This scene was taken in the control tower

of Miraflores Locks. Major General Peter C. Hains, grandfather and great-grandfather of the two

visitors at the locks, was a member of the

original Isthmian Canal Commission appointed in 1899 to investigate the Isthmian Canal routes. He continued as a member of the Commission until 1907, three years

after his retirement from the Army. Col. Hains spent much of his boyhood days at

his grandfather's home in Washington, D. C. and remembers the other great names of the

early Canal history as household words.

P. C. Identification

System Simplified;

10th Change Made

The so-called indestructible IC

(identification card) which lasted

for 14 years has gone the way of the metal check.

A new identification system, designed to cover all normal contingencies, was made effective July 1st.

It is the tenth to be formally adopted

for Canal employees since the Isth- mian Canal Commission first insti- tuted the system 1^' issuing a diamond-shaped metal check to its emplovecs.

Three different forms of the new

identification - privilege cards are

used. One is to be issued once a year to United States citizens ern- ployed by Government agencies in the Canal Zone who are eligible for unrestricted purchase privileges. One

will be issued semiannually to those

with limited purchase privileges at U. S.-rate commissaries, and the

third will be issued to local-rate employees. The latter type will be

issued monthly to Canal and Railroad employees while employees of the same category in other Government agencies will get new cards

each quarter.

Heretofore, employees were re- quired to have the regulation identification card and a separate card

authorizing commissary purchases.

These were further {.See page 11)
10 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW August 4, 1950

NEWS OF YOUR COMMISSARIES

BACK TO SCHOOL

Long before the "small fry" students, vacationing faculty members, and proud parents suddenly awaken to the realization that another school year is about to open, the Commissary Division annually works out careful schedules of procurement and delivery on the Isthmus of the hundreds of items which will be urgently

drinaiulcd in the last shopping da>s before classes begin.

On the basis of information as to courses and estimates of enrollment supplied by the office of the Superintendent of Schools,

requisitions are placed in February for the classroom supplies needed for the opening of school the following September. These

orders are placed with the suppliers by the Commissary Purchasing .\gent, 24 State Street, New York City, on the basis of detailed

requisitions from the General Manager's Office at Mount Hope,

and all specify May and June delivery of the merchandise on the Isthmus. In July and August, when the opening of school is still merely a cloud on the distant horizon to the students, these supplies are carefully checked and assorted in the warehouse. Mount

Hope, and hundreds of packages are prepared containing the prescribed assortments of art and other supplies for the various

grades.

Approximately five days before the opening of school, parents

are requested to place their orders at the retail commissaries for

the required assortments of supplies for students in grades one

through six. These orders give the name of the student, his grade,

and the school attended, and make possible delivery of the supplies for each student directly to the classroom where they are

available to him as required throughout the year. This arrange- ment saves the busy parent the necessity for making individual purchases of each of the various types, colors, and sizes of papers, work practice books, paints, crayons, pens, penpoints, pencils,

rulers, etc. On the day school opens, packaged art supplies for students in grades seven and higher are placed on sale at the retail stores, which also have the various general supplies for the upper grades on hand for sale over the counter on that day. The required supplies for each grade and course can be readily determined from

charts which are on hand at each selling section.

In addition to the classroom supplies, however, there is the annual demand for new togs to greet teachers and classmates when

school opens. Here again your Commissaries plan far in advance

to meet the demands of the school crowd from tots to teen-agers,

for clothes for school days or play days, rain or shine.

WHAT THE L\BEL MEANS—

CANNED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Canned fruits and vegetables are ordinarily available in four

classified grades: the fruits being "fancy," "choice," "standard,"

and "grade D," and the vegetables "fancy," "extra standard,"

"standard," and "sub-standard." For those who feel that the higher-priced items offer the best eating, we stock the top grades

in many types of both fruits and vegetables. There are many,

however, to whom price is an important consideration and for them we offer the"standard"grade in both fruitsand vegetables.

.\s far as nutrition is concerned, both grades will likely be found

to be about equal. Purchase of both grades, and we specify both

at all limes, is made from a list of 11 possible "fancy" suppliers

and 21 possible "standard" suppliers, with ultimate purchase

being made from the firm meeting the specified grade at the lowest price. ."Ml the brands have been given a local acceptability

test but thereafter, each shipment of any canned goods whatever, is tested by the U. S. Department of .Xgriculture prior to being shipped. In the event a "fancy" brand fails to meet that

grade, and the\- occasionally do, the entire lot is rejected and a replacement shipment required of the supplier. There are soine products which, because of growing conditions, limited number

of packers, or for other reasons, are available in only a single

grade and, when we have assured ourselves of the facts, we may

purchase a lower-than-desired grade rather than do without. Never, however, do we permit the acceptance of any canned

goods of lower than "standard" grade, which is the grade

sold in greatest volume throughout the United States.

For the girls there are skirts, blouses, dresses in sub-teen and

teen-size ranges. This year's dresses will be in various price ranges

consisting of one and two-piece styles and sunback dresses of summer sheers, gingham plaids, pastel and printed cottons. There

are also undies, slips, anklets in assorted blazer stripes, solid colors and fancy cuff styles, bathing suits, water repellent poplin jackets

in assorted colors, school bags, pencil boxes, raincoats, dungarees

and shirts, pedal pushers, and shorts. For boys there are the favorite blue denim dungarees, khaki

trousers, dress shirts, dress trousers, sport shirts, knitted pullovers, Argyle socks, swim trunks, water repellent jackets, and

sport coats. Gym shoes and back-to-school footwear from leading manufacturers in the shoe industry—rugged and light dressy

types, popular in the schools and campuses throughout the United

States, for both boys and girls, are also available for all ages from

kindergarten to junior college. So for the Commissary Division the first day of school means

not the beginning of a new year of studies, but the culmination of a long process of preparation and planning which constitute an

important community service.

Model DA-84

Illustrating the new Westinghouse 8.44 cubic foot refrigerators with S9-pound capacity freeze chest, arrival of which is expected

in September or October. Watch for announcements of arrival in the bi-weekly trade circular.

LAUNDROMATS

In view of the increasing difficulty in obtaining modern appli- ances for operation on 25-cycle, we were particularly pleased to

receive a limited number of Laundromats in a recent shipment.

These machines are completely automatic. You simply place

the clothes in the machine, add soap, set the dial for light, medium

or full load (9 pounds dry weight), and the machine washes them,

triple rinses, and spins the clothes dampdry. The triple rinse is so thorough that it is equivalent to 1,400 rinsings by hand, and the machine does not normally require cleaning, as it does that also, automatically. This model Laundromat does not require bolting

down as it is vibrationless, can be installed wherever there are hot and cold water connections, a drain, and an electric plug, and

is completely safe —children can play near it without danger as all moving parts are enclosed. Also the Laundromat eliminates the

old fashioned wringer and its threat of painful accidents. If you

failed to get one of the first shipment, it is suggested that you advise

the manager of your local retail store so that he can keep you

advised as to future shipments.

THREE-SPEED RECORD PLAYER RADIOS

.An item of interest for music lovers, and which is expected in the near future, is a limited number of General Electric three- speed, automatic record players with radio combination. These

sets are in attractive console cabinets, are equipped with 12-inch heavy-duty speakers, and will be available in either blonde or mahogany finish. The cabinets are assembled with waterproof

glues, and are hand-rubbed. Chassis is an all-wave, 5-tube, 3-band,

plus an additional tube for the phonograph pre-amplifier. The

3-speed record player plays all types automatically, and the entire

set is specially converted for operation on 25-cycle current. The increasingly greater number of both classical and popular

recordings available on the long-playing records, combined with

their greater ease of storing or transporting owing to the fact that an entire symphony may be recorded on a single disc, have resulted

in an increasing demand for 3-speed players throughout the United

States.

This page is devoted exclusively to news of the Commissaries prepared by the Commissary Division
August 4, 1950 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 11 THIS YEAR

in

April - May - June

PICTURE OF THE PERIOD

r'\

1 hi^ <k->()!alL- M.i-nc \^a^ a Ik (. hi\ (_ iit,n.li\il\ ,11^1 li\t Nuar-'ago. 1 hu ^lOfl ^hiuteieil doors and windows as well as ihe empt\ lumber racks in the foregroiintl lell the story of the rapid decline of business in the Mechanical Division shops after the close of World War

II. The transfer of the major Mechanical Division activities from Balboa to Cristobal was completed during the second quarter of 1950.

Times were tough on the Isthmus during the past three months. Force

reductions, war talk, reorganization, and income taxes were uppermost in employees' minds; commissary prices were still rising and housing though plentiful was 10 years older. Some were for catching the next ship to the States and others were for sticking it out a little longer.

News was plentiful even if not all pleasant for Canal-Railroad employees during the second quarter of

' 1950. Top topic of local conversation during the latter part of the

quarter was Income Tax, pushing

into the background the subject of reorganization which held top billing for several weeks.

April was visiting month (Did the parade of visitors was started by a Congressional group of 40 on an

Easter holiday. Other visitors of note who attracted attention were Major

General George E. Armstrong, Deputy

Surgeon General, and a party to in- spect civilian and military medical

installations in the Canal Zone; Major General M. C. Stayer, former Chief

Health Officer, and Mrs. Stayer, who

returned for a brief vacation; and

three San Bias Chiefs who paid the

first official call ever made by the principal Indian leaders at the office of the Governor. Both the Panama Railroad and

Dredging Division made transportation news during the month. The

Railroad inaugurated additional pas- senger train service at lower fares,

and the Dredging Division opened a water route to the isolated village of Tinto Vino on the shores of Gatun

Lake.

A prelude to the reorganization was

the transfer of the Payroll Bureau to tht Department of Finance in April. Less than three months later employees

were learning to say Finance Bureau

and Payroll Division.

Three new masonry houses were

completed in Diablo Heights late in April, these being the last of a group

authorized in that area. Meanwhile,

Building Division activities were

shifted to the denuded and regraded

San Juan area where a major resi- dential program is presently being

pushed to completion.

The end of April brought an end

to dry season 10 days shorter than

the 37-ycar average, and with it came

some of the hottest and most uncomfortable weather of recent years. The first issue of The Panam.a. Canal Review made its appearance

May 4 and a second printing was

hastily ordered when the first printing was sold out the first day.

Three trawlers, tht first German

ships to visit Canal waters in more

than 10 years, transited the Canal

early in May.

F. E. Williams, Director of Admeasurement, left to attend an

international conference in Stockholm on ship measurement problems.

Frank T. Mayo, Customs Inspector

and Deputy Shipping Commissioner

in Balboa, lost his life by droivning on May 14 when he fell from the gangway of a vessel in Balboa Harbor.

His was the first fatal accident of its kind to occur among Canal personnel

while on such duties. Preliminary figures released on

the decennial census showed a Canal

Zone population of 52,427.

The Commissary Division an- nounced a three-cent drop in fresh

milk prices.

Governor Newcomer announced

approval of the first ten main

bureaus in the reorganization plans on May 22. The organization of the Supply and Service Bureau was

the first to be completed and

approved

.

Thi $1,500,000 Obstetrical and

Gynecological Building at Gorgas

Hospital was completed by Francisco

Morales, construction contractor, and

the new building was formally ac- cepted by the Canal late in May. In

cost, the building was the most e.v- pensive ever built by the Canal, ex- ceeding in dollar and cents the construction cost of $1,225,000 for the Administration Building completed in

1914 at Balboa Heights. The first patients were moved into the new hospital

building on the first of August.

Schools, vacation plans, and ship

schedules occupied much of the employees' attention during the early

part of June. Canal Zone schools

concluded one of their most successful years with appropriate com- mencement e.vercises and the Schools

Division announced plans for the summer school program. Parents,

teachers, and pupils all were busy

during the period making plans for the summer vacation and Panama

Line offices were busy making res- ervations for northbound travel. The Mechanical Division move to Cristobal was completed the first of June and the Chief Quartermaster

announced plans to transfer 60 apart- ments in the Type 201 buildings on High Street in Gatun for assignment

to local-rate employees to relieve the serious housing shortage resulting

from the transfer of the Mechanical

Division activities. A few days later arrangements were completed for the use of a number of quarters at France

Field by U. S.-rate employees.

After occupying space in the Administration Building for more than

35 years, the headquarters of the

Police and Fire Division were moved

to the Civil Affairs Building on

Gaillard Highway.

The Personnel Division announced

the revival of the apprentice training

program and the re-employment of some apprentices who had been given

force reductions.

IDENTIFICATION

SYSTEM SIMPLIFIED

(Continued from page 9) supplemented

during the war period by photoidentification badges.

The identification system used up

to the first of July lasted longer than

any of its nine predecessors.

The diamond-shaped metal check was first issued in August 1905. It was succeeded in April 1907, when

the second Isthmian Canal Commission took conmiand, by a star-shaped

metal check. A third type of ICC

badge was issued in February 1909.

It was circular in shape and lasted through the remainder of the Canaconstruction period.

The first of The Panama Canal

series of identification devices was

a square metal check, being first issued in June 1914. Four years

later, in July 1918, a framed picture

check was issued. These did not prove practicable and they were

succeeded in December 1919 by the

octagonal metal check which lasted untif August 1938 when the identification system just discarded be- came effective.

It was a long time after 1938

before the old timers of that day

with 25 or more years of service

broke themselves of the habit of saying, "Gimine your metal check

number."

The recent change will involve no

habit-breaking procedures and it is

still correct to say, "Gimme your

IC number."
12 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW August 4, 1950

Canal-Railroad Establishes Enviable Record in 1950

{Continued from page 1) the 100 percent 4. More liberal leave privileges for Percent increase in expenditures. Of the , c-l?TM'"''^VK,P'7^^^VnA nt? „,,,i,- 1- •. [ . , . , 5. Effects of Public Law 600 0.83 multiphcity of activities which are 6. Changes in leave regulations for part and parcel of Canal-Railroad U. S.-rate employees 0.40 operations, onlv a few of those which

are familiar signposts of work or pro-

'^°.*'''', ^'^''T^Ite"^increase re- j..„»- -^ I i J T- ^1 quired for the 1938 appropriations. 9 .51 ductivity were selected. For the

sake of clarity, figures are presented Applj-ing this percentage of in- in round numbers. Those for 1950 crease to the $10,825,000 appropriare accurate to a small degree of ation in 1938 would have brought

error. A few of these are subject to the budget of appropriated funds to

slight changes and some are based $20,728,000 to accomplish the same

on 10 or 11 months of operations. work in 1938. It is to be noted that

Knowing conditions and factors of the six major factors requiring

of the two years, it is possible to more money to run the Canal, only

FILTERED WATER*

1938 6,000,000,000 gallons

1950 11,300,000,000 gallons

*Each pitcher represents 2.000.000.000 gallons answer with accuracy the question of what appropriation would

have been required to operate The

Panama Canal in 1938 under conditions of today.

Factors Affecting Costs In order of their relative money

value, these factors or conditions

which would have altered the 1938

two, those affecting leave, were

adopted administratively by The

Panama Canal.

Comparing this re-evaluated fig- ure for 1938 with the $21,250,000

Canal appropriations for 1950 leaves a difference of only $525,000.

Having established some basis of comparison in money values between

ELECTRIC POWER PRODUCED*

1938 83,500,000 KWH

1950 237,800,000 KWH

^Vx <^^ "^^^ ^^^

^^>70. ^^>ftk

* Each electric light represents 40,000.000 KWH

appropriation figures, and the per- the two years, it is possible to ask

centage of increase to the appropri- and perhaps answer the question

:

ation which would have been re- Did the Panama Canal and the Panquired are listed as follows: ama Railroad Company produce

1. The devalued dollar, estimated $525,000 more in actual and neces- by economists to be not more P^^^i sary work, products, and services?

than 60 cents to $1.00 66^^

2. Adoption of the 40-hour work- A Service Organization

week _ IS "xfi 3. Cash relief "to' lo"ca"l-raVe"employ-" ' Before answering the question

ees 2.79 with actual comparative figures, it SCHOOL CHILDREN—GRADES 1 to 12* M- t^ ^o t^ M'. »^ ;S:::::::::: S

it

* Elach MP'

boy and eachh

girl represents ^«500 school^children M

PRFVATE CARS LICENSED* 1938 9,400

* Each car represents 2,000 private licenses €P

1950 18,900

^

may be well to remind many readers

that the Canal-Railroad is a great

"service" organization besides oper- ating an interoceanic waterway and

a transcontinental railroad.

The ci\il government of The Panama Canal functions for the benefit

of all Canal Zone residents—not just

Canal- Railroad employees and their

families. Water filtered by the Municipal Engineering Division is con- sumed by all agencies and individuals of the Canal Zone as well as the

cities of Panama and Colon. The

same is true of sanitation services

performed by the Health Department. Power generated in Electrical

Division plants is furnished to all of the four main United States Government agencies, the Canal, Army,

Navy and Air Force, and their employees. Public roads in the Canal

Zone are built, maintained, and

policed by the Canal; its schools

furnish education to all children

whose parents are Government employees; and a relatively large per- centage of the users of hospital,

clubhouse, commissary, library, rail- road, repair, and other facilities pro- vided by the Canal and Railroad is made up of other Government agencies and their employees in the

Canal Zone. Keeping this in mind, it is not

difficult to understand that factors

and conditions completely divorced

of the actual operation of the water-* way effect in a vital way the CanalRailroad force and the work it does,

and the carelessly used terminology

of "Canal operations" denotes far more than the transit of a ship between the oceans. Work Load Differences

Some of the other answers to the

$525,000 questions are: In filtered water, a fair indicator

of population growth, the Municipal

Engineering Division supplied 6,080-

000,000 gallons in 1938 and 11,303,-

000,000 in 1950. OW 1*^ o \'^&1 p44

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The Electrical Division produced

three times as much generated

power—83,500,000 kilowatt-hours in 1938 as compared with 237,500,000

kilowatt hours in 1950.

llSfl 104O l<7J2 IIM rad& /9in I'l-:, ^- ', ~-o. ,r- ;--'>- ' .

^-' ^'

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84, !*!£>: ^< : (CW TIO IR5 rx 1 ui roc err More than twice as many cars now operate in the Canal Zone.

Private automobile licenses issued

in the entire calendar year of 1938

totaled 9,365. Up to June 30 of

this year 18,850 private cars had

been licensed. {See page 13)

n^n 1*140 \<^A7 tf.U lOU, in .in MVl

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August 4, 1950 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 13

Canal-Raibad Record

{Continued from page 12) ^ The number of traffic violations

charged by Police ahnost quadrupled, increasing from 1,650 to

6,150. Other charges preferred

jumped from 1,800 in 1938 to 2,950

in 1950.

Canal Zone population jumped

from approximately 42,000 to over

52,000 in the 12-year period. The

combined population of Panama

Citv and Colon increased from an

estimated 125,000 to 193,000 in the same period.

IV. \<UO .i^il I' u H»4& V^/A lOJVO

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School enrollments in the Canal

Zone in grades 1 through 12 rose from 6,043 in 1938 to 8,214 in 1950.

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The number of Panama Canal

family quarters occupied at the end

of last fiscal vear was 7,840, as compared with 5,230 in June 1938. Bachelor occupants of Canal quarters increased from 1,500 in 1938 to 5,500 in 1950. Most of the family

quarters are occupied by Canal and

Railroad employees, but many of the bachelor quarters are presently

rented to employees of other Government agencies.

The maintenance of quarters in- creased in cost from $475,000 in 1938

to $966,000 last year. Panama Canal Clubhouse reve- nues went up from $922,000 twelve

years ago to $4,450,000 this year. Postal revenues increased from

$317,000 to 8628,000.

Health Department installations

reported 355,000 patient-davs in hospitals for 1938 and 425,000 in 1950, while hospital and medical

clinic out-patients increased from

311,000 to 497,000.

Jirt I'lAn 11.17 ii-i -f /'lit- I'Wrt \V-Ci ^c^/ ,,...

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Dredging Division activities were

about equal for the two years, over

8,500,000 cubic yards of dredged

material being removed in both

years. Road Work Materials

Production figures on amiesite,

used primarily in road building and

repair work, showed an increase

from 1,500 tons to 5,500 tons. Although crushed rock sales at the

Municipal Division'sSosa Hill quarry

dropped from 47,300 cubic yards in 1938 to 33,800 cubic yards in 1950,

38,700 cubic yards of crushed rock were sold in 1938 to the Panama

Railroad for reballasting its tracks.

HOSPITAL PATIENT DAYS * 1938

* Each bed represents 100,000 patient-days.

350,000

li i-t; : ii» , !_-;

1950 425,000

ROAD BUILDING AND REPAIR MATERIALS *

* Each truck represents 10.000 cubic yards of crushed rock and/or tons of amiesite Amiesite

1938 1,500 tons

1950 5,500 tons Crushed Rock—

1938 8,500'cu. yds. 1950 '33,900^cu. yds.

J^HEc 9^S£k^ S^SE ^B^sC -^^—

!

COMMISSARY NET SALES AT RETAIL VALUE *

* Each money-bag represents $2,000,000

1938 $8,800,000

1950 25,750,000

^ -S^ <S S ^ -A ^ S m

POUNDS OF SALT SOLD *

* Each saltcellar represents 100,000 pounds

938 760.000 lbs.

1950 1,270,000 lbs. > .^ ^

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.^ ,^

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Panama Railroad passenger and

freight handled by rail both decreased. Passenger miles dropped

from 15,350,000 in 1938 to 14,386,-

000 last year, while a more marked

decrease was shown in freight with

319,000 tons moved by rail in 1938

and 206,000 tons last year. Commissary Division net sales at

retail values more than tripled in

'S^'% lOio 1047. 11^4 lo^i X^kS, |f>K)

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value, rising from $8,806,000 to $25,750,000, and while this great

increase was primarily due to rising

commodity prices, sales volume also boomed. The sale of salt, a hand>'

barometer for measuring volume in

retail sales, increased approximateh^

60 percent from 760,000 pounds in 1938 to 1,270,000 pounds in 1950.

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The Commissary Division bought

530,000 pounds of coffee last year, as compared with 340,000 pounds 12 years ago, and baked 6,000,000

loaves of bread in 1950 as compared

with 4,450,000 loaves in 1938.

The sale of sugardecreased slightly

and a marked reduction was noted

in rice sales. These decreases were

attributed to price increases of

nearly 250 percent and to the in- creased production of fine quality

rice and sugar in Panama.

Only a detailed study could pro- duce a fair estimate of the money

value of these increased products

and services of the Canal and Railroad. Certainly the sum of $525,000, even doubled, tripled or quadrupled,

is not the full answer to tripling

power production, doubling filtered water sales, increasing the number

of telephones and private automobiles by 100 percent, and increases

ranging up to 100 percent in such

services as schools, housing, medical

attention, police protection, and

other Governmental functions.

Canal Force Increases The answer is to be found partly

in increased manpower—the CanalRailroad force was 13,800 in 1938

while the force report of June 1950

showed 18,790 full-time employees,

a 37 percent increase. Some other

parts to the answer lie in more effi- cient management and operations,

improved machinery and techniques,

and to a large degree, on the loyal

and efficient service on the part of

the thousands who (See page 15)
14 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW August 4, 1950

Veteran Seafarers Compose Officer Group

on S. S. Panama Headed by Capt. Kirchner

Panama Liners Provide

Several Days of Lazy

Travel for Employees

riu' tirst post-war sailing of the

S. S. Panama, the first of the three

Panama Line ships returned to civil- ian service, probably involved more

untoward incidents than any trips

before or since, and looked for awhile

as if it wouldn't come off at all. While the Ancon and Cristobal were still at Fore River "donning

civvies," the Panama was rushed to reconversion to help lighten a large

backlog of traffic between New York

and Cristobal.

Passengers and cargo came aboard

for the first trip in September 1946. Half an hour before sailing time, a maritime strike was called and the

Panama was held in port. For 14

days the passengers lived aboard the

ship, courtesy of the Panama Line.

Out of that incident arose an- other—the only occasion of record on which passengers failed to display

proper enthusiasm for Panama Line

food. In this case the hunger strike was restricted to the under-12 crowd.

The youngsters' failure to eat was

a subject of considerable comment

but there was no explanation for several days. Then someone discovered

that during their wait in New York

the children had found a considerable

cache of chocolate and malted milk

tablets left on Pier 64, North River,

and intended for use on lifeboats. Pier 64 had been returned to the

Panama Line a short time earlier after use as a docking area for Liberty ships and war transports.

Officers Have Long Service All of the present officers of the

Panama, with the exception of the

purser, were on that first post-war

sailing for the Panama Line. C^aptain J. \V. Kirchner has been with

the company since 1930; First Officer

F. Gorman began his Panama Line

service in 1936;Chief Steward George

McKnight joined the line in 1938;

and J. Petersen, Chief P^nginecr,

has been with the Company since

Capt. J. W. Kirchner, left, and First Officer F. Gorman pictured on the bridge of the

.S. S. Panama.

J. Petersen, Chief Engineer

1927. \V. F. Kristen, Purser, is a

relative newcomer, having come to the Panama Line in 1948 after about

a year's service with the New York

freight department of the Panama

Railroad Company.

Captain Kirchner's seafaring days

go back to 1910 when he was graduated from the New York Nautical

Schoolship Newport. Looking back

on his sea service on vessels of several lines, he explains the smooth

operation of the Panama and her

sister ships partly on the basis of

their short, pleasant, and regular

runs. Compared to round-the-world

cruises on which he has served in the past, the five days at sea between

New York and Cristobal are "like a

ferry boat run" and provide little time for so-called incidents, he savs. His seafaring was not always so calm. He recalls one ship he skippered in 1922 that took on some of the aspects of Noah's Ark in the course of a trip around the workl.

Noah in this case was his third offi- cer who acquired a different kiiul of animal at ever)- sto]) and was parted

from each pet at the following port.

Among the animals were monke\s

from Java, parrots from Singapore,

and a Chinese pony from Shanghai.

In Colombo, Ce\lon, the captain

went ashore to find his third officer arguing with a Hintlii biunboatman.

The iioint of contention was a 300-

l)oun(l baby elephant which the

third officer wanted taken aboard

and which the other insisted he could not carry in his boat. Captain Kirchner eased the officer aboard ship

with the assurance that the elephant

problem would be disposed of, then

tied the animal to the rail and in- formed the boatman that he had

just acquired a fine $25 elephant

for free. Menagerie Is Reduced

Two monkeys and two parrots

remained on board. One of the for- mer disposed of himself by falling

into the funnel when he skittered

awa\' from the captain who surprised

him carrying on in his own style a painting job deserted temporarily by

tleck hands. Another monke\- was

given as a playmate to one of like kind owned by a salvage tug

captain in the Azores. Then there were two. The remaining parrots assisted the captain and

first officer in docking the ship by

responding in.tmmentionable phrases

to each of the captain's commands.

Then came the last stop. New York,

where the captain rid himself of both

the parrots and the animal-loving

third officer. Captain Kirchner first {Sec pw^c 10)

W F. Kristen, Purser
August 4, 1950 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 15

Canal-Railroad Record

(Continued from page 13) work for the

Canal and Railroad and consider

that work their lifetime career. ^W \0)A0 1^47 1144 \<^&r^ i9in nr^ y

N

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^

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'3, ' 'l> CA r^M . -R \JU \QJ ^ p/ POZfYLi:) 1 Two factors affected force levels of 1950 when compared with working conditions in 1938. These were

the 40-hoLir work week and the new

leave regulations for local-rate employees. The former is estimated to have required an approximate 16

percent increase to the overall force and the second to have required an

additional five percent increase to the local-rate force. Together, these

would have required 2,900 more employees in 1938, three-fifths of the

difference in the two force levels. Neither Canal-Railroad activities nor force levels for the fiscal years

1938 and 1950 show an even trend

among the various units. This is attributable to many factors which

vitally affect special activities. An

example is shown in a comparison of increases in the use of filtered water

and electric power. While water

consumption doubled in the 12-year

period under consideration, the number of kilowatt hours tripled. This

apparent disparity was caused primarily by a greatly increased use of

electrical appliances in the homes

and the use of more and heavier in- dustrial equipment.

l^ift lOAO \°lt^ \<?>£A \^iQ, nziB ra'*

t-: ""'fi- /— - —k ^^

'"

y'

A* 1^^' / r n:L \Vl o^ les" The volume of merchandise sold

in the commissaries shows wide fluc- tuations caused chiefly by price fac- tors and changes in customer habits.

New Towns in 1950 Nevertheless, it is possible to correlate certain facts and figures in the comparison between 1938 and

1950. Three large civilian communities and three sizable military es- tablishments are new in the Canal

Zone since 1938. Many miles of roads, power lines, sewers, pipe lines,

and telephone wires have been

added. These require added construction and maintenance forces. The sale of staple commodities has

shown a comparable rise with population increase in the Canal Zone.

Shorter work hours per week and

added medical techniques and services have required more doctors

and nurses. Panama Canal quarters,

in the main, are 12 years older than

in 1938 and therefore require much

more maintenance. More pupils and

improved curricula require more

teachers. The increased personnel

for the increased work is slight in most cases and certainly is not in proportion to the increased productivity.

Hardest hit by the economic fac- tors which have brought such a dis- parity between Canal income and

outgo in the 12-year period have

been those low or non-income pro- ducing units. These include civil government and health units, and

such operating divisions as the Marine, Locks, and Dredging Division.

Together, these comprise apjiroximately half of the Canal-Railroad

organization and in the main these

units have had to depend on in- creases in appropriated funds for their operations to meet the constantly rising barometer of the dollar values and other factors out of

their control. To the average Canal and Railroad employee, the rising tide of world wide commodity prices has

brought a much fatter pay envelope

every month to overcome or partially offset the higher living costs

of 1950. The average annual pay

for local-rate workers in 1938 was

$465.00. The average in 1950 was

$1,000, more than 110 percent

higher. .Annual pay for U. S.-rate employees increased nearly 75 percent, from an average $2,521 a year

in 1938 to $4,265.00 in 1950.

Wartime Increases Following an unprecedented rise and subsequent decline in activities and business operations during

World War II, the outstanding

record of the Canal-Railroad organization for the fiscal year 1950, al- though compared in this article with

the i938, would compare favorably

in all aspects with any year in the 35 vears of the Canal's operating his- tory. The 1950 record is all the more remarkable in that it was

scored under uncertain and at times

unfavorable conditions. Not the least important of these was the continued reduction of force and the constant decline in work load and

services which required frequent and

sometimes drastic adjustments or curtailments.

Not a single major unit escaped some force reductions and several,

notably the Health Department and

the Mechanical and Commissary

Division, were materially cut. These

reductions and the consequent shift- ing or reassignment of personnel and

duties were serious impediments to orderly and efficient administration

while these and other extraneous

factors served as dampers on the

morale of the rank and file of the

employees.

In many respects, the single development of the fiscal year 1950 which

will undoubtedly have the most far- reaching effects ultimately was the

major reorganization of the CanalRailroad. The reorganization plans were announced early in the beginning of the fiscal year and the

change, affecting to a greater or

lesser extent every unit, was made

at the close of the fiscal year without a ripple of interference to the

normal operations of the Canal and

Railroad. This achievement alone

will serve to mark 1950 as one of the

outstanding years in the Canal's his- tory as does 1914, the year when

the Canal organization was trans- formed from a construction unit

into one for operation and mainte- nance of the great international

waterway.

First Half of 1950

Shows Malaria Rate

Is Lowest on Record

Cumulative results of an Isthmianwide drive by all health agencies of the past few years in combatting

malaria, scourge of the Isthmus

throughout its known history, will bring the rate of incidence this year

to less than half of last year's recordbreaking low rate unless all signs fail during the last six months of 1950. Health Bureau statistics on malaria for the first half of 1950 show

that only 13 cases were reported for the six-month period among all Canal and Railroad employees, bringing the rate of incidence to 1.3 per

thousand.

This will make the third successive

year in which the malaria rate has

been practically halved during the

first half of each year. The rate at the end of June 1947 was reported

at 13.9 per thousand employees. The

rate dropped to 5 .5 the following year,

to 3.5 in 1949, and to 1.3 this year. This year's rate of incidence is lower than the death rate from malaria among Canal-Railroad employees of any year up to 1910. The

death rate among employees ranged

from 8.78 among employees in 1906,

the first year of accurate record, to

1.1 in 1910. The rate of incidence

during this period ranged from 821

per thousand in 1906 to 187 per thousand in 1910. It was not until 1916 that the rate of incidence

dropped below 50 per thousand.

Dramatic Drop in 3 Years The constant and dramatic drop

in the malaria rate in the Canal Zone

for the past three years has gone

far beyond the old rule-of-thumb of health authorities who pointed to

statistical charts which showed there were "good" and "bad" malaria

years. The rate of incidence this year is less than one-tenth of the

rate three years ago. The law of

probabilities and the known habits of the malaria-bearing .Anopheles mosquito rule out the theory of three

"good" malaria years in succession.

Health o!lficials recognize that this

\-ear's rate up to now may be abnormally low but they believe the year- by-year rate from now on will show

that results have been attained

which are as startling in many re- spects as those of Col. William Crawford Gorgas and his staff of sanitary

experts during the early Canal construction period. The permanency

of these dramatic results, they caution, will only be possible through

the continued and unremitting fight

by all health agencies on the Isthmus

against malaria and malaria-bearing

mosquitoes and the cooperation of

the general public.

The fight against malaria on the

Isthmus was greatly intensified during the early part of World War II w'len thousands of young .American men were stationed in lonely jungle

outposts. {See page 24)
16 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW August 4, 1950

ROUND-THE-CLOCK RECREATION FOR AU AGE GROUPS

Few places of its size in the United States can boast so many outstanding athletes in national and international sports in the past 25 years as the Canal Zone. The reason

is simple—outdoor play in abundance under competent supervision and coaches. The summer recreation and sports pro- gram offered this year was one of the most

varied ever attempted. The varied program

of the Physical Education and Recreation

Section of the Schools Division, under the

direclion of G. C. Lockridge, has been sup- plemented by the past two summers in most Canal Zone communities by many

special activities provided by the Summer

Recreation Council, of which Mrs. Dorris

B. Caldwell is Coordinator. The old Canal Zone favorite sport—swimming—has lost none of its favorjimon^ jhe young set as shown by the center picture

taken at the Gamboa Swimming Pool. From this group, or one of the young girls at the Balboa Pool, shown at the upper

right, may come an international star. Free bowling was offered this year to the

school-age groups and some barely as large as the bowling balls turned out with a vim. One requirement was that they set their own pins and the heavyweight at the upper

center is doing her stint at the business end

ot the alley.
August 4, 1950 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 17

Operations of the Clubhouse Division

JULY 1, 1949 TO MAY 31, 1950

We believe that everyone who resides in the Canal Zone makes use of of our facilities in

the course of a year. We therefore wish to acquaint our patrons with the financial side of

Clubhouse operations, as set forth below:

*s^

52.66 percent, cost of res- lauranl sales, merchandise

purchases, and tilni rental.

.13.58 percent for wages to U. S. and local-rate employees.

3.99 percent for gas, water,

electricitj , ice, telephones,

freight and transportation

advertising and printing.

f2,C09,052 $1,280,942 $152,37.5

J^ ^

3.32 percent for cost of cleanliness - uniforms,

laundr\', cleaning and pa- per supplies, garbage dis- posal, cleaning and chlori- nating swimming pools.

$126,578

3.0 percent for cost of liuildingrepair, new equip- ment purchased, repaired, or replaced.

$187,266

1.54 percent left for surplus, which is added

to our reserve for building

replacement or alterations and^new projects.

$.58,675

Total Receipts = $3,814,886

During the period July 1, 1949, to May 31, 1950, inclusive, the Clubhouse restaurants,

motion picture theaters and certain other recreational facilities were operated at a loss. It is

anticipated that by the end of the fiscal year, these losses will be overcome by the revenue

derived from other activities and a small surplus will result.

This page is devoted exclusively to news of the Clubhouses and Theaters

prepared by the Panama Canal Clubhouses
18 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW August 4, 1950

1,000,000 HOURS OF FUN AND SUPERVISED PLAY

The intentness with which these young

lolks enter into their games and supervised

sports gives ample demonstration of the vahie of the round-lhe-clock program during the summer school vacation planned for their benefit. Games, sports, tournaments, and handi-

( rafts provide fun and recreation for all age

groups. Chinese checkers was one of the

favorites in the colored communities this summer and most games drew a group of interested kibitzers. The players shown in the center picture are being offered good

advice on their moves.

Indoor and outdoor sports are offered in

all communities and interest is kept high by

tournaments among various groups and

communities. Special attention is given to art and handicraft. Folk dancing, boxing,

g>mnastics, basketball, and volle\- ball are some of the indoor activities, while cricket,

tennis, track, and archery found man\- adherents outdoors during this summer.

{Continued from page 4 ) Balboa Junior High School : Victor

A. Herr, of Everett, Washingtoti

;

and Louis A. Mays, of Downe\-,

California.

Balboa High School; Kenneth G.

Krogh, of Blair, Nebraska; and

Frank A. Sawyer, of Torrington,

Wyoming.

Canal Zone Junior College: Cilbert A. Nyerges, of Cleveland, Ohio;

and ThomasS. McKibbon, of Fresno,

California.

Cristobal Junior High School:

Kenneth G. Miller, of ll\ons, Nebraska; and Mary J. Wiesen, of r^uluth, Minnesota.

Cristobal High School: Robert F. Woychick, of Mankato, Minnesota.
August 4, 1950 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 19

Coachman For Col. Goethals

Recalls Construction Years

Frederick E. Williams, former coachman

for Colonel Goethals. One miserable night stands out in the memory of Frederick E. Williams, foreman at the Gatun Garage

before his retirement in June after 44 years of service, above all other events great or small of the Canal

construction period.

That was a sleepless period of about 16 hours which he spent con- templating the prospect of being

fired the next morning.

The incident which occasioned his distress occurred just after 3 o'clock one afternoon when he was scheduled

to bring around Col. George W.

Goethals' span of black horses and

coach to take him to the train. The engagement slipped Williams'

mind until too late to arrive on

schedule. He was five minutes late. Expecting to be firetl summarily, he

offered as explanation what was in effect a half truth—that his watch

had stopped, which was false, and

that there was no clock at the

stables, which was true. Time Clock Installed The (Yilonel's only comment was, "When 1 say 3 o'clock, 1 mean 3 o'clock." They drove on to the station, without further conversation,

and Williams settled down to a long

worry session that did not end until the following morning.

When he reported to work, he did not find the expected dismissal slip,

but he did find that a large clock was being placed in the stable area! "I was 15 minutes earh' to every

engagement to drive the Colonel

after that," Williams concludes.

No man is prouder of his service

with the I. C. C. than Williams who

was assigned as coachman for Colonel Goethals at Culebra from 1^08

until the Canal was completed. It was a time when distinguished visi- tors from all parts of the world were

Hocking to see the great engineering

teat in process of accomplishment.

Williams remembers best of all the

two visits of the portly and jovial

William Howard Taft, as Secretar\'

of War, in 1909 and 1910, and later President. .Another visitor he re- members well was President Pedro

Montt, of Chile, who spent a few

days on the Isthmus in 1910. He

recalls that visit so well because

President Montt offered him a

tip when he left and was overseen by Colonel Goethals who said, "No,

no, none of that—it isn't necessar3\"

"He gave me a tip anyway,

enough to buy a cigar," Williams

recalls. On such state occasions or when

one of the Presidents of Panama

came out to Culebra to go with

Colonel Goethals for one of his in- spection trips "along the line,"

Williams spent many an hour grooming the two black horses and polishing the two-seated carriage which

the Colonel used.

.About such trips, Williams recalls an invariable custom of Colonel

Goethals in which he seemed to take

secret delight. He would bid fare- well to his guest at his home, high on the crest of a hill overlooking the

town and Culebra Cut. Then,"taking a short cut to the railroad station

he would appear and be waiting for

his guests to see them on the train or motor car as they drove up in the

coach.

Born in Black River, Jamaica

Williams was born in Black River,

in St. Elizabeth's Province of Ja- maica. He came to the Isthmus in A-Iay 1906 and after working as a teamster at the Folks River Stables

for two years he was transferred to Culebra as Colonel Goethals' coach- man. After the construction period

ended and the Canal Zone capital was moved to Balboa Heights, he

transferred to Pedro .Miguel and

then to Paraiso as foreman, working

under District Quartermasters John

King and Claude Peters. He transferred to Gatun Garage

as foreman in 1920 where he worked

until the time of his retirement on June 24. Williams owns a small

place in the community- of New

Providence, about 20 miles from

Colon, where he plans to spend the

rest of his life. He is one of three old timers of the Motor Transportation Division

who retired during the past quarter,

after about 45 years of service. The

others were Joseph Thennard, of Martinique, who started work for the 1. C. C. in September 1905, and

John Ramsey, a native of Barbados,

who was first employed in 1906.

Thennard, who retired May 23,

worked during most of the construction period as a tinner at Culebra,

Empire, and Cristobal. He transVeferan Seafarers

(Continued from pugr 14) went to sea

as third officer for American-Hawaiian Steamship Line and took com- mand of the Nevadan soon after. Following World War I service as lieutenant commander in the Navy,

he commanded vessels of the Independent Steamship Company and

its predecessor, United .American,

until 1927, when he was emplo>ed as stevedore supervisor for the .Steam- ship Terminal Operating Compan\-

of New York.

Nine years after joining the Pan- ama Line, he assumed command of the old Ancon and took that vessel through the Canal when it transited

with 600 guests aboard August 15, 1939 to mark the 25th anniversary

of the opening of the waterway. He

served in the .Army Transport Service during World War II, in com- mand of the hospital ship Acadia,

and later, the Louis A. Milne. He

has been on the Panama since the war.

Missed Early Canal Trip

First Officer Gorman just missed

a trip through the Canal at the age

of five when he was on a cruise with

George McKnight, Chief Steward (right), consults with Manuel Romero, Chef, about

a menu for the S. S. Panama.

his parents on the Prinz Sigismund

which later became the Panama Line

ship General W. C. Gorgas. On that

occasion, he became ill in Jamaica

and was taken back to New A'ork,

but finally made his first trip through

the Canal in 1922 as third mate on

the Isthmian Line's Memphis City.

Now known to his shipmates for the mean brand of chess which he

plays whenever time permits. First

Officer Gorman coimts among his competitors man\- Panama passenbers. The other ships officers cling more to checkers, canasta, or crib- bage and offer an open challenge to

all comers in those departments.

First Officer Gorman (See page 20)

ferred to the .Animal and Motor

Transportation Division as an arti- san in 1915 and continued in that

capacity for 35 years. Ramsey was first employed as a blacksmith and worked in the Constructing Quartermaster Division

until 1916 in various Pacific side towns. He transferred to the Animal

and Motor Transportation Division

in 1916 and all of his service until his retirement on .April 27 was with

that division.
20 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW August 4, 1950

GOVERNOR'S STAFF OF TEN YEARS AGO

1

Only those employees who have been in service four or five years will recognize many

ol the faces of the men who made up the Governor's stafT just ten years ago. They are: Front row, C. A. Mcllvaine, Executive Secretary; Governor Clarence S. Ridley, an<l Col. Glen E. Edgerton, Engineer of Maintenance.

Middle row, Frank H. Wang, Executive Secretary; Col. M. C. Stayer, Chief Health

Officer; Capt. Thomas A. Symington, Marine Superintendent; Roy R. Watson. Chief Quartermaster; and C. T. Lindsay, General Manager of the Panama Railroad. Back row, John G. Claybourn, Superintendent of the Dredging Division; E. A. Erlie, .Xdministrative .Assistant to the Governor; .Arnold Bruckner, Comptroller; Col. Douglas

L. Weart, .Assistant Engineer of Maintenance; and Capt. E. R. Norton, Superintendent

of the Mechanical Division. Onl\ two of these, Mr. Erbe and Mr. Bruckner, are still in service. Two, Mr. Mcllvaine and Mr. Watson, have since died. Colonel (now Major General) Edgerton is retired from the Army but is now serving as Executive Director of the Commission in charge ol the renovation of the While House. Colonel (now Major General) Weart is still on active duty and is the commanding officer of Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

All the others have retired from active work. Governor Ridley retired as a Major

General and now lives in Carmel, California. This picture of the Governor and his staff was taken a short time before Governor

Ridle\ completed his term as Governor and was succeeded by General Edgerton.

San Juan Buildings

Nearing Completion

The first six living units of the

housing development in the San

Juan area of Ancon will be ready

for assignment this month. Actual

completion date for the three duplexes, first of 16 structures in the same area to be occupied in the next few months, will depend on the

delivery of material from the United

States. The remaining 13 one-family cot- tages in the development are now

s

' eduled for completion about the

first of September and will be turned over to the Community Services

Bureau for assignment at the rate

of about one a week after that date.

Construction of these new quarters, which started about the first of March, marks the beginning of a proposed long-term housing program

which has as its ultimate objective

the provision of permanent-type

housing for all Canal-Railroad employees. The Bureau of the Budget

has ajiproved Canal plans for the

housing program, to cost 870,000,000

and extend over a period of eight to ten years, and a request for a sup- plemental appropriation of S4,000,-

000 has baen made to launch the

program in the 1951 fiscal year. The first quarters to be completed

in the San Juan area will be two- bedroom duplexes. The other buildings in the development include 7 two-bedroom cottages and 6 three- bedroom cottages. Ail have concrete and masonry columns, beams, and

basement facilities, wooden first floors, exterior walls and interior partitions of heavy plywood, celotex

ceilings, and aluminum roofs.

Ancon Boulevard was relocated

slightK' in the development of sites for the new houses and San Juan

Place has also been relocated and

provided with a turn-around to pro- vide easy access to the homes.

One of the innovations adopted in the construction of these houses was

the use of prefabrication processes which have been extended steadihin Canal building during the last few years. Most of the houses have pullmant>'pe kitchens and sliding closet doors in the bedrooms. There are breezeways through the living and

dining rooms or windows on three

sides of these rooms and the bed- rooms also have cross ventilation.

Four slightly different plans were

used in the construction of the cottages. The two-bedroom houses, of two different sizes, are L-shapeil

buildings with combination livingdining rooms. The larger of the two

types has dinette space in the kitchen

and a half bath in addition to the

regular bathroom.

The two plans used for the three- bedroom houses also differ primarily

in size.' The smaller of the two has

double doors between the living- room and one bedroom which could

be utilized to make one large imit

of the two rooms. One feature which has caused_ some comment is the use of twocolor combinations in painting the

interior of the houses. GeneralK",

the lighter shade of the two colors used in the same room has been

used on the walls with rows of windows and the darker shades on the

interior walls of the room.

Veteran Seafarers

(Continued from page 19) has served on

the ships of several lines since his graduation from the New York State

-Xautical School in 1920. He spent

two years in command of \av\' ships

in the Pacific in W'orkl War II. He

has served on the old Ancon and the

Cristobal and has been on the Pan- ama since September 1946. His fa- vorite decoration on the ship is a picture of his six children, ranging

from Frank, 21, chemist technician

at Farmingdale, New York, to 10- year-old Peggy at home in Hempstead, Long Island. Panama passengers are pla\ing new games these days, Stop the

Music and quiz contests, started by

the purser. Mr. Kristen explains

before each contest that one record

stumps them all. He is not publicizing the name but offers the disc itself as proof that his answer is the right answer. The purser was a salesman before

the war and joined the \J. S. Maritime SerV'ice in 1942. The Chief steward has been going

to sea for 25 years and joined the

Panama Line in 1938 as steward on

the old Cristobal. He and the chef,

Manuel Romero, say there are no

"specialties of the house" on the

Panama but do note that Mr.

Romero, a native of Puerto Rico,

has a fine way with arroz-con-pollo

and other dishes with a LatinAmerican flavor. Other personnel

under the jurisdiction of the chief

steward who play an important part

in helping Panama passengers enjoy

their travels are Irving Memeroff,

deck steward, generalh' known as "Nick," who serves as general mother

of the flock on deck and has a

special wa>' with children, and Harry

Bradshaw, bartender.

Chief Engineer Julius Peterson

served his apprenticeship as a machinist in the Lackawana Railroad

from 1913 to 1917. In 1917 he

joined the Navy and served throughout the World' War I. In 1919 he

joined the Luckenbach Line and

remained there until 1927 when he

joined the Panama Line. He served on the Powawa during World War II. The earliest service amongst the

old timers now serving on the Pan- ama is proudly claimed by Francis

Taboda, a waiter, who was Captain's boy on the S.S. Allianca tmder

(\aptain Skillings in 1897. The man with longest continuous

service on board the three ships is at present serving in the engine department of the Panama. He is .Antonio Yilar, a watertender who

has had unbroken service since 1914. Other old timers who are well known on the Isthmus and who are now serving on the Panama are: Louis Pavlicck, (liief Radio Officer,

1931; r)u<lle\- Anderson, Second

Radio Officer, 1922; and Jose Car- esma. Oiler, 1912.

This is the second of a series of three

articles on the Panama Line ships.

The next and last will deal with the

personnel of the S. S. CRISTOBAL.
August 4, 1950 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 21

STATISTICS ON CANAL TRAFFIC

For the purpose of the fiscal year 1938 comparison between pre-war

are used in this section, as and post-war traffic through the Panama

being more nearly normal for peacetime

Canal, statistics for than those for 1939. Highly Variable World Trade Thru Canal

Makes Accurate Traffic Forecast Difficult

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World trade which flows through the Panama Canal is well nigh unpredictable.

The story is told that one prognosticator,

observing the rapid rise in traffic between

1920 and 1924, simph- used a ruler and a graph sheet and predicted such astronomical ship traffic by 1950 that only a natural

strait, many miles wide, could have accom- modated the ships plying between the two

oceans. The more careful observers have pre- dicted a gradual increase but most of these

predictions have come a cropper because of world-wide depressions or wars since the Canal was opened to traffic in 1914. In one respect—net tonnage of vessels

Panama Canal commercial traffic reached a new high-water mark in the fiscal year lOSO, ended June ,W. In number of transits—th.* factor uppermost in calculating when added

Canal facilities will be required —the traffic

in the past fiscal year fell 12>2 percent short

of the record traffic in the fiscal year 1929. Much larger ships, including cargo vessels, tankers, and cargo-passenger ships, were

responsible for the new all-time record in total tonnage. The following figures show a comparison between the ocean-going commercial traffic of the fiscal years 1929 and 1950 and the percentage of increase or decrease in each

of the categories: Nutriber of transits: 1929—6,289

1950^-5,488 ~ 12K';c decrease Panama Canal net tonnage:

1929-27.585,000*

1950—28,013,236 —1.759c increase

* Estimated as based on present rules of measurement.

Tolls:1929—$27,111,000

1950— 24,430,000 - 10% decrease Tons of cargo: 1929—30,647,768

1950—28,872,293 —6% decrease These figures clearly indicate the growth

in the size of ships within the past two

decades. As announced in the previous

issue of The Canal Review, tankers rsing

the Canal have increased appro.ximately 18

percent within this period and cargo-pas- senger vessels are now 12 percent larger than in 1929. Despite this growth in the size of ships, the consensus of observers is that the number of transits rather than the size of vessels

will be the governing factor in deciding when

added Canal facilities will be required for commercial traffic.

Alterations Needed by 1970 The present outlook, based on normal

peacetime conditions, is that some alterations will be required by 1970 to accom- modate commercial traffic alone. This date is some 10 years later than that

predicted three years ago when a careful analysis was made bv Dr. Roland L. Kramer in the course of the Isthmian Canal

Studies of 1947. Governor Newcomer has expressed the opinion that added facilities will be required

by 1970 and in a recent statement he said: "It seems reasonable to assume that exist- ing Canal facilities will be taxed to capacity

by the year 1970 by commercial shipping

alone, necessitating by that time some

improvements to avoid costly delays during

peak operating periods.

"The revival of world trade during the

past five >-ears since the close of W'orld War

II has brought a constantly increasing flow

of traffic through the Canal. This resur- gence of international commerce will, if it continues, require serious consideration

within the next few years of means of in- creasing the Canal facilities to accommodate

this commerce. General plans to meet this expansion by increasing Canal facilities have alread\' been made and could be

initiated and accomplished at an economical

rate within a period of about 10 years." The accompan\ ing graph shows the rela- tion of Canal commercial traffic of the past 35 years to the predictions of several expert

analysts. The dates of these predictions range from the one made in 1912 by Dr. Emory R. Johnson on commercial traffic between 1915 and 1935, to the 1947 pre- diction of Dr. Kramer. Dates of the other

predictions, shown on the charts, were:

Governor M. L. Walker, 1927; Grover G

Huebner, 1936; and Norman J. Padelford

1944. The forecast of Dr. Johnson was made

prior to the outbreak of the first World War

and it seems reasonable to suppose that his prediction for the first 20 years of Canal

traffic would have been remarkably accurate

except for the war and the depression of the

early 1930's. His forecast was based on the

increase of potential Canal traffic during

the 11-year period between 1899 and 1910

as indicated by records kept by the Second

French Canal Compan\- of ship movements

over trade routes likely to use the Panama

Canal.Forecast of Governor Walkor

Governor M. L. Walker prepared his esti- mate in 1927 and based his prediction on

the growth in the movement of shipping

through the Suez Canal, since he felt the

13 years of Panama Canal operational data

obtainable, plus traffic disruptions ciused by the first World War, did not form an

adequate base on which to predicate such an estimate. He concluded that the annual increase in traffic up to 1960 would be

700,000 net vessel tons, including commercial and tolls-free vessels.

.\ committee appointed by the President

in 1936 to make a study and prepare a

report on Panama Canal tolls and rules of measurement selected Dr. Huebner, Professor of Commerce and Transportation of Wharton School of Finance and Commerce

at the University of Pennsylvania, to make

a forecast of probable Canal traffic up to 1961. He had been associated with Dr. Johnson in the 1912 study and Dr. Johnson was a member of the committee which re- quested Dr. Huebner to make the study on

future traffic. He prepared four estimates, three based on Panama Canal data and the fourth on

Suez Canal traffic figures. His final estimate shown on the accompanying chart, was

based on composite figures of Panama Canal

general cargo net vessel tonnage between

1923 and 1936, and the Suez Canal traffic trend. Dr. Padelford's {Continued on page 22)
22 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW August 4, 1950

World Trade Thru Canal is Variable

study, maclcin 1944, {Continued from pagr 21) was based on Dr. Huebner's forecast, in which

he attempted to evaluate the net effect of World War II, air traffic, and other adjust- ments on the Huebner predictions. He

made live separate forecasts based on the various analyses, the most conservative and

the most optimistic of which are shown on

the chart. The top line indicates his prediclioTi on traffic based on the effects of World War 1 1 without consideration of other

factors which might affect Panama Canal

traffic. The boilom line was based on the

effects of the war phis various other influenc- ing factors. Under normal conditions, Panama Canal

traffic for the next fiscal year will fall some- where between his two extreme forecasts and not far short of his most optimistic.

Estimates of Dr. Kramer

The Isthmian Canal Studies of 1947 re- quired a long-range traffic forecast and Dr. Kramer, Professor of Commerce and Transportation at the Wharton School of Finance

and Commerce, was selected as a traffic consultant because of his high reputation in the field of international commerce antl his long association with both Dr. Johnson and

Dr. Huebner.

His prediction was based on three basic a.ssumptions: (a) That there will be no

widespread wars or serious political revolutions up to the year 2000; (b) That freer and less restrictive trade relations will develop as the I'nited Nations organization achieves stature; and (c) that the I'nited States will maintain a substantial merchant

marine for domestic and foreign trade. He made several statistical projections

and the one shown here was used for computation on the expected date when

commercial traffic would outgrow present Canal facilities. .Actual Panama Canal statistics on traffic for the fiscal year 1950 fall more than 9,000,000 net vessel tons short

of the figure he had expected. Actual figures on commercial traffic for the past fiscal year also fell far short of the number of large, ocean-going vessels esti- matedly in Dr. Kramer's forecast. Total

transits for the year of tolls-pa\'ing vessels

of more than 300 net tons were 5,448, as compared with the predicted 6,959. Assuming that the rate of increase pre- dicted by Dr. Kramer for the two decades

in commercial traffic prove to be correct

1,240 ships between 1950 and 1960, and

1,287 ships between 1960 and 1970— commercial traffic in 1970 will be 7,915 vessels, based on actual transits in 1950. This number plus the tolls-free traffic, approximateh15 percent of the total in peacetime in- cluding Canal equipment would bring the

total Canal traffic in 1970 well up to what

is considered a maximum which can be handled under existing operating conditions. The recommendation of Governor Joseph

C. Mehaffey as contained in his report on

the Isthmian Canal Studies of 1947 was,

in fact, two-pronged in response to the request from Congress: To determine the

best means to meet the future needs of national defense and future requirements of interoceanic commerce. His recommendation for a sea-level canal, therefore, was not based solely on I he expected future require- ments of commercial traffic and the final report made it abundantly clear that a less expensive plan could be adopted for this purpose alone.

{Continued from page 7) "We have read this publication with the greatest

of intere.'it and feel that it will accomplish a purpose

hitherto unachieved on the Isthmus.

S. KiDD, Manager, C. Fernie and Co.

Cristobal Opinions of the newspaper profession:

"Congratulations on Volume I. Number 1, of The

Panama Canal Review. This is a superb job frnni the standpoint of content, printing, and wide range

of subject matter." Carl Ackerman

Dean. Graduate School of Journalism Columbia University

SUPER-TANKER VISITS CANAL WATERS

"I read with interest your first issue of the employee magazine, and think it is a fine job." Maurice Hale

Chief, Information Section Tennessee Valley Authority

Since it appeals to me, an outsider, I'm sure that

it is highly interesting to members of the organizition and to private businesses having dealings witli the establishments in the Zone." Clark H. Galloway

Inter-American Editor, United

States News and World Reports

An opportunity to inspect the "sup?r-tankur" Ewo Cnstobu! u<is provided for local

officials Juh 12 when the vessel paid its first call at the Port of Cristobal to deliver fuel

oil into the marine storage tanks of the Standard Oil (Canal Zone) Company and The

Panama Canal. A forma! visit to the super-t.anker was made b\- a large group of Canal Zone and

Colon officials, including Lt. Gen. William H. H. Morris, Jr., Commander-in-Chief of the Caribbean Defense Command, Lieutenant (Vovernor Herbert D. \'ogel, and Mayor Jose Dominador Bazan, of Colon. The Esso Cristobal is one of 12 new supcr-lankers built since the war with a capacity

of 2.^0,000 gallons, almost 70 percent more than the T-2 tanker built during World War II. CARGO HANDLED OVER PIERS

(In short tons)

Second Quarter Calendar Year 1950

Average

quarter, 1949

.'Average quarter, 1938

Cristobal Balboa Total All piers All piers

57,435 29,052 86,487 104,205 87,968

Local cargo forwarded 15,547 15,792 31,339 26,608 9,388

Transfer cargo received 75,632 2,325 77,957 72,250 138,386

Total incoming cargo handled 148,614 47,169 195,783 205,053 235,742

Rehandled cargo 1,950 130 2,080 3,435 1,584

Transfer cargo forwarded 71,351 1,958 73,309 73,245 136,127

Total cargo handled and

transferred 221,915 49,257 271,172 281,7.53 373,453

TRAFFIC MOVEMENTS OVER MAIN TRADE ROUTES

The following table shows the number of transits of large, commercial vessels (300 net

tons or over) segregated into eight main trade routes:

Apri —May-June

1950 1949 1938

United States Intercoastal 254 146 248

East coast of U. S. and South .'\merica 331 252 120

96 86 19

East coast of U. S. and Far East 145 200 200

U. S./Canada east coast and .Australasia 37 43 40

120 143 270

Europe and South .-\nierica 88 83 136

74 75 68

255 243 120

Total Traffic 1,400 1,271 1,221

JOINT EFFORTS MADE

IN MARITIME SAFETY

A cooperative effort on behalf of maritime

safety has been inaugurated by the local Propeller Club, representing shipping inter- ests on the Isthmus, and representatives of Canal units concerned, with marine matters. D. J. McKeown serves as chairman of a

joint safety committee organized to deal with common safety problems and Captain Robert M. Peacher, Alarine Director of tffe Panama Canal, serves as co-ordinator for the Canal-Railroad organization. Committee members representing the Propeller Club

include D. P. Darling, L. M. Breece, President, R. W. Chandler, G. S. Bennett, E. S. Baker, and Mr. McKeown.

The committee has met monthU' since May 10. Recommendations made to the Canal

organization and to shipping companies,

through their local representatives, concern improvement of safety features of sea ladders, conipanionway gangways, machinery

for handling lines between ships, locks and

piers, and boarding and docking equipment

on Panama Railroad and Panama Canal

piers. The committee has also recommended

a<loption of the regulations set forth by the International Conference on Safety of Life

at Sea under the auspices of United iN'ations. The safety work of the local Propeller Club. Port 93 of The Panama Canal, follows a policy similar to that of other units of the organization in all major United States

ports. The national headquarters of the Club in New York City cooperates with the Marine Section of the National Safety

Council, the United States Coast Guard,

the Federal Interdepartmental S.ifety Council, the American Bureau of Shipping, and

Lloyds Register of Shipping to provide

guidance to local groups in safety matters.
August 4, 1950 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 23

1950 Canal Traffic Nears Peacetime Aspect

NUMBEg 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950

CANAL TRANSITS TOLLS PAYING AND FREE

April-—May—-^ une

1950 1949 1938

Atlantic

to

Pacific

Pacific

to Atlantic Total Total Total

Tolls-paying vessels: Ocean-eoine 681 719 1,400 1,271 1,397

Small - -- 157 149 306 367 265

Total, tolls-pa >'ing __ 838 868 1,706 1,638 1,662

**Free transits 104 118 222 343 112

Total, tolls-paying and free 942 986 1,928 1,981 1,774

* Vessels under 300 net tons or 500 displacement tons. ** Exclusive of Panama Canal equipment.

MONTHLY COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC AND TOLLS

Vessels of 300 tons net or over By fiscal years

Transits

Tolls

(In thousands of dollars)

Month 1950 1949 1938 1950 1949 1938

July 430 399 457 $1,891 $1,673 $2,030

August - - 388 399 505 1,733 1,737 2,195

September _ 401 415 444 1,795 1,741 1,936

October 440 372 461 1,985 1,495 1,981

November 439 353 435 1,964 1,455 1,893

December ^ 488 357 439 2,185 1,506 1,845

January 483 407 444 2,207 1,772 1,838

February 457 373 436 2,121 1,573 1,787

March 522 447 506 2,327 1,959 2,016

April . . - . 459 433 487 1,959 1,887 1,961 May 488 421 465 2,170 1,880 1,887

June 453 417 445 2,093 1,863 1,801

Totals for each fiscal jear.- 5,448 4,793 5,524 $24,430 $20,541 $23,170

Panama Canal traffic assumed a near nor- mal peacetime aspect during the fiscal year 1950 which closed June 30. The amount of tolls, $24,230,000, was the

highest collected in any fiscal year since 1931, this amount having been e.\ceeded in only four years of the Canal's operating

history. Transits by commercial vessels of more

than .500 net tons totaled 5,448 last year, the highest number since the fiscal year

1940 and the only year in that 10-year

period when these transits e.xceeded 5,000.

.\ new record was set by commercial shipping in Panama Canal net tonnage last vear

with a total of 28,013,236 net tons. "The

old record of 27,716,000 tons wasestablished

in the fiscal year 1930, even though record

figures on the number of transits and tolls were set in 1929. Aside from the volume of commercial

traffic, the ratio of tolls-free shipping to commercial traffic also resumed a near-nor- mal, peacetime aspect. Before the outbreak

of VVorld War II the amount of tolls-free

traffic was generalK- reckoned at 8 percent

of the total commercial traffic of all categories. During the war this percentage rose to an all-time high in 1945 of nearly 75 per- cent. This wide gap was rapidly closed in the fiscal year 1947 after the Government

released most of the commercial vessels and

last year tolls-free shipping was only 12 percent of the total traffic. The accompanying chart gives a clear picture of the wide variation between tolls- free and tolls-paying trafific since 1938. The

top line represents the total traffic during

this period, with the e.\ception of Panama

Canal equipment, and the bottom line rep- resents total commercial traffic of all cat- egories including vessels under 300 net tons. Prior to 1938 the percentage of tolls-free shipping varied only slightU- from the 8 percent average of all traflSc. Rate of Increase is High

Commercial traffic during the past fiscal year rose at one of the highest rates of any

>ear in the Canal's history, being roughly

parallel with those in the fiscal \ears 1923,

1924, and 1934. The most significant factor in the 1950

trafific figures was the heavy shipments of

oil from the west coast through the Canal. This movement which began in September

1949 and continued throughout the remainder of the fiscal year, reached a peak in February.

Despite a notable decrease in this tanker

trade in March, an increase in shipping in practically all other trade routes through

the Canal brought March commercial transits to 522, the highest of any month since March 1937. Ship movements through the Canal during the last quarter of the fiscal year 1950 were consistently higher than

those of the same period in 1949. Comparative statistics on commodity

shipments during the last quarters of 1949 and 1950, generally indicative of trends for both years, show many significant changes

in world trade. The shipments of mineral

oils from the Pacific to the .Atlantic were

nearly 12 times as high in 1950. Other out- standing changes in commodity shipments

in this direction included increases in the amount of fresh and dried fruits which rose from 20th and 22d places, respeclivelv, to 14th and 15th places in the 1950 list. Phosphate Shipments Heavy

The outstanding variation in the lists of commodity' shipments from the Atlantic to the Pacific was phosphates. During the second quarter of 1949, these shipments

totaled only 8,564 long tons and were in 30th place. This year, phosphates were in third place in the commodity list with

244.715 tons. Comparative figures carried in this edition

of The Canal Retiew on the movement of

traffic over the main trade routes during the

last quarter of 1950 and 1938 are also generally indicative of the trends for those two

full years. The major increases were shown

in the trade moving between the east coast

of the United States and Central and South

America, while significant decreases were shown in all European trade on the main

routes through the Canal except that to Australasia. The noticeable variation between the net tonnage of commercial vessels (See page 24)
24 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW August 4, 1950

HISTORY MAKING TRIP

A lii>l(ir\-makiiii; transit of the Panama

Canal lor the Intcrocean Steamship Company was made Jime 19 by the M. S. Brainl- anner en route on the 40bth voyage of the Inlerocean Line from the Pacific coast to

P2urope. The Brandcniger, shown above just after entering Miraflores Locks, is one of a fleet of six fast, modern motorships of post war

vintage which are now on this run or will soon be in service. A seventh vessel, the M. S. Trondanger, recently transited the Canal bound for the West coast after complete modernization in Eiirope.

By coincident, the original Brandanger,

which was lost during the war, made voyage

No. 1 in the Interocean Line service. Master of the new Brandanger on the 400th voyage was Captain Anhn Olsen, who

started with the Interocean .Steamship Companv as mate on the original Bratidangtr in 1934.

1950 Canal Traffic

{Continued from page 23) using the Canal

in the fiscal years 1929 and 1950 arid the amounts of cargo transported is due in pari to the tanker traffic from the west

coast. These vessels during the past fiscal year moved through the Canal last year

fully loaded and returned to the west coast

in ballast. This also accounted partly for the fact that even though the net tonnage of vessels

in 1950 was the highest on record, the amount of tolls collected was appreciably

lower than the all-time high in 1929. The

principal factor, however, in this variation

of tolls was the changes in the rules of measurement and rate of tolls in 1938. Under the same rules of measurements and

rates of tolls as applied in 1929, the 1950 commercial traffic through the Panama

Canal would have increased last year's tolls by about 3.5 percent, or some $850,000.

(Continued from page 15) In this effort. Zone health authorities had the full cooperation of (iovernment officials in the Republic of Panama and the low rate announced

for the first half of this year is the

cumulative result of that joint effort over a period of some 10 years. This

year's malaria rate, lon^ believed by

competent medical authorities to be

imattainable under conditions such

as exist on the Isthmus, has been,

in part, due to improved insecticides

and preventive and curative medicines. These three factors—cooperation

by all health authorities and the

general public, more and better

insecticides, and improved medicines—ha\H; had a cumulative effect. This acciuiiulative formula works on

the basis of fewer anopheles mosquitoes, less malaria; fewer malaria

cases, less possibility for Miss Anopheles to bite malaria patients and

transmit the disease; and thus, so Isthmian doctors hope, ad infitiitiim.

Principal Commodities Shipped Through the Canal

(All figures in long tons)

Figures In parentheses In 1938 and 1949 columns Indicate

relative positions In those years ATLANTIC TO PACIFIC

Commodity

.Manufactures of iron and steel Mineral oils... , Phosphates . .•\mnionium compounds

Paper and paper products

Sulphur

.Sugar Raw cotton .\ulomobiles and parts Tinplate

Machinery

Cement

Ores, various Wood pulp Coal and coke_ . .All others

Total

Second Quarter, Calendar Year

1950

348,596

263,850

244,715

149,788

100,976

75,317

75,202 71,208

61,952

59,937

57,066

47,499

32,244

.?0,811 27,377

723,133

2,369,671

1949

383,212 (3) 589,861 (1) 8,564 (30) 101,691 (4) 100,500 (5) 80,112 (8) 38,710 (13) 84,310 (6) 47,487 (U)

82,537 (7) 56,657 (9) 22,882 (15) 9,164 (27) 19,903 (8) 562,651 (2) 743,966

2,932,207

1938

370

204

77

10 105

672043

577040

39

27

2125

1,182

925 (2) 624 (3) 382 (7) 320 (27) 902 (5) 125 (8) 176 (19) 766 (10) 368 (9) 203 (6) ,109 (11) ,024 (12)

,099 (14) ,648 (17) ,352 (15) 474

2,363,497

PACIFIC TO ATLANTIC

Commodity

Mineral oils Ores, various Lu mber

Wheat

Nitrate Sugar

Canned food products

Refrigerated food products (ex cept fresh fruit Metals, various Bananas Wool

Copra

Raw cotton Fresh fruit (except bananas)

Dried fruit .Ml others

Total

.Second Quarter, Calendar Year

1950

962,860

811,072

776,365

402,852

.S6 1,946 295,739

294,872

163,774

1,59,698 124,949

88,902

5.'^ 974

..54,060 51,855

42,147

516,210

5,163,275

1949

82,679 (10) 960,081

690,125

452,126

388,375

272.403

166,057

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5) (6)

108,144 (8) 157,140 (7) 98,796 (9) 76,665 (11)

42,,S09 (16) 43.799 (15) 31,193 (20) 28,270 (22) 1,267,598

4,865,960

1938

732,510

517,845

668,505

179,065

340,496 445.366

161,496

(5)

(2)

(1)

(7) (4)

(.?) (8)

118,555 (9) 179,380 (6) 17,900 (26)

.54,547 (14) 41,275 "SI

20,232 (24) 110,339 (10) 56,171 (13) 703,616

4,347,298

Canal Commercial Traffic by Nationality of Vessels

April—May—June

Nationality

1950 1949 1938 Number of transits

Tons

of cargo

Number of

transits

Tons

of cargo

Number of transits

Tons

of cargo

British. 225

13

1,400,835 57,364 244

19

5 1934

11

1

1 30

1,619,536 87,613

45,198

25,552

186,964

10,976 3,400

9,000

140,240

344

3

1,674,876 2,552 Chinese - - Colombian. , 20

50

29

1

19,056

1 76,053

12,199

1,088

Danish

Ecuadorean

56 227,960

Egyptian

Finnish French 26 144,3.53 2397

25

21476

2

118,232

370,814

Oreek 20

122

16

147,948

176,244

87,718

39

84

16

339,745

179,619

97,686

164,506

Honduran

Italian 84435,530

Japanese 441,353

4,900

Mexican .. 226

1 11547

14

3

1

11,707 119,510224

383,068

243,812

40,753

17,731 9,201

102947,428 Netherland 74,558

Nicaraguan

Norwegian

Panamanian

l^eruvian __ _ .

74 147,118

11847

8

72

512,937

279,500

24,575 45,325

8,415

18745

1

1

933,990

110,150

1 ,995 Philippine

Portuguese

8,441

1 1,054 Spanish 16 38

67,30l 151,047

637

1

8,366

172,875

7,882

33, 189,181

Turkish 1 607

7

9,800

4,246,161

9,773 United States \'enezuelan 492

11 3,339,075

14,260 408 2,253,371

2,018 21,910

Total 1,400 7,532,946 1,271 7,280,725 1,397 6,710,795

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