qi-/~( l]0 (£-3)

Gift ofthe Panama Canal Museum

Vol. 2, No. 1 BALBOA HEIGHTS, CANAL ZONE, AUGUST 3, 1951 5 cents

USE OF SOUTHERN PORTS FOR PANAMA LINE STUDIED

TO DETERMINE POSSIBLE ECONOMY IN SHIP SCHEDULE

High Construction Costs Require Canal

To Follow Trend Toward Smaller Houses

Hundreds of visitors have watched with interest this year's building program in Diablo Heights where two new types of masonry houses are under construction. None has attracted more attention than the "breezeway"

houses. The basic design for this house was prepared by the housing consultants who helped plan the $80,000,000 quarters replacement and construction program.

The first of the new quarters being

built under the $80,000,000 new-housing program are rapidly nearing completion at Margarita, Gatun, Diablo Heights, and

Silver City. Panama Canal people now

have an opportunity to see what the new

quarters look like, and to make comments

and suggestions.

Many improvements in design and ar- rangement have already been scheduled

for inclusion in this year's building pro- gram. Plans for the new quarters undoubtedly will be improved as the program develops. Many different types

of quarters will be necessary to satisfy the requirements and preferences of different

families. Everyone is vitally interested in the kinds of new quarters being built in the Canal Zone, and, of course, everyone has

his own ideas on the subject. Recent

surveys by civic groups of public opinion

have produced widely divergent results.

RENTS ON NEW HOUSES

Twenty-one apartments in the 1951 quarters

construction program will be available within the next few weeks. Ten composite type apartments

on Hains Street in Diablo were recently completed by the Building Division and are being assigned. Thirteen apartments of the composite type construction, of the 17 buildings now going up at Margarita, are to be ready for transfer to the Housing Division by August 15, several months

ahead of schedule. Eight masonry cottages in Diablo, where 22 quarters are under construction,

are also scheduled for completion by August 15. Rental rates on these new quarters are: Composite Type

Tw'0 bedroom duplex, no maid's room.

Two bedroom duplex, with maid's room.

Three-bedroom duplex, no maid's room.

Three-bedroom duplex, maid's room... Two-bedroom cottageMasonry

Two-bedroom duplex _ Two-bedroom cottage, no maid's room.

Two-bedroom cottage, maid's room

Three-bed room breezeway, no maid's rm. Three-bedroom breezeway, maid's room.

$46.50

$47.50

$56.50 $57.50

$61.00

$54.50

$49.00 $51.00 $62.00

$64.00

Despite the technological and scientific advances of the past 50 years, new houses cannot be as spacious, livable, and, per- haps, as comfortable, as was possible a

half century ago. This is equally true in the Canal Zone and in the United States. When lumber and labor were cheap, houses had wide porches, and large rooms

with high ceilings. Houses which cost $10,000 in the United States in 1939 now

sell for well over $20,000. The cost of new construction has increased similarly.

Practically all modern houses are being

built with flat, composite type roofs, exposed beams and with rather plain external appearance of a cube, or as some

say a "chicken coop." This is done solely to save money. Most people, other than

architects, agree that this new architec- ture is too practical and plain to give it the grace and beauty usually expected in a home. Although many improvements

have been made in new materials and

labor-saving devices, the modern house cannot compare with one of 50 years ago

in spaciousness, appearance and livability.

These factors must be kept in mind in evaluat'ng the new quarters now being

constructed. Critics have complained

that bedrooms are small and the houses not spacious. Compared with present-day standards in the United States, however,

it is a fact that the quarters being constructed here are comparatively large. The June, 1951, issue of the Architectural Forum (The Magazine of Building) described new houses near Los Angeles.

These houses contain only 1,024 to 1,134 square feet and are priced between

$11,000 and $13,000.

The same magazine describes the house

of a well-known architect in New Haven,

Conn. This house, built in the most eco- nomical manner possible is constructed of unpainted, diagonal pine sheathing and

cinder block. It has no wall finish, inside or out. It has a concrete floor, a flat roof and one bath. The area is (See page W)

Many Factors Require

Study Before Decision

Is Reached On Change

Preliminary studies to determine the

possible advantage of u-ing a more

southerly port than New York for the northern terminus of the Panama Line

have been initiated by the Management

Division.

If the present studies indicate substantial advantages in the use of some other harbor as the Line's home port in the United States, Governor Newcomer plans

to submit the question to the Board of Directors. Because of the complex nature of such

a move, it is presently believed unlikely that any definitive action will be taken at an early date and without much more

detailed investigation.

Although still in the initial stage, the

present studies will include such perennial

questions as the continued use of New

York as the home port but with calls into one of the southern ports of the Atlantic Coast on scheduled runs; moving the terminus southward to Philadelphia,

Baltimore, Norfolk, or some other port; and the desirability of making trips to the West Coast and Gulf ports. Problem One of Economy

The problem is both an economic one and one of rendering the maximum service. Factors which will have considerable weight in determining the merit of any change in existing schedules will be

the advantage in the procurement of supplies, and convenience to Canal-Government employees on the Isthmus. The question of changing the present

Panama Line schedules involves many

knotty problems. Some of the factors involved are:

1. Port facilities and costs for pilotage,

wharfage, stevedoring, and cargo-handling

equipment.

2. Accessibility to the principal pur- chasing centers for supplies and equipment

required by the Panama Canal Company.

3. Railway connections to the various

ports.

4. Costs of the operation (See page 21)

SPECIAL FEATURES

# A complete directory of the Panama Canal Company and Canal Zone Government in convenient four-page supplement.

# Financial charts showing how budget

estimates will fit Company operations for this fiscal year. See pages 10, 11, 12. and 13. # THE SAFETY ZONE is Incorporated in

this issue of the REVIEW. See page 5. Retirements, promotions and transfers, and month's calendar of events for labor,

civic, and patr iot ic groups are all new features.
THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW August'3, 1951

Electrical Workers Form Two Oldest

Organized Unions of Canal Employees

Officers of the Canal Zone's two Electrical Unions get together frequently to discuss overall policy matters. The two locals are the oldest labor unions

in the Canal Zone and presently have a membership of 4S0. In the above picture, left to right, are: John J. Tobin, Business Manager of Local 677; Arthur R.

Lane, President of Local 677; and Albert Saarinen, President and acting Business Manager of Local 397.

On September 10, Local 677 of the

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers will celebrate its 41st birthday.

On December 28, Local 397 of the

I. B. E. W. will turn 39. The average age

of the two locals makes them about the

oldest trade union still functioning in the Canal Zone. From their charter membership of 48

34 in Local 677 and 14 in Local 397—the two unions have grown to a present membership of 480. Each local has its own jurisdiction,

officers and bylaws; each acts independently on matters pertaining to its in- dividual interests. But the Executive

Boards of each meet as a joint Executive

Board through which all Canal Zone

Electrical Workers act as one solid unit. When their original charters were

granted by the then still comparatively

young I. B. E. W., each Local was given a

territory. To Local 677 was assigned the

section of the Canal Zone from the Carib- bean to and including the old Darien

radio station. Local 397 was given

control from Darien to the Pacific.

Rules On Temporary Transfers

On the recommendation of the two

Canal Zone Locals, the International

office of the I. B. E. W. has issued a

special dispensation to allow the members

of one to work in the territory of the

other. This takes care of occasional temporary transfers; when a worker receives

a permanent transfer his "card" is transferred to the Local having jurisdiction.

An electrical worker, arriving from the United States and expecting to remain

here permanently, becomes a member of the local in the area where he is working.

If he expects to remain on the Isthmus

only a short time and prefers to retain membership in his home local, he pays the Canal Zone union a "permit" fee for each month he remains here. Thirteen of the

electrical workers in the Canal Zone are now working on this "permit" basis. Local 397 at present has 210 members

working for the Panama Canal Company,

23 for the Army and Navy, 60 living in the United States but retaining their

J Zone membership, 21 retired members and eight working on permit. Local

677 has 110 members working for the

Trademarks of an electrician are his pliers and tape. With them he makes many repairs that appear complicated to the unitiated. Above is Maurice Thatcher

working on one of the complicated panel boards at the Pacific Locks.

Panama Canal Company, seven for the Army and Navy, three who are in South

America but whose cards are still here, 30

in the United States, three retired members and five on permit.

Eligibles For Membership

In addition to those men who install and maintain all of the Canal Zone's electrical and telephone equipment, membership in the two Locals includes power- house operators, linemen, cable splicers, armature winders, radio operators, and

technicians and electronic mechanics.

To obtain a membership in either Local, a candidate pays an initiation fee of $25. His qualifications and workmanship must be passed by the Local's Executive Board, and he must also pass a written or oral examination before the

Local's Examining Board. Apprentice

and helpers' cards are also issued to those who qualify for apprentice or helpers' standards. Dues in the two Electrical Locals are comparatively high by local standards,

but members consider that they get their money's worth. Members of Local 677

pay monthly dues of $5.35; Local 397's members pay $4.60 monthly. The dif- ference is due to the fact that Local 677 members pay 40 cents more per month

than their colleagues in 397 for a local general fund. Another 35 cents of Local

677's dues goes to a local legislative fund. Dues And Benefits

Bat for all of the electrical workers,

$1.60 monthly of their dues goes into an

I. B. E. W. pension plan which pays $50

per month after age 65 to each member

who retires with 20 years continuous good

standing. Another $1.20 is paid monthly

by each electrical worker—also part of his dues—for death benefits. This $1.20 pays

the premium on a policy which pays $300

after one year's good standing, $475 after two years of good standing, $650 after three years, $825 after four years and

$1,000 after five years. Both locals take an active part in Canal Zone labor affairs. In 1914 the Electrical workers were instrumental in helping

form the Metal Trades Council and, four years later, the Canal Zone Central Labor

Union. During the construction period of 1942, the Electrical workers, along with

other building crafts, requested and

received a charter from the Building and

Construction Trades Department of the American Federation of Labor. From

time to time, the Electrical workers have

supplied top officers for the Metal Trades

and the C. L. U. The Electrical locals have pioneered in several local labor fields. They were one

of the first labor organizations to work

with the Personnel Bureau in meeting

newly-arrived employees. All new Electrical workers are welcomed and aided in setting up their homes here.

Locals Aid In Apprentice Training

For some time the two Locals have

given what might be called in other fields "extension courses." With the cooperation of Apprentice-Trainer coordinator

Philip T. Green, himself a member of Local 397, Electrical workers are shown,

by film or other illustration, newly de- veloped methods of electrical procedure.

The Electrical workers have also been

actively interested in organizational de- velopments which might t,See page S)
August 3, 1951 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW

Retirements In July To The Employees

Employees who retired at the end of July, their birthplaces, titles, and length

of service at retirement, and their future addresses are: ANGEL E. BERRIOS, Puerto Rico,

Seaman, Dredging Division; 23 years, 7 months and 13 days; General Delivery, Ancon. OLIVER BOWEN, England, Machinist, Industrial Bureau; 21 years, S months

and 24 days; address, undecided.

BOB J. FLETCHER, Georgia, Chief of Surveys Branch, Dredging Division; 30

years, 1 month and 1 day; Dawson, Ga. DAVID P. HOWE, Massachusetts,

Electrical Supervisor, Gatun Locks; 28

years, 1 month and 26 days; Hampton,

New Hampshire.

WALTER A. KOERBER, Massachusetts, Supervisor of Power Generation and

Transmission, Northern District; 34 years, 2 months and 10 days; Grass Valley,

California. ELMER B. OBERG, Colorado, Postal

Inspector; 37 years, 1 month and 2 days;

Denver, Colorado. JOHN L. WILLIAMS, Pennsylvania,

Wireman, Electrical Division; 22 years, 7 months and 11 days; Cerro Punto,

El Volcan, Panama.

Electrical Workers Form Two Oldesl

Organized Unions of Canal Employees

(Continued from page 2) affect their per- sonal and working conditions. Recently

Local 397 had as guest speaker Lieutenant Governor Herbert D. Vogel who discussed

reorganization. A speaker at a Local 677 meeting was Assistant Electrical Engineer

J. Bartley Smith, who talked on the 60- cycle conversion studies. Both Locals use the Shop Steward

system. Each "shop steward" is always

alert to improve safety and working conditions. He attempts to keep petty

difficulties from developing into major

grievances and to assist both worker and

his supervisor in correcting the cause.

Closely Linked With A. F. of L. As offspring of the International Bro- therhood of Electrical Workers, with its half million members, the two Canal Zone

locals are closely linked to the American

Federation of Labor in five of the six major A. F. L. departments.

The Canal Zone is in the Fifth District

of the 12 into which the I. B. E. W. is divided. The Fifth District's Vice Presi- dent visits the Canal Zone every other

year, with a representative of the Inter- national office in Washington coming here

in alternate years. This year is the year for the Washington

visitor. Scheduled for a trip here when

legislative pressure lets up is Orrin D.

Burrows, legislative representative for the

I. B. E. W. as well as secretary-treasurer

of the Government Employees Council. The President of Local 677, senior of the two Electrical Locals, is Arthur R.

Lane, who is retiring soon after close to 35 years of local service. John Tobin is Business Manager, an important position

in Electrical circles, and C. T. Swearingen

is Recording Secretary. Local 677 meets

at 7:30 p. m. the third Monday of each

month at the Gatun Masonic Temple.

Albert Saarinen is President and acting

Business Manager of Local 397. Pat

Coakley is Recording Secretary. This

Local meets at 7:30 p. m. the second

The complex readjustments required by

the change in the Canal organization at the beginning of this fiscal year have imposed a

heavy burden on a relatively small group of our employees. Since the changes involve primarily

fiscal, legal, and management functions, the bulk

of the work has fallen on

employees engaged in these types of work. Preparations for the change have been in constant progress since last September when President Truman signed Public Law 8^1 and fixed July 1, 1951, as the date for the transition. Since that time, there have been few,

if any, days when some

employees have not worked extra hours. Only those most intimately acquainted

with the work involved could realize the magnitude of the task. The work has been

exacting, the hours for many concerned

have been long, and the problem as a whole

has been a trying one. To those who have had a part in this work, I desire to express publicly my commendation for their cooperation, interest, and diligence.

The recent realignment of Canal- Railroad

fiscal and administrative procedures teas, without doubt, a major event in the history

of the Panama Canal. While much has been accomplished and

the transition last month was made without

incident, there are still many problems to be solved in the operation of the new Panama

Canal Company. The Board of Directors

will hold its quarterly meeting in September

on the Isthmus at which

time the members will re- examine the fiscal set-up and the financial results

of operations up to that

date.Previous issues of The

Panama Canal Review

have presented summaries

of the law and what it re- quired, the methods of procedure informing the new

entities, and steps being taken to accomplish the purpose of Public Law

8^1.In this issue, a general review of the financial picture is presented in pictorial and descriptive form. The

actual amounts in dollars and cents as shown are. subject to wide revision. The

material does give, hoicever, a broad picture

of the Company and Government, their

assets, their sources of income, and the expenses they will be required to bear. The Board of Directors has adopted what

I consider a wise course by delaying any

major changes in the fiscal affairs of the new company until after the transition period when it will be possible to judge more

clearly the financial effects under actual operating conditions. 7~7C./^

Governor

INCOME TAXES PAID IN CANAL ZONE

WOULD MEET CIVIL GOVERNMENT COSTS

If Congress will credit back to the Canal Zone the income tax collected locally, many financial problems of the Panama

Canal Company and Canal Zone Govern- ment will be largely solved, Governor

F. K. Newcomer told the "Shirt Sleeve Conference" last Thursday.

This amount would about equal the

cost of the Canal Zone Government, he

said. The Governor's statement was made

when several of the employee representatives attending the conference—it is a monthly meeting between employee and

administration representatives—q u e s

- tioned the 10 percent surcharge which has

been imposed by the Panama Canal

Company since July 1 on all but intra- company purchases and services. W. K. Gresne, outgoing president of the Central Labor Union-Metal Trades

raised the question when he asked whether

the surcharge were not actually more than

10 percent. After considerable discussion, the Governor said that he believed the price of a representative storehouse item could be

Tuesday of each month in the Balboa

Lodge Hall. For The Review, the Presidents of both Locals made the following joint statement:

"It is our firm belief that through our

organized efforts the I. B. E. W. card and

Seal will be universally recognized as a symbol of fraternity, integrity, efficiency,

and reliability in the electrical industry."

broken down and this break-down pre- sented at the next employee conference to show just what the surcharge covered. Chester A. Luhr, of the Locks Employees Association, asked if it was not substantially true that charges to shipping

companies had been lowered while those

to employees had been increased. The

Governor and Lieutenant Governor H. D.

Vogel explained at some length that the new system sets up only two classes of purchasers, intra-company and others. The surcharge is not placed on intra- company purchases, such as those by the Municipal Division from the Storehouses,

for example, but is added to purchases by

all others. These others include all other governmental agencies on the Canal Zone,

as well as shipping companies and individ- ual buyers who have purchasing privileges.

Rufus Lovelady, representing A.F.G.E. Lodge No. 14, reported that for a lubrication job on his personal automobile, work

which had formerly cost $1.50, he had

recently paid $1.98. Of this amount, 18

cents was surcharge. Mr. Lovelady com- mented that with such prices the "corral

is going to price itself out of business." He also added that nowhere in the United

States do people have to support schools

in their entirety. Some form of subsidy

makes up the difference between taxes and the actual cost of school operation.

The same thing is true of roads, Mr.

Lovelady said. Governor Newcomer answered that the Company-Government administration is

well aware of this. He (See page 24)
THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW August 3, 1951

His Name Is Charles But He's Plain "Sam"

To Swimmers Of All Ages At Pedro Miguel

To more than a generation of Zonians, he is known as "Sam." But in Barbados,

where he was born on a June 19 some 60

years ago, he was christened Charles

Granville Brathwaite.

Just where the youngsters got the nick- name for him, Sam doesn't know. It is

all he has ever been called since he went

to work at the Pedro Miguel swimming

pool October Hi, 1928. Even most of the grown-ups he works with don't know,

Dickey Ebdon, 4, is one of Sam's many admirers among the small fry

unless they check the rolls, that his name

is not really Sam.

Sam—it's easier to call him that—came

to the Canal Zone from Barbados 42

years ago next Friday, August 10. Someday, when he can no longer work, he hopes

to go back there, even, possibly to his native Rice's Village in St. Phillips.

Although his wife is not a Barbadian herself, she is willing to go along.

Just as most people don't know his

real name, a good many have never

noticed that he has lost most of the ring

and little fingers on his left hand. On

February 1 1, 1913, he was one of a gang

working a star drill in the Cut. His hand

was pulled into a camshaft of the drill. Appeals To "Mr." Goethals

Sam was in Ancon Hospital for 55 days

and then was discharged as fit to return

to work. Sam knew he wasn't ready for a labor gang and on a Sunday morning he went to see "Mr." Goethals. "Mr. Goethals was a pretty good man

to me," Sam recalls today. "He promised me a job for all my working life."

Colonel Goethals, according to Sam,

sent the injured man back to the hospital

for a medical review and even went to the doctor himself. When doctors then found

Sam unfit for heavy work, Goethals made

him a watchman on the old Empire

bridge. He remained a watchman until the bridge was removed when the Canal was ready to open. Then he went to work in Balboa with one of the Municipal Engineering Division's water gangs and is now classed as a

filter operator. His duties include the

filling, draining, and cleaning of the pool

and keeping the bath-house clean and in good condition. Two Life-Saving Rescues

Life guards are now on duty, but twice

in Sam's pool career he has had to rescue

drowning boys. "I grabbed them with my

hook and pulled them out; then I had to work the water out of them," he says. When Sam is not working at the pool, he divides his time between gardeninghe has always had a little garden behind

the clubhouse—and reading his Bible. He

is a devout member of the Church of England in which he is a Deacon. Sam is married and lives with his wife at 558-A, Red Tank. He and Mrs.

Brathwaite have three children: Theophilus is a chiva driver; Miriam is still at home with her parents; and Milton is working as a waiter in New York City.

Sam's "pool children" are about as

close to him as his real children. "I try my best to take care of them," he says. And they show their affection for him.

The other day, when Sam was telling his story to The Review, not one child

left the bathhouse without saying, "Good

night, Sam," or '"Bye, Sambo, see you

tomorrow." YOUR II EALTII

The average enrollment in the school system of the Canal Zone is about

9,700 students. Personnel engaged in the

school health programs include the class- room teachers, two school nurses, and the

school physician.

Height and weight measurements of each student are taken twice during the

school year. Visual testing of each child

is done once a year. Hearing tests and

physical examinations are done on selected groups each year. Height and weight measurements are recorded by the classroom teachers on the

student's health card, a permanent record which remains with the child during his stay in our school system. Deviations

from usual growth patterns are noted and

reported if significant. Visual testing is done by the nurses by means of Snellen Test Charts. This is done annually and a report is sent to parents in each case showing the visual

findings. Important visual defects are re- ferred to the eye clinic for correction. Hearing tests are carried out individually by means of pure tone variable frequency audiometers. These tests are usually done by the school physician at the time of regular examination. For

children with significant hearing loss, audiometer report charts are prepared for transmission to parents and an attempt

is made to determine type and cause of impairment.

Regular physical examinations are made on all children entering kindergarten

and students in the third, sixth, ninth,

and twelfth grades. These include indi- vidual examination of each child with

attention to nutrition, posture, skin, eyes,

ears, teeth, throat, heart, chest, abdomen

and extremities. A report is sent to parents in each case with notation of abnormalities.

Special examinations are done on all children referred by teachers in cases of inadequate classroom work. These stu- dents are studied to rule out visual and

hearing difficulties or the presence of disease. If evidence of emotional tension

is noted or reported by the teacher an

effort is made to interview the parents in an attempt to understand the factors

leading to the anxiety.

This year for the first time an effort

will be made to examine children entering

kindergarten in the presence of one or both parents. In this way a better history

of past illnesses, immunizations and other problems can be obtained. Audiometer

testing is not done on kindergarten child- ren as a rule because of difficulty in evaluating results in children of this age

group. The following suggestion are made for the guidance of parents of children entering kindergarten for the first time:

1. Teeth should be checked by a

dentist. The six year molars, the first permanent teeth, frequently erupt

during the fifth year and particular attention should be given the care of these teeth.

2. The child should be given a small- pox vaccination in the year prior to school entrance and should be given a "booster" of toxoid to maintain immunity against diphtheria, tetanus and

whooping cough. The first three doses

of this series are usually given in the

third, fourth, and fifth month of life with boosters at one year, three years, and just prior to school entrance. Suggestions for parents of all school

children:

1. Start the child to school after a good breakfast each morning. Adequate rest each night is essential for growing children. Children should not be forced to "skip" breakfast because

of the press for time to catch the

school busses.

2. If a child shows evidence of ill- ness, keep him at home. This is not

only in his interest but also in the best

interest of other children.

3. The school health program is maintained in the interests of your

children. It is the equivalent of pro- grams in the better school systems in the United States. If you have any

suggestions for the improvement of the program please get in touch with the Superintendent of Schools or the School

Physician. Dr. Harold C. Deering

School Physician
August 3, 1951 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW

c

A

FOR YOUR INTERESJ^AND GUIDANCE

UL !£CCIDENT PREVENTION

The Canal Zone Government-Panama

Canal Company, with 2,983,693 exposure man hours and 45 disabling injuries, experienced a frequency rate of 15 for the month of June. While this rate is some improvement

over the organization's best year, it is felt that a more concerted effort in the

field of accident prevention on the part of those bureaus not using every practicable means to eliminate or minimize unsafe

practices and conditions, could easily

effect a more substantial reduction in our

frequency of disabling injuries.

The Community Services Bureau and the

Civil Affairs Bureau have been awarded

Honor Roll certificates on the basis of results obtained in June in the fields of accident prevention. Both of these bureaus worked the entire month without

a disabling injury, hence a frequency rate

of Zero for each ... a Zero rate cannot

be beaten but it can be equaled.

Six of our divisions worked the entire month without a disabling injury and we

are pleased to forward Honor Roll certi- ficates to these units, namely: The Locks,

Railroad, Clubhouse, Electrical, Municipal, and Grounds Maintenance Divisions. Honor Roll

BUREAU AWARD FOR

Best Record

JUNE

COMMUNITY SERVICES BUREAU

CIVIL AFFAIRS BUREAU

AWARDS THIS CALENDAR YEAR

CIVIL AFFAIRS 3 ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION..

HEALTH-.

INDUSTRIAL

COMMUNITY SERVICES MARINE

SUPPLY AND SERVICE

RAILROAD AND TERMINALS-..

DIVISION AWARD FOR

No Disabling Injuries

JUNE

LOCKS DIVISION

RAILROAD DIVISION

CLUBHOUSE DIVISION

ELECTRICAL DIVISION

MUNICIPAL DIVISION

GROUNDS MAINTENANCE DIV.

AWARDS THIS CALENDAR YEAR

RAILROAD 3 DREDGING 3 MUNICIPAL 3 ELECTRICAL 3 MOTOR TRANSPORTATION 3 SANITATION 2 STOREHOUSES 2 GROUNDS MAINTENANCE. __ 2 LOCKS 1 BUILDING 1 CLUBHOUSES 1 HOSPITALIZATION AND CLINICS 1 TERMINALS n COMMISSARY

NAVIGATION. _ n

CANAL ZONE GOVERNMENT -PANAMA CANAL COMPANY

SAFETY BOARD

.

•

Back Row: Left to Right

J. A. Dorsey representing Railroad and Terminals Director

. M. Eggleston representing Engineering and Construction Director

F. H. Baldwin representing Finance Direjtar Commander I. J. Frankel representing Industrial Director

•I. P. Smith representing Health Director E. L. Farlow representing Civil Affairs Director

Front Row: Left to Right D. S. Johnston representing Community Services Director G. 0. Kellar, Chairman

Miss Ria Rita Simmons, Secretary

C. T. Jackson (Acting) representing Marine Director H. I. Perantie representing Executive Secretary H. H. Shacklett representing Supply and Service Director

E. L. Farlow has been designated

Representative for the Civil Affairs Bureau, on the Canal Zone Government-Panama

Canal Company Safety Board, vice B. G. Sanders, Jr.

Daniel H. Rudge has been appointed

Acting Safety Inspector for the Navigation

Division and Aids to Navigation Section,

vice D. J. McKeown, resigned.

(Drivers take a hint—be thankful for kids who do ride bikes sensibly and watch for

those who don't).

Tires unequally inflated cause poor

steering, poor braking efficiency, and excessive side-sway on curves. Any of these

is a threat to your safety.

Don't carry anything you can't see around. MORAL—Highway Heels get run down.

JUNE 1951

Community Services Bureau

Civil Affairs Bureau

Marine Bureau

Engineering and Construction Bureau

Industrial Bureau

Supply and Service Bureau

C. Z. Gov't-Panama Canal Co. (This month)

C. Z. Gov't-Panama Canal Co. (1951 to Date)

C. Z. Gov't-Panama Canal Co. (Best Year)

Health Bureau

Railroad and Terminals Bureau

Disabling Injuries Per 1,000,000 Man Hours Worked

(Frequency Rale)

10 20 30 40 50 7)

Number of Disabling Injuries 45 LEGEND

I ! Amount Better Than Canal Zone Government- s^=3 Amount Worse Than Canal Zone GovernmentMan Hours Worked. 2,983,693

-Panama Canal Company Best Year

-Panama Canal Company Be3t Year
THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW August 3, 1951

PANAMA CANAL CLUBHOUSES

Our Regular Services:

Restaurants

Pastries

Theaters

Merchandise

Magazines

Bowling

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Special Community Services:

Meeting Halls

Catering

Rental Libraries

Red Door Clubroom

Drive Inn

Concessionaire Shops

This page is devoted exclusively to news of the Clubhouses and Theaters prepared by the Clubhouse Division
August 3, 1951 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW

Official Panama Canal Company Publication

Published Monthly at BALBOA HEIGHTS, CANAL ZONE

Printed by the Panima Canal Press Mount Hope, Canal Zone

F. K. NEWCOMER

Governor HERBERT D. VOGEL

Lieutenant Governor

E. C. LOMBARD

Executive Secretary

J. RUFUS HARDY

Editor 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. SUBSCRIPTIONS

Yearly subscriptions to The

Panama Canal Review to any

address in the Postal Union

$1.00

Postal money orders should be

made payable to the Treasurer, Panama Canal Company, and mailed

to the Editor, The Panama Canal

Review, Balboa Heights, C. Z.

SINGLE COPIES

The Panama Canal Review is on

sale at all Panama Canal Company

Clubhouses, Commissaries, and

Hotels for ten days after publication

date for: 5 Cents a Copy

Single copies after the close of general sales and individual copies

by mail:

10 Cents Each

Back copies of The Review, when

available, may be bought from the

Vault Clerk, Third Floor, Administration Building, Balboa Heights,

Canal Zone.

SPECIAL BINDERS

for the PANAMA CANAL REVIEW

are available at the larger

Commissaries and Clubhouses

for

50 cts. EACH

Specially made binders of genuine

leather may be ordered direct from

the Panama Canal Press for $6.00

each, and imitation leather binders

may be ordered direct from the Press

for $2.00. Both of the special kinds

of binders come with your name

imprinted in gold leaf.

OF CURRENT INTEREST

WEST INDIAN COMMEMORATIVE STAMP,

Tribute to the part taken by West Indians

in the construction of the Panama Canal

will be officially paid August 15, anniversary

of the opening of the waterway, by the issue of a special commemorative stamp.

The new ten-cent stamp, shown at right, shows a group of laborers at work in Culebra

(Gaillard) Cut. It was designed by Meade

Bolton, former Panama Canal Architect. The idea for the commemorative stamp

was conceived by George W. Westerman, of Panama City, well known writer and civic leader among West Indian groups on the Isthmus and their Panamanian offspring. A public testimonial ceremony honoring Governor Newcomer and paying tribute to Mr. Westerman has been planned by the West Indian Stamp Appreciation Committee. It will be held August 15 in Mount

Hope Stadium. Invited to participate are

representatives of the Armed forces, Panama

Government, churches, schools, patriotic and civic groups, labor representatives, and Governments of the West Indies. Other plans include a "West Indian Week" observance in the Canal Zone public

schools; an essay contest among students from the fifth grades to the high school

level; a special supplement of The Panama

Tribune, and an exhibit by the Panama

Canal Library.

Upwards of 50,000 West Indians took

part in digging the Canal. Over 30,000

contract laborers were brought to the Isth- CLOSE ANCON THEATER

The Ancon Theater Building is being

rapidly depopulated and it is expected

to be completely vacated within another

month. Present plans call for the use of the building for the Commissary Division's annual toy display and sale after which it will be demolished.

The offices of the General Manager

of the Clubhouse Division are being

moved to the second floor of the Diablo

Heights Clubhouse. The barber shop

operated by Jack Willison was transferred to Balboa Clubhouse at the first of July. Other concessionaires to be

moved include the shoe shop to Balboa

Bowling Center; the dressmaker shop

to Building 5040, back of the former

Diablo Mess Hall; and the tailor shop

to the Hotel Tivoli. The dressmaker and tailor shops will move early this month and the shoe

shop in about a month. Final arrange- ments have not been completed for the Ancon Beauty Shop.

BILL AIDS EMPLOYEES

A bill to broaden the present provisions

for the payment of money owed to an employee upon death to a designated beneficiary has been introduced by Senator Richard B. Russell, of Georgia. The legisla- tion has the sponsorship of the Canal

administration.

Presently, cumulative and accrued leave

is payable to designated beneficiaries of de- ceased employee. The new bill would extend

these provisions to all money owed to an

employee at death. If passed and approved

by the President, the legislation would be

in conformity with the existing Federal law

covering U. S. Government employees

elsewhere.

COMMEMORATING

WEST INDIAN LABOR

IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PANAMA CANAL

1904 to 1914

SOUTHBOUND TICKETS

Arrangements for their southbound

transportation are now being made by

vacationing employees and their families through the New York office of the Panama Line. Until August 1, such arrangements

were made through the Washington

Office. The change applies only to those employees on leave and the Washington

Office will continue to handle transportation arrangements for new employees.

The recent change does not affect the rule permitting the payment of return transportation before leaving the Isthmus.

cents! CANAL ZON E POSTAGE

JIO

CENTS

mus by the Isthmian Canal Commission, of whom approximately two-thirds were re- cruited in Barbados. Several thousands

emigrated to the Canal Zone from Jamaica,

although only 37 were recruited there under

contract. Other West Indian Islands repre- sented among the contract workers were

Fortune Island, Guadeloupe, Martinique,

Trinidad, Curacao, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Grenada; and British Guiana. CASH IN COMMISSARIES

No additional V. S.-Rate Commissary

retail stores are likely to adopt the cash

system until about the end of this year, although it is planned to have cash

sales for the toy sale which will be held next November in the Ancon Theater

Building.

Gatun Commissary will be the first of the stores to convert to the cash

system following the recent announce- ment that all U. S.-Rate stores will abandon the coupon system. The

change at Gatun will be followed by

conversion at Cocoli, Margarita, and

Gamboa.

It is planned to make the change at the Balboa, Diablo Heights, and Cris- tobal stores simultaneously, probably

early next year.

All of the changes are dependent on

the arrival of equipment. The Commissary Division has placed requisitions

for $35,000 worth of new cash registers,

and for cash drawers which can be used

with the present registers Most of the

stores will also require minor modifications before all housewives take spot

cash to the stores for their groceries.

The cash system has worked well in Ancon and Curundu Commissaries and

has apparently met with wide customer

approval.

NEW OFFICIAL RESIDENCES

Two new types of official houses are to

replace those nearest the Administration

Building formerly occupied by the Finance

Director and the Railroad and Terminals

Director. Both of the new houses, to be included in this year's auarters building program, will be of masonry construction of modified Spanish-type architecture. No floor plans have been approved, but preliminary designs are being made for a three-bedroom,

U-shaped building with an open, paved

patio between the two wings. The other

will be a three-bedroom cottage of the conventional one-and-a-half-story type. The two old buildings are being stripped

and made ready for sale. Both houses were moved in from Culebra 36 years ago and are

familiar landmarks of Balboa Heights. For more than 25 years the house nearest the Administration Building was assigned to the Executive Secretary and the other to the Chief Quartermaster. The changes in as- signment were made after the retirement of the late C. A. Mcllvaine in 1939 and the death of Roy R. Watson, Chief Quartermaster, in 19-13.
THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW August 3, 1951

Spiderwebs to Track Scales Handled

By Versatile Instrument Repairmen

History of Shop Dates mm X . m I in—ifl-jll

To Early French Canal

Construction In 1880's

Along with cash registers, surveying

instruments, wooden legs, chrome plate,

and clocks, the Panama Canal Company's Instrument Repair Shop in Balboa

deals with extremes. The "extremes" are, by mathematical definition, the greatest

or least of several magnitudes.

The "least" piece of material with which the force of 18 has to work is "spiderwebs." The greatest, as a regular

thing, are the two track scales on which

freight cars are weighed.

The "spiderwebs" are brought to the shop on Diablo Road near the Roosevelt Avenue traffic light. Workmen from the shop have to go to the two track scales, one at Mount Hope and the other in the

Industrial Bureau yards at Balboa.

Actually, according to Harry E. Townsend, shop foreman, the "spiderwebs" are the infinitesimally fine thread of cocoons. The cocoons are found around the Canal Zone on light posts and traffic lights and

are picked off during the dry season. Carefully taken to pieces, the cocoons or "spiderwebs" provide the crosshairs for such instruments as transits, levels, and

theodolites.

Only One of Its Kind Here A unit of the Industrial Bureau, the In- strument Repair Shop is the only one of

its kind on the Isthmus. During the war

years the Panama Air Depot had a some- what similar shop which was concerned

principally with aircraft instruments.

Its local uniqueness, consequently,

brings to the Instrument Repair Shop a wide variety of work from the armed

forces and from ships. In a room off the

plating shop still hang frames which were

used for work on antiaircraft gun parts. One section of the shop's big main room

is taken up with a "columnator," a three- foot long tube with which binoculars are adjusted. Lighted, the tube shows a

target as it would appear from a distance

of 2,500 yards. Statometers, rangefinding instruments, are quite matter of course to the instrument repairmen.

An instrument repair shop long ante- dates American construction days. The

first Instrument Repair Shop foreman for the Isthmian Canal Commission was an

Italian, Mario Regis, who had worked for the French Canal Company since 1881 and transferred to the ICC in 1904. Graduate of a French school of watchmaking, he was also an electrician and

had served in dual jobs for the French:

Chief of Electricity, Clocks and Instru- ment Repair, and Chief of Posts, Tele- graphs and Telephones.

First Shops in Panama City

The first of the Canal's repair shops was located in Panama City, apparently

in or near Mr. Regis' home in the Barrio

of Santa Ana. Early official records show

that its work was as varied as work is today. The five to eight man force reMaybe the cigar helps. It is always in his mouth when Harold Sutherland works on typewriters

at the Instrument Repair Shop. The outside typewriter repair work is done by Gerald J. Kelley.

paired typewriters, clocks, transits, aneroid barometers, theodolites, seismographs, and rain- and tide-gauges.

Occasionally the work took a different trend. The repairmen doubled in brass

or in electrician's tape. In July, 1904, the shop installed an annunciator and four

bells in the Chief Engineer's residence. A few months later the force repaired a

couple of cameras, silver-plated two

lanterns for the Chief Engineer's carriage,

plated some coachman's buttons, and

probably a private job—put a new

coating of silver plate on 24 forks. Like all of the old files, the Instrument

Repair Shop's official dossier casts a fre- quent interesting sidelight on general

local conditions. In September 1905,

Regis complained that he was unable to furnish a report on the previous month's

work, "because my notebook could not be found after the building was fumigated."

Shops Moved To Gorgona

As the Canal construction work speeded

up, so did work in the Instrument Repair

Shop. It became increasingly incon- venient to have the instrument shop in Panama and the other Canal shops at Gorgona.

On August 30, 1906, Chief Engineer

John F. Stevens approved construction

of a building at the Matachin shops, in Gorgona, for the instrument force. An

alternate location at Culebra was ruled out because of heavy blasting in that

area. The transfer to Gorgona was made

January 16, 1907. On June 30, 1913, the Instrument Repair Shop was moved

again, this time to Empire. The final move was made when the Instrument

Shop, together with other units of the then Mechanical Division moved to Balboa from the Empire shops.

Today the Instrument Repair Shop

repairs all makes and types of office machines. Strictly electrical work is left to the Electrical Division. The instru- ment shop also handles all kinds of navi- gation and engineering instruments,

timing devices such as ships' chronometers, stop watches, time stamps, as well

as duplicating and mimeographing machines, cash registers, scales and meters, adding machines and calculators. On its force of 13 U. S.-rate and five local-rate workmen are the only two

authorized safecrackers on the Isthmus. The two "Jimmy Valentines" are Walter

T. Schapow and G. E. Audy. Several years ago Mr. Schapow made the headlines when he was locked into a vault at the Army's Engineers office.

"Safecracker" Locked In Mr. Schapow had been working in the

safe and asked an officer outside to close the door. The officer did—hard, wedging

the door in its frame. The safe expert was locked inside for an hour until a hole could be cut in the side of the vault and

timbers and a jack passed through so that he could jack the vault door open. The Instrument Repair Shop is authorized to accept private work from

Government employees on a standby

basis—that is, government work comes

first. Most Canal Zone housewives have

had silver or brass plated or keys made

there and once in a while the shop does a

repair job on a wooden leg. Right now, government work is so (Seepage^

Plating metalware is one of the fascinating pieces of work done by the Instrument Repair Shop in Balboa. Harry E. Townsend, right, Foreman of the Shop, watches while G. T. McLintock hauls a rack from

the plating vat.
August 3, 1951 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW

Instrument Repair Shop

Has Many Different Jobs

(Continued from page S) heavy that the

private orders for silver-plating are lagging eight months or so behind.

Several men on the Instrument Repair

Shop force have had outside training.

J. E. Drawbaugh, who does the work on Burroughs adding and billing machines

and calculators, had special training at the Burroughs plant.

George Neal was trained at the Monroe

plant and handles work on the govern- ment's Monroe calculating and adding

machines and the Marchand and Friden

calculators. Two other members of the

force, T. W. A. Krzys and W. R. Waites,

trained at the National Cash Register

plant and do the work here on thoss machines.

Gerald J. Kelley, who does the outside typewriter repair work, had 11 years of training at the Underwood-Elliott factories in New York before joining the Canal force in 1936. Convert Commissary Registers

One of the shop's biggest jobs recently has been conversion of some cash registers—of which there are about 700 on the Canal Zone—to be used for cash in the commissaries.

Oil and gasoline meters, such as those

at the various gasoline stations, are checked monthly. Meters at the Oil

THIS MONTH'S CALENDAR

Complicated to the bystander, the internal workings of a cash register are perfectly simple to T. W. A. Krzys, of the Instrument Repair Shop.

Handling Plant and private oil companies

on the Canal Zone are checked every

three months. Clubhouse and Commissary Division scales are checked monthly

against a set of master weights which are kept in a locked dryroom and handled

only with wooden tongs to prevent them

from being upset by dirt or moisture. Such checking jobs and work on typewriters and machines in the various

offices keep half of the force outside the shop most of the time. The uninitiated may find the mercury- pendulum master clock -or the deli- cate calibration of fine instruments an

unexplainable mystery; however, the

plating room at the rear of the shop is a

fascinating and somewhat understandable

spectacle. Vapor curls up from vats of acid like steam from witches' broth. Plating Method Described

Scale is removed from the sturdier metal pieces in a tumbling barrel, foreAUGUST

3d

5th

6th

8th—

12th

13th

14th

AMERICAN LEGION, Chagres

River Post No. 6, Gamboa Legion

Hall, 7 p. m.

V. F. W., Post No. 3857, New Cristobal, 7:30 p. m. -MASTERS, MATES & PILOTS,

No. 27, Gamboa Clubhouse, 9 a. m. -COLORED SCHOOLS REOPEN

PEDRO MIGUEL CIVIC COUNCIL, Union Church, 7 p. m. CRISTOBAL-MARGARITA

CIVIC COUNCIL, Margarita Clubhouse, 7:30 p. m. POSTAL EMPLOYEES, No. 23160, Balboa Lodge Hall, 8 p. m. AMERICAN LEGION, Nathaniel

J. Owen Post No. 3, Gatun Legion

Hall, 7 p. m.

V. F. W., Post No. 727, Fort Clavton,

7:30 p. m.

V. F. W., Post No. 3822, Curundu

Road, 7:30 p. in. 7th—GAMBOA CIVIC COUNCIL,

Community Center, 7:30 p. m. GATUN CIVIC COUNCIL, Gatun

Clubhouse, 7:30 p. m. PACIFIC CIVIC COUNCIL, Jewish Welfare Board, 7:30 p. ra. AMERICAN LEGION, Elbert S. Waid Post No. 2, Cristobal Legion

Home, 7 p. m. —PLUMBERS, Local 606, Balboa Lodge Hall, 9:30 a. m. STEAMFITTERS, No. 652, Margarita Clubhouse, 9:30 a. m. AMERICAN LEGION, Panama

Canal Post No. 1, Legion Hall, Bal- boa, 7 p. m. BLACKSMITHS, No. 400, Balboa Lodge Hall, 7:30 p. in. MACHINISTS, No. 699, K. of C.

Hall, Margarita, 7:30 p. m. AMERICAN LEGION, B. T. Clayton Post No. 7, Fort Clayton, 7 p. m. AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY, Panama Canal Unit No. 1, Balboa Legion Home, 7:30 p. m.

V. F. W., Post No. 100, Old Boy

Scout Building, Cristobal, 7:30 p. m. ELECTRICAL WORKERS, No.

397, Balboa Lodge Hall, 7:30 p. m. PAINTERS, No. 1232, American

Legion Hall, Cristobal, 7 p. in. —ANNIVERSARY OF OPENING

OF THE PANAMA CANAL—First

of West Indian commemorative

stamp issue on sale. A. F. G. E., Lodge No. 14, Balboa

runner of the Army's potato-peeling

machine, with water, sand, and friction

in preparation for plating. Finer metal

pieces are taken down to base metal and

polished by machine and by hand to re- move any irregularities.

If chrome is the ultimate finish, metal

is bathed first in the copper and nickel- plate vats. These are great tanks of steaming liquid. In the chrome vat, thousands of little, plastic spray floats cover the surface to divert the rising hydrogen gas to the sides into which it is drawn by blowers. The men who work with the acid have

a healthy respect for it and so far the shop has had no serious acid burns. But,

just in case, an open shower is ready

where any acid can be flushed off with

strong running water. Foreman of the Instrument Repair

Shop since February 1950 is Harry E. Townsend, a native of Brooklyn and a graduate of the Canal's apprentice

training program. He has literally gone

through the mill. Starting as an apprentice machinist when he was 18, he

completed his training in four years, rose through the three grades of toolmaker,

served for a time as a machinist and

advanced to the rating of instrument

maker, all in nine years.

15th

Panama Line Sailings

For August

From Cristobal

S. S. Paiiama August 3

S. S. Cristobal August 10

S. S. Ancon August 17

S. S. Panama August 24

S. S. Cristobal August 31 From New York

S. S. Cristobal August 1 S. S. Ancon August 8

S. S. Panama August 15

S. S. Cristobal August 22

S. S. Ancon August 29

Clubhouse, 7:30 p. m. AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY, Nathaniel J. Owen Post No.

3, Legion Home, Gatun, 7:30 p. m.

V. F. W., Post No. 40, K. of C. Hall, Balboa, 7:30 p. m. 16th—AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY, Chagres River Unit No. 6, Legion Hall, Gamboa, 7:30 p. m. 17th—V.'F. W. t Post 3857, New Cristobal, 7:30 p. m. 19th—CENTRAL LABOR UNIONMETAL TRADES COUNCIL, Bal- boa Lodge Hall, 8:30 a. m. 20th—ELECTRICAL WORKERS, No.

677, Gatun Masonic Temple, 7:30

p. m. 21st—OPERATING ENGINEERS, No.

595, Margarita K. of C. Hall, 7 p. m. 22d—AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY, Elbert S. Waid Unit No. 2, Legion Home, Cristobal, 7:30 p. m.

A.'F. G. E., Lodge No. 88, Margarita

Clubhouse, 7:30 p. in. 27th—V. F. W. AUXILIARY, Post 3822

Post Home, Curundu Rd., 7:30 p. m. 28th—AMERICAN LEGION, B. T. Clay- ton Pest No. 7, Fort Clayton, 7 p. m.

V. F. W., Post No. 100, Old Boy- Scout Building, Cristobal, 7:30 p. m. OPERATING ENGINEERS, No.

595, Balboa Lodge Hall, 7 p. m. 30th—GOVERNOR -EMPLOYEE CONFERENCE, Board Room, Administration Building, 2 p. m. SEPTEMBER

2d—MASTERS, MATES & PILOTS,

No. 27, Margarita Clubhouse, 9 .a m. 3d—LABOR DAY

5th—WHITE SCHOOLS REOPEN

V. F. W. Post No. 40, K. of C. Hall, Balboa, 7:30 p. m. 6th—CARPENTERS Local 667, Margarita Clubhouse, 7:30 p. m.

Convenience Sales Sections

Opened Mondays For Patrons

Zonians who find themselves on Monday without bread or bearis, tea or toilet articles need no longer do without—just because the commissaries are closed. "Convenience sales sections" are now

in operation in Balboa and Cristobal. The

latter is located at the cigar stand in the Administration Building, while the Bal- boa sales stand is on the stadium side of Balboa Commissary.

Only coupons may be used at the

Cristobal unit until a cash register is in- stalled, although the Balboa section sells for cash or coupons. The opening of the Balboa stand fol- lowed an employee suggestion from H. E. May, Administrative Assistant in the Storehouse Division.
10 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW August 3, 1951

New Company and Government Launched

But Further Adjustments Are Required

The new Panama Canal Company and

ianal Zone Government started life on July 1 without a ripple in the normal

operations of the waterway and its varied commercial operations. The Executive

Order establishing the new arrangement

\\ as signed two days earlier by President

Truman.

Although normal operations were unruffled, the swirling eddies of dollar signs

and percentage figures in the capitalization, interest, depreciation, and allocation pools continue to boil in the new company's financial waters. The relatively simple fiscal problems of the Canal Zone Government have, in the main, been settled. Many adjustments are still to be made

in the fiscal pattern for the Panama Canal

Company. Prior to July 1 the Board of Directors had decided upon the policy of delaying for some time any major altera- tions in rate structures for the various company activities. The decision to delay

until after the transition period any major

changes will permit a clearer picture of the new organization under actual operating conditions.

Charts Show Main Features On this and following pages The Pan- ama Canal Review presents a series of

charts, in simplified form, to show the main features of the financial structure

of the Panama Canal Company and the Canal Zone Government. They cover the

capital assets, income and expenses both

for Company and Government, and the anticipated income and direct operating expenses of the company units for this

fiscal year. The figures used in the compilation of these charts are subject to wide variations, although in the main the divisions between income and costs, as well as

capital assets show relative values for purposes of comparison.

The figures on capitalization are representative of values as estimated at the end of last fiscal year. The statistics on income and direct operating expenses for the three main company activities for the coming year are budget estimates pre- pared to indicate the profit-or-loss figures on the various operations. These are subject to change later in the year by

action of the Board of Directors in adjusting rates.

Job Is One of Magnitude

Only those intimately concerned with

the transfer of Canal operations and commercial activities to a corporate form can

picture the intricate details of the change.

Some idea of the magnitude of the problem was indicated in a statement of the accounting consultants in a formal report that it might require several years to make an accurate determination of the

capital assets of the new company. They

based their views on the requirement of making a field check of all (.See page it) PANAMA CANAL COMPANY

VALUE $529,862,000

(TOTAL INVESTMENT OF US. GOVERNMENT)

INTEREST DURING C I )

CONSTRUCTION

il2&99l,000

LE & REATY (2)

RIGHTS

59,593,000

I

WORKING!

I CAPITAL

BUILDINGS & (

EQUIPMENT

$64,030,000

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + -!- +

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

+ + + + + + LOCKS A DAMS C4 )+ + + + + + +

+ + + + + + + $101,932,000 + + + + + + +- + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + f + +' +

... + ii + I + +M I L + + + + +t »W W+^ + 1 ' + + +UIMIBWIi + -1-4- +I +_+__ —JlWWM^W+

WATERWAY (5)

$150,606,000

(1) Non-interest bearing. The amount represents in- terest paid to bondholders between 1904 and 1920 on money

borrowed for the Canal construction.

(2) This investment is made up of $40,000,000 paid to the French Canal Company; $10,000,000 paid to Panama in 1904; $2,000,000 in annuities paid to Panama up to 1920; and cost

of relocating and re-equipping Panama Railroad during

construction period.

(3) Business properties including land, structures, and

equipment; Canal floating plant such as dredges, tugs, and

barges; and public buildings. The business properties

include the railway and its rolling stock, commissaries,

quarters, steamships, fueling plant, Industrial Bureau

plant, power, water, and telephone systems, printing plant,

hotels, etc.

(4) Includes locks and their equipment, dams, breakwaters, and spillways.

(5) The amount invested in digging the Canal channel

and dredging the harbors and basins before the waterway was opened. It also includes aids to navigation.
August 3, 1951 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 11

Continued from page W) company properties, including buildings, machinery, and

other equipment.

Not all of the other company matters

are settled. In the bylaws adopted by the Board of Directors at the meeting in June,

provisions are made for the appointment

of a Chairman of the Board and the

selection of an Executive Committee.

The former will be appointed by the Stockholder (Secretary of the Army) and

the committee will be elected by the Board, with the exception of the Chair- man of the Board and President of the CANAL ZONE GOVERNMENT

INCOME- $11,270,000

EXPENSES-$ 11,270,000

Company who will automatically become

members of the Executive Committee.

The Committee will act for the Board on company matters of urgency requiring

decision between 'meetings 'pi |the full Board.

Incorporation Measure

Started Four Years Ago

Although the subject had been considered academically for many years, the incorporation of Panama Canal

operations last July had its origin Feb- ruary 24, 1948, when^'the House'* Appropriations Committee recommended

that Canal tolls be raised to the statutory limits. Governor Mehaffey subsequently rec- ommended to the President that tolls charges be increased to meet mounting

operating costs, primarily due to infla- tionary trends. President Truman

issued a Presidential Proclamation in March 1948 increasing tolls, effective October 1 of that year. The raise was vigorously protested by

the shipping industry, and Congress

decided to review the whole question of

tolls policy, requesting the President to defer the tolls increases. The study was made by a Sub-Committee of the House Merchant Marine

and Fisheries Committee with Representative Clark W. Thompson, of Texas,

as Chairman. The sub-committee

issued an interim report in August 1949 requesting the President to defer again

the raise in tolls and to have a broader

study made of the entire organizational

aspects of The Panama Canal and the Panama Railroad Company.

This study was made by the Bureau

of the Budget and Secretary of the Army Frank Pace, Jr., then Director of the Budget, recommended in his report

to the President, among other things,

that the Canal-Railroad business activities be combined into a single

Government-owned corporation.

The report was submitted to Congress

by the President in January 1950 and

was referred to the House Merchant

Marine and Fisheries Committee. Legislation effecting the proposed change was introduced in the House May 31, 1950. It was subsequently passed by

both the House and Senate and became

Public Law 841 of the 81st Congress,

when signed by President Truman on September 26, 1950. Simultaneously,

the President issued instructions to make July 1, 1951 the date for the

historic change.

The final official action was taken

June 29, 1951 when President Truman

issued the Executive Order transferring the various Canal properties to the Railroad Company and changing the name of the corporation to the Panama

Canal Company and the name. The

Panama Canal, to the Canal Zone

Government.

CANAL ZONE GOVERNMENT

CAPITAL ASSETS $23,713,000

l!!!llll!llllllllll!!!l!llll!ll!lll!IN!l SCHOOLS S, OTHER PUBLIC BLDGS

$5,243,000

:HEALTH BUILDINGS A EQUIPMENT:

: $5,19 2,000

ROADS, STREETS <X SEWERS

10 334.000

PERMANENT TOWNSITES

$2,944,000
12 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW August 3, 1951

)eficit Is Expected For First Year

>f the Canal Zone Govern- no far less complicated than those

i Canal Company. The

inent of the United States in the Zone Government consists chiefly

ioney spent for roads, streets, and

sewers; permanent townsites; schools and

other public buildings; and Health Bureau buildings and equipment.

The Canal Zone Government will operate on appropriated funds but the Panama

Canal Company is required to reimburse

the Treasury for the net cost of civil government each year. Thus, for this

fiscal year approximately 60 percent of

civil government will be paid to the Treasury by the Company.

The direct income of civil government

PANAMA CANAL COMPANY

SOURCES OF INCOME - $67*969,000

EXPENSES-$ 69,250,000

•& DEFICIT

$1,281,000

this year is expected to be $3,675,000, or about one-third of the amount spent. This income is derived chiefly from

charges for health services, fines and fees, and rentals on lands or buildings. In addition to these sources of income,

a direct appropriation of $741,000, nearly seven percent of the total, has been re- quested for the operation of Corozal

Hospital, Palo Seco Leprosarium, cor- rosion tests, and civil defense. This is non-reimbursable.

More than half of the civil govern- ment's budget will be spent on public

health. The next largest sum will be

spent on police and fire protection. A

part of the money spent by the Canal Zone Government (shown in the segment,

"Civil Administration and miscellane- ous") will be paid to the Panama Canal

Company for various services, such as personnel work, accounting, and administrative work.

Business Operations Complex

The business operations of the Panama

Canal Company are so complex and inter- laced that only the closest student of accounting procedures could follow and

understand all the financial trails. To a degree this complexity is caused by the diversity of operations. The financial transactions range from the transit of a ship at a cost of several thousands of dollars to the sale of a package of needles

for a few pennies. They involve the

building and renting of quarters; the production and sale of electric power;

dredging a 50-mile ship channel and digging a shallow ditch, to mention a few. The charts relating to the company's

operations as shown on these pages give

only the broad picture of how the new

organization will conduct its financial

affairs and what is expected to result for one year of operation. The figures are far from final. The statistics on income and

direct operating expenses, as shown on the

opposite page, are subject to wide variation depending on economic conditions. Income and Expense Charts

The two charts on this page show the

principal sources of income and the main

classifications of expenses of the company.

The financial obligations for this fiscal year are estimated at over $69,000,000, while the business done by the company,

outside of its intra-agency transactions,

is expected to produce slightly less than

$68,000,000.

The estimated deficit, under present

operating conditions, will amount to $1,281,000. This means that the company

will fail by this amount to pay the $6,670,000 interest charge to the United

States Government on its investment.

The bulk of the company expenses will go to meet payrolls and pay the cost of commodities for resale. The Commissary

Division, alone is expected to purchase

over $16,000,000 goods for resale this year. The main sources of income from the new company are tolls on shipping, retail

sales and services to other government

agencies, and commercial transactions with outside interests. Most of the retail

sales and services are paid for by the employees of the company and Canal Zone Government. The company's business operations are divided into three main categories for accounting and fiscal purposes. These

are, as shown on the (See page 13)
August 3, 1951 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 13

Unit Income and Cost Figures Given

(Continued from page 12) accompanying chart, Canal, Commercial, and Quarters

activities.

Required To Meet Expenses

While the Panama Canal Company is required by law to meet the expenses, as shown in the expense chart, it does not

require that each operation in the Commercial Activity block pay the full costs normally assigned to it.

It will be noted in the chart, for ex- ample, that the Industrial Bureau income

will not quite meet its direct operating expenses for this year under existing conditions. This condition, however, is subject to change during the year, dependent

upon economic conditions. The same condition holds true for the other individual operations in the Commercial Activity block. If shipping

through the Canal and to its ports were

to show big increases or decreases during

the year, as compared with the budget

estimates, the change would be reflected

in the gross income column.

While some fluctuations may occur in the direct operating expenses of the various commercial operations they are not expected to be sufficient to alter

materially the net results as shown on

the chart.

Details Not Shown

The charts do not show any division between Canal Acitivity and Commercial

Activity for the company's expenses for depreciation, interest, and net cost of

civil government. However, proportionate charges are made to each of the

various activities for these obligations.

The bulk of the interest charges will be

borne by the Canal Activity since most

of the United States' investment is in the waterway itself. Of the interest-bearing

investment (see page 10) over $300,000,000

is represented by the waterway, locks and

dams, and the title and treaty rights. In

addition, a large proportion of the $64,000,000 investment in buildings and

equipment is a part of the Canal Activity.

A major proportion of the net cost of

civil government will also be borne by the Canal Activity, since this is computed on

a formula specified in Public Law 841. The formula excludes the cost of goods

for resale in setting these proportions. If

this were not done, most of the cost of

civil government would be borne by Commercial Activity since about half of its expenses go to buying goods and commodities for resale.

Incorrect Addresses Delay

Mail To Many Canal Units

James Marshall, Director of Posts, has

called attention to the delay in delivery

of mail for various Pacific Side offices, because of incorrect addresses. The most

frequent errors occur with mail for the

following organizations, whose correct addresses are:

Balboa Heights: Municipal Division,

Schools Division, Motor Transportation

Division, Health Bureau, Chief of Police,

Inter-American Geodetic Survey, Balboa

High School, Civil Aeronautics Administration, Treasurer's Office, Finance Bureau, Library, Panama Railroad Transportation, Electrical Division, and the

License Bureau; Ancon: Municipal Division Field Office,

Health Office (Panama);

Diablo Heights: Dredging Division

Field Office (Diablo).

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 II 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

i i i i i i i i i i i i i i

'

i * QUARTERS ACTIVITY

$27,511,000

"l 1 1 V 1 —i—l i

1 r-*

(Bskl^gL^ - S TOL-LS AND OTHER MARINE REVENUE

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^r^^^^^^n

TM 1 i O I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 II 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
14 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW August 3, 1951

NEWS OF YOUR COMMISSARY STORES

rir-Jr-Jr-A-ci-A-ch

OUR LAST WORD BEFORE THE SCHOOL BOAT SAILS

There is still ample time for assembling the complete wardrobe (except maybe for the woolen outer' garments) that you

gals and guys will be needing while you're away at school and,

in spite of latest style trends that may hit your particular campus, there are a goodly number of items that are strictly

standard almost everywhere. Take winter coats, for example.

The smart coed (and we mean both brainy smart and fashion smart) will seriously consider the acquisition of a "four-year"

coat, especially an imported one of luxury-soft, genuine camel

hair, of which a few very desirable styles are still available. One of these, if you can squeeze it out of your Dad's off-to- school clothing budget, will be a sound and practical investment

for the future, since it will be good long after you have left yon ivied halls of learning and are faced with the prospect of earning a living while at the same time trying to rebuild a

rather stupid world. For men: a good imported tweed top- coat will help to mark you as one of the more importantly

well-dressed men on the campus. On almost every campus,

too, you will find that jeans, casual shirts, and sweaters will be

almost required for classroom and knock-about wear. Take

plenty. It's easier to stock up here on under-garments, socks,

etc., than it is to get additional clothing money sent up to you

(and it is a heap easier on the Old Man's wallet, too) so be sure

to have enough to last you through next June

you won't have time for darning and replacement of buttons, so better check all those angles while there is still someone who is in- terested in helping you out, and be certain that all garments

are either brand-new or in top condition. A big shoe item at all of the girls' schools this Fall will be the

flat pump. Our scouts have reported that this shoe is definitely,

replacing the ballerina as the favorite with college women and

that it will be seen in all colors, with and without an instep

strap. Construction is very much like the ballerina except for the small half-inch heel. Highly important for both men and women are the moccasin loafers. For the ladies, we have both

machine- and hand-sewn in popular and well-advertised patterns. Brown will continue to be the best color, although some

red and green will be worn. You especially should look for the Songo and Trail-Makers by Saco-Moc. Although not yet here from the States, we expect the following in plenty of time to avoid carrying them aboard ship in a paper bag: The Songo,

genuine hand-sewn, velvet-soft leathers—Stock Number

W 23411, two buckle strap, wedge heel; Stock Number

W 23449, strapless, low heel; Stock Number W-23450, one- buckle strap, wedge heel; Stock Number W-43495, strapless,

flat heel; the Trail-maker in two styles, three stock numbers—

W-23439, W-23448, and W-43494. Some are rich Indian reds and others leafy browns but any one will be a certain favorite. They will later on be featured in Charm, Glamour, and Seventeen, but you kids from the Zone will already be ahead of the Stateside gang by having them before they' are advertised. Saddle

oxfords, and wedgies in sandals and pumps will continue in favor throughout the year. Among the nationally advertised brands in the larger retail stores are Penaljo, Red Cross, Buskens, and Honey Debs, as well as the Saco-Moc line. Two

that we think you would like to know about, especially, are the Blazer pump by Penaljo and the "Saddle Up" by Red

Cross. Both of these, which are being prominently featured in several magazines, will be in the commissaries. For the college men (how did they get in here, anyway?)

the important shoe, anywhere, is the plain toe blucher. In some places the wing tip meets with favor, and the moccasin

oxford still rates mighty high. No college man can get along

without a pair of loafers and very few are without the white

oxford with red rubber soles. This is worn in all kinds of weather and the dirtier the shoe gets, the better. There is a good selection of all of these styles in the retail stores. Having started at the bottom, let's work up to the top and

briefly discuss feminine headgear. Some very lovely summer

hats are in the stores right now and at least one will be needed

for landing in New lYork and] arriving at school. It will also

be*"useful for a while during the early Fall period. As the weather chills, however, you'll need a felt for dressup occasions and we have some very smart numbers on order from Gage

in the new Fall and Winter styles and colors. We've requested

expeditious shipment and hope that they reach the stores before you sail. Getting back to drygoods, tartan plaids continue to be high

style and we have some very nice authentic woolens, loomed in Scotland, that will make glamourous skirts, weskits and accessories. If there isn't time to have the dressmaking completed

before sailing, you can have Mother ship the things later. To

help keep out wintry blasts (and don't let the hot weather here cause you to forget that it will be colder than the freezing

coils in your family's Westinghouse) warm wool or silky

smooth scarves will sure feel nice wTapped around one's neck. At football games, one way to keep warm is to be on the team—another is to swipe a blanket from the dorm—but the

best, if you're just a spectator, is to take along your own wool steamer rug. It could also come in handy when the cold spell hits your area and you feel like putting a rug on top of the two blankets your house regularly furnishes. We may still have a few left in stock. The emphasis on clothing will drop as soon as you get up

that gangway. As soon as you hit school and get registered

and roomed, the emphasis turns to the excitement of studies,

and how to accomplish with a minimum of drudgery, all of the wonderful assignments that are handed you. (Don't try to kid us that all of the new learning you'll be running into won't

be wonderfully exciting, even if it is often tough work). Very

helpful is a knowledge of shorthand and a serviceable portable

typewriter. If you haven't already got the first, we cannot be

of assistance. However, we do have plenty of portables. The

standard models are cheapest, but if you think you would

rather spend a little more in order to not keep your roommate

awake, try one of the silent models. If you think there is any

doubt about whether you should get it here before you go, compare our prices with those advertised by Stateside firms, model for model. Each comes complete with carrying case, type cleaning brush and a simplified typing course, so that, even if you lacked the foresight to get in that valuable subject

during your time at Balboa or Cristobal High, you can still get to be a pretty good typist by the end of your first semester. On the other hand, if you took typing and got a B average or

better, you might make some extra cash for yourself by typing term papers for the less lucky fellow who only has a ball point

pen. Incidentally, don't forget pens and pencils are still fairly standard items at any lecture. For incidentals that might be overlooked in the last minute

rush, let us remind you of wristwatches, golf balls, tennis rackets and balls, flashlight, cigarette lighter, and Thermos

bottle. If the last item sounds a little foolish as an off-to-college

item, don't forget there will be nights when you will be studying

long after all nearby eating places are closed, and a cup of hot

coffee will stimulate the thinking that may end up as a grad?-

A term paper. Of course, luggage will be required. If it can't be borrowed, we have a beautiful selection from which to choose.

This page is devoted exclusively to news of the Retail Stores prepared by the Commissary Division
August 3, 1951 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 15

SPONSORS OF REED BILL

U. S. Representative DANIEL A. REED, of New

York, ranking Republican member of the House Ways

and Means Committee. His home is in Dunkirk,

N. Y., and he has served in the House since 1918.

His vigorous support of legislation to eliminate the

retroactive Income Tax speeded the measure which

bore his name through the House and Senate.

WALTER), F. GEORGE, Senior Senator from

Georgia, and. 'Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Senator George, of Vienna, Ga., has served

in the upper house since 1922. As Chairman of the Finance Committee, his aid in moving the Reed Bill through his committee and to the Senate floor for consideration was a vital factor.

THE $2,750,000 LETTER

The Panama Canal

Canal Zone

office of the governor

ANCANAL. FANAM

The Honorable Daniel A. Bead Houee of Representatives

Washington 25, D. 0.

Dear Mr. Reed:

As a result of oar rather long and close association I feel

that I know you well enough to be sure that you are Interested in all things which are in the Nation's interest; at the sane time I am

confident that you know me well enough to be equally sure that I would not write you unless the Federal welfare were not involved. » » * *

The hard blow came in the application of the retroactive

feature which made the tax effective as of January 1, 1950. Since the bill was passed in October of 1950, everyone was taken unawares and most

people had already obligated their small savings by recuperative leave

in the U.S., education of children, etc. We find that a very large percentage are actually in debt by several hundred dollars, * * • •

A bill to eliminate the retroactive feature of the income tax

has been introduced by Mr. Oeorge Killer of California which has been

supported by the Department of Defense and the Bureau of the Budget. Thie bill is now for eonelderatlon by the Ways and Means Committee and anything which you may do to obtain action upon It will be greatly

appreciated by me personally. » # * • Please extend my very best wishes to Mrs. Reed and tell her

that I hope the two of you will be able to arrange a visit here in the near future.

Cordially,

HERBERT D. VOGEL

Acting Governor

Excerpts from the now famous letter which was the start of the Reed Bill. The letter was written last March to Rep. Reed by Lieutenant Governor Herbert D. Vogel. It is estimated that the Reed Bill killing the

retroactive tax for 1950 saved Canal employees at least $2,750,000. Employees had many a friend in court on the retroactive Income Tax problem. Senator Olin D. Johnston,

of South Carolina, who had only recently returned to Washington from a visit to the Canal Zone, spoke in

favor of the Reed Bill when it reached the Senate floor. Labor representatives from the Canal Zone worked incessantly from the time the bad news about the 1950 Income Tax was received last September. Labor leaders who spent much time in Washington fighting to kill

the retroactive feature included Walter Wagner, of the Central Labor Union and Metal Trades Council; Rufus Lovelady. of the American Federation of Government Employees; and Charles F. Wahl, of the Locks Emplovees Association. Local labor men also had the backing of their national representatives. Among those who helped were W. C. Hushing, Chairman of the Legislative Committee of the American Federation of Labor, former Panama

Canal employee, and Thomas Walters, Operations Director of the Government Employees' Council, A. F. of L. The legislation had the full support of Governor Newcomer from the time the tax bill was first passed. He had an administration bill drawn up, later introduced in the House and Senate, soon after the first legislation was passed. Strong supporters in Congress included Senator Edwin C. Johnson, of Colorado, and

George P. Miller, of California. Both introduced legislation to kill the retroactive tax. Those employees who paid their 1950 tax to avoid interest may now make claims for their refunds. Refund

Claim Forms 843 are available at the Internal Revenue office in Balboa Clubhouse. Claims may be filed with

the local office, by mail with the Collector of Internal Revenue in Jacksonville, Fla., or with the Collector of

the Income Tax District in which the return was filed.

Railroad Headquarters Move

To Cristobal Terminal Building

The main offices of the Panama Rail- road are moving back where they started from—the Atlantic side. Now known as the Railroad and Terminals Bureau, the head offices of the railroad will have more commodious quarters in the Cristobal Terminal Building than the first railroad

office on a small boat anchored in Limon

Bay.

The first railroad main office shown in available records appears on a map dated

1855, on Front Street in "Aspinwall- Colon." But, engineers have figured that

the latitude of nine degrees, 21 minutes

and 23 seconds and the longitude of 79

degrees, 53 minutes and 55 seconds given on the map would have placed the main

office about on the present location of Colon Hospital.

Another old map, dated 1863, shows

the railroad's "new office" at No. 12 Front Street, diagonally opposite a "Depot" at the head of Pier 2. This depot

is probably the freight house which was

built about that date and rebuilt after the

disastrous Colon fire of 1885. In 1906 the railroad's main office moved

into a two-story wooden building on the shore of Limon Bay, opposite the end of Third Street and close to the end of old Pier 1. Headquarters for Fort deLesseps were later built on this approximate site. In the early 1920's, the main offices moved to the Administration Building at Balboa Heights where they remained

until November 11, 1939, when they were moved into the building near the Balboa

Heights Railroad Station.

Fair Employment Procedures

Contained In Canal Circular

Procedures and the appointment of principal officers for the administration

of the Fair Employment program of the Panama Canal Company and the Canal Zone Government are contained in a

circular issued at Balboa Heights by

Governor Newcomer. The circular re- vises and modifies, to a certain extent, a few provisions of former circulars on the

subject.

The Fair Employment program, first instituted throughout the United States Government in 1948 under the provisions

of an Executive Order, relates only to

citizens of the United States or to those who owe allegiance to the United States. In effect, the program is designed to

establish uniformity throughout the Federal establishment in procedures for enforcing the policy of fair employment

without discrimination because of race,

color, religion, or national origin. F. G. Dunsmoor, Executive Assistant

to the Governor, has been appointed

Fair Employment Officer for the Panama

Canal Company and the Canal Zone Government. Deputy officers are: Edward A. Doolan, Personnel Director, for the Isth- mus; W. M. Whitman, Attorney, for the Washington Office; and James C. Hughes,

Secretary of the Board of Directors, for the New York office. The principal changes incorporated in the new circular are: A clarification of the functions of the Deputy Fair Employment Officers; extension of the time limit

for filing complaints from 30 days to three months; and consolidation of individual Fair Employment circulars for the Isth- mus and offices in the United States.
16 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW August 3, 1951

10,000,000th Car Crosses

Canal By Thatcher Ferry

Ferryboat President Roosevelt approaching slip

Some lucky motorist has a grand prize

of at least one free round-trip across the Canal by Thatcher Ferry awaiting him

or her. The prize is being offered by Dredging

Division officials to identify the 10,000,000th car transported across the Canal since Thatcher Ferry was opened

September 1, 1932. The car was the second to be driven aboard the ferryboat

President Roosevelt on the east-west run at 10:15 o'clock on the morning of June 29th. The monumental milestone in ferry

operations caught the Dredging Division's people somewhat by surprise. It was not

until some days after the 10,000,000th

car used the ferry that the figures were

tabulated and it could be identified. Another big marker in ferry operations

is near—the 50,000,000th passenger—and

Thatcher Ferry checkers will be warned

in advance to identify the distinguished

passenger.Service Started In 1923 Ferry service across the Canal has been

provided on the Pacific side since 1923 when the Army started a tug-and-barge

service to supply its posts in the vicinity

of Culebra and Empire on the west side of the Canal. It operated only between

the east and west wing walls of Pedro

Miguel Locks.

After the Army posts on the west side

of the Canal were closed, the ferry operations were transferred to the Dredging

Division. It first used only a gasolinepowered tug and a barge. At that time

ten round trips a day were made except on Tuesdays and Thursdays when only

four round trips were scheduled. This

service was vastly improved about three years later because of increasing traffic to points in the interior. A steam-powered

tug replaced the gasoline tug and con- tinuous service was provided from 6

o'clock in the morning until 9 o'clock at

night.

A continued increase in vehicular

traffic across the Canal and the construction of Thatcher Highway, which began

in 1930, required additional facilities. Accordingly, two ferryboats, the President

Roosevelt and Presidente Amador, were

built by the Mechanical Division (In- dustrial Bureau) and were commissioned

July 28, 1931, and used for a few months

at Pedro Miguel. After the ferry slips were built on opposite sides of the Canal

at La Boca by the Municipal Division,

the service was transferred from Pedro

Miguel to Balboa when Thatcher Highway was opened in September 1932. Interior Traffic Increases The transfer resulted in a marked in- crease of traffic to the interior and it soon became necessary to increase the 24-trip

service with only one ferryboat in operation on week days, to continuous service with both ferryboats in operation.

With the beginning of the Third Locks

project in 1939 and the huge development

of military installations on the west side

of the Canal during the same period, it became necessary to augment Thatcher

Ferry service. This was done by insti- tuting a ferry service across Miraflores Lake. This was started in August 1940 and continued through June 1942 when

Miraflores Bridge was opened.

Until the pre-war construction program was begun, Thatcher Ferry service was

ample for the vehicular traffic across the Canal. However, during its heyday in the

early 40's there were usually long lines of cars waiting at each end of the ferry

line, especially on holidays and weekends.

Two Big Ferryboats Bought

In order to provide increased service, two larger Diesel-electric ferryboats which

had been in operation between New York

and New Jersey were bought by the Canal. The first one, the Governor Moore, was lost at sea in January 1942 while being towed to the Isthmus. The second, the Nassau, arrived safely in November

1942. After considerable repairs and

alterations it was renamed the Presidente Porras and placed in service in February

1943. The top year in ferry operations came

during the fiscal year 1941 when 992,000

cars and 5,590,000 passengers were

ferried across the Canal by Thatcher

Ferry and 422,000 vehicles and 1,500,000 passengers used Miraflores Ferry. After Miraflores Bridge was opened to cross-Canal traffic in 1942 the ferry busi- ness slumped badly. Miraflores Ferry was

closed, except for a three-day period in 1943 when the bridge was out of service, and the number of cars and passengers

using Thatcher Ferry dropped to 480,000

and 3,200,000, respectively, in 1943. Over 500,000 Cars Annually

The business showed a slight increase

after that when the novelty of crossing the Canal by bridge had worn off and

ANNIVERSARIES

Employees who observed important anniversaries in United States Government

service during the month of July are listed alphabetically below. The number of years include all Government service, with the Canal or other agencies. Those

with continuous Canal or Railroad service are indicated by (.*) asterisks. 43 Years

Joseph C. Hannigan, Lockmaster,

Locks Division. 40 Years

* Enrique de la Ossa, Local Agent,

Terminals Division. 35 Years

Theresa A. Comber, Clerk, Marine

Bureau; Michael I. Crooks, Supervisor

Light Equipment, Motor Transportation

Division; Robert L. Dickerson, Marine

Dispatcher, Marine Bureau; Eric E. Forsman, Supervisor Checker, Terminals

Division; Clarence D. Howell, Lieutenant,

Fire Division; Charles E. Leaver, Plasterer, Tilesetter, and Bricklayer, Building

Division; Leonidas H. Morales, Clerk,

Terminals Division. 30 Years Bob J. Fletcher, Civil Engineer,

Dredging Division. 25 Years

*Lee R. Beil, Chief, Power Stations,

Electrical Division; Clifford E. Currier,

Operator, Dredging Division; *Lillian F. Farr, Commissary Assistant, Commissary

Division; Earl F. Unruh, Acting Postal

Inspector; *Victor M. Briceno, Boiler- maker, Industrial Bureau; *Marie V.

Brauer, Nurse, Health Bureau; Curtis H.

George, Wireman, Electrical Division;

Jesse F. Gregg, Jr., Operator, Locks Division; Marie B. McNeff, Nurse, Health

Bureau; Joe H. Richardson, Policeman,

Police Division; *Raymond R. Will,

Harbormaster, Marine Bureau.

15 Years Eugene Breakfield, Postal Clerk, Postoffices; Roger L. Chisholm, Policeman,

Police Division; Estle H. Davison, Operator, construction equipment and tractor- bulldozer, Municipal Division; * Edward

A. Durham, Supervisor, Payroll Division; Robert A. Duvall, Supply Requirements

Assistant, Storehouses; Gordon M. Frick, Position Classifier, Personnel Bureau; Ruth T. Getz, Clerk, Finance Bureau;

Carl E. Hall, General Foreman Assistant,

Municipal Division; Carl P. Hoffman, Jr., Accounting Clerk, Finance Bureau; Fred H. Lee, Clerk, Electrical Division; John

C. Paige, Deputy Collector, Finance Bureau; Alice W. Patten, Governmental

Accountant, Finance Bureau; Margaret

R. Peterson, Fiscal Accounting Clerk, Industrial Bureau; Roy L. Rinehart,

Rigger, Industrial Bureau; and Frank

Wagner, Locks Operator, Locks Division.

while gasoline rationing was in effect. Since 1943 the traffic over Thatcher

Ferry has settled down to a comparatively

steady business with 500,000 to 600,000

cars a year and between 2,000,000 and

3,000,000 passengers. Thatcher Ferry, aside from its astro- nomical statistics, has made an amazing

safety record. Not a single passenger has been injured as a result of ferry operations

and the few dented fenders have resulted

largely from inept driving.

It has made countless "mercy mission"

or emergency trips but it has yet to record a birth aboard one of the ferryboats, a record surpassed several times by

the Panama Railroad.
August 3, 1951 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 17

PROMOTIONS AND TRANSFERS

FROM JUNE 15 THROUGH JULY 15

CIVIL AFFAIRS BUREAU

GEORGE 0. FLORES, from Guard, Atlantic Locks,

to Probationary Fireman. NEIL V. BRANSTETTER, from High School Teacher to Supervisor of Music, Schools Division. VICTOR A. HERR, from Junior High School to High School Teacher. ROBERT E. McBRIDE, from Guard, Locks Division to Fireman. COMMUNITY SERVICES BUREAU

RUSSELL E. HILEMAN, from Assistant to Housing

Manager, to Assistant Housing Manager, Cristobal, Housing Division. JACK C. RANDALL, from Assistant Housing Manager, Cristobal, to Manager, Cristobal Office, Housing Division. ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION

BUREAU

EDWARD M. BROWDER, Jr., from Assistant to Engineering and Construction Director to Assistant Engineering and Construction Director. CARL R. NEWHARD, from Wire Chief, to General Telephone Foreman, Cristobal. HOWARD S. ENGELKE, from Wire Chief, to General Foreman, Telephones, Balboa. ERNEST W. ZELNICK, from Assistant Chief to

Chief, Water Laboratories Branch, Municipal

Division. PAUL U. STRAUSS, from graduate Trainee to

Electrical Engineer, Electrical Division. FRANKLIN F. PIERCE, from Pump Operator, Dredging Division, to Pumpman, Municipal Division. JAMES A. VAN DYKE, from Junior Helper, to Leader Crater and Packer, Building Division.

OWEN W- SMITH, from Pumpman to Filtration Plant Operator, Municipal Division. Mrs. ELLEN P. CASTLES, from Clerk Typist. Railroad Division, to Clerk Typist, Electrical Division. LESTER S. BEETLE, from Machinist, Industrial Bureau, to Engineer-Machinist, Diesel, Power

Branch, Electrical Division. MAX L. WEICH, from Foreman Checker, Terminals

Division, to Clerk Typist, Municipal Division. FINANCE BUREAU

Mrs. PAULINE L. PACHECO, from Clerk Typist

to Card Punch Operator, Accounting Division. HEALTH BUREAU

Mrs. HELEN F. HOVERSON, from Staff Dietitian

to Chief Dietitian, Colon Hospital. BETTY J. BLAUERT, from Staff Dietitian to Head

Dietitian, Colon Hospital. Mrs. IRENE B. McLAUGHLIN, from Clerk Typist

to Accounting Clerk, Hospitalization and Clinics Division. FRANK P. SMITH and WILLIAM A. MERI- WETHER, from Hospital Resident to Medical

Officer. RODOLFO V. YOUNG and MARTIN C. FLORINE

from Intern to Resident. TOMAS de la GUARDIA A., from Intern to Medical Officer.MANAGEMENT DIVISION THATCHER A. CLISBEE and RICHARD E. ERBE, from Budget Examiner to Organization and Methods Examiner. MARINE BUREAU

FRANK T. WILLOE, from Second Assistant Marine

Engineer to Chief (Towboat) Engineer, Navigation

Division.

JAMES C. THOMAS, from Construction Inspector, Engineering Division, to Boilermaker, Dredging

Division. JAMES H. BURNS, from Engineer, pipeline suction

dredge, to Chief (Towboat) Engineer, Navigation

Division. JAMES H. HAGAN, from Nautical Science Aid to Dock Foreman, Navigation Division. KENNETH L. MIDDLETON and DONALD P. HUTCHISON, from Tunnel Operator (wiremani

to Junior Control House Operator, Locks Division. WILLIAM DIEZ, from Tunnel Operator (wireman)

to Lockmaster, Locks Division. FRANCIS J. KRAUSE, from Junior Control House

Operator to Lockmaster, Locks Division. GEORGE W. PARKER, CLARENCE JACOBSON

and PAUL D. BARNARD, from Lock Operator

(wireman) to Tunnel Operator (wireman), Locks

Division. PERSONNEL BUREAU

EDWARD F. CULVERHOUSE, from Graduate

Trainee to Training Officer. RAILROAD AND TERMINALS BUREAU

HUGH W. CASSIBRY, from Clerk, to Time, Leave, and Payroll Supervisor, Terminals Division. SELECTIVE SERVICE FRANCES E. HUNNICUTT, from Library Assist- ant, Civil Affairs, to Clerk Stenographer, Selective

Service. SUPPLY AND SERVICE BUREAU

VICTOR H. MAY, Jr., from Cash Accounting Clerk, Finance Bureau, to Gauger, Storehouse Division. JOHN W. PRIM, Jr., from Commissary Assistant to Commissary Manager. GILBERT A. SOLLAS, from Commissary Assistant

to Cash Accounting Clerk, Commissary Division. PAUL H. FRIEDMAN, from Supply Cataloger, Store- houses, to Assistant to Su pply and Services Director.

SUMMER RECREATION PROGRAM DRAWS TO SUCCESSFUL CLOSE

Athletic tournaments and handicraft

exhibits will wind up summer recreation

activities this month for hundreds of Canal Zone youngsters.

Local-rate tournaments in tennis,

shuffleboard, basketball, basketball free throws, archery, table tennis, volleyball,

swimming, and junior cricket started July

23 and will end tomorrow. Checker and

domino teams are also competing in the

athletic tournaments—a suitable classifi- cation if one has watched the way these two games are played by the boy and girl participants. For the U. S.-Rate communities, tour- naments will begin August 13 and conclude August 26. They will include inter-playground competition in tennis,

shuffleboard, volleyball, archery, basketball, bowling, and swimming. Winners in both groups will receive awards donated

by the Universal Sports Corporation of New York.

Program In Third Year

This summer's recreation program is the third coordinated handicraft and

sports program to be offered for Canal Zone boys and girls. It was planned and

its funds allocated by a Canal Zone Recreation Board members of which wer-e representatives of both U. S.- and Local- Rate communities. The arts and crafts p ogram for which Mrs. G. 0. Parker is coordinator for U. S.-Rate and E. Stanley

Loney coordinator for Local-Rate communities, is closely tied in wi h an ex- tensive sports program of the Physical

Education Branch of the Schools Division.

All Zone communities are included in bo h portions of the program except

Gatun and Gamboa where there were no

volunteers for the handicraft work.

Athletic activities are being carried out, however, in all communities.

Approximately 700 Local-Rate children

registered for the handicraft work, under

Cutting out stencils requires great concentration. When Gloriella Slice, of Porto Bello Street, Ancon, is through she will have a textile-painted skirt. This is part of the Summer Recreation program.

the direction of 62 volunteers. The largest

enrollment, 175, was in Silver City; the

smallest, 76, was at Red Tank.

In the U. S.-Rate communities, be- tween 750 and 800 children are working

with 90 volunteers. Of the 90, only four were Atlantic siders. The largest regis- tration was in Balboa where 175 children

are enrolled; the smallest group, 75, was

in Margarita.

Curundu has enrolled children as young

as three; in other communities six is the lowest age. Volunteers care for the small

children o other volunteers in nurseries

in all communities.

Hundreds In Athletic Program

In the athletic program, the enrollment

is still difficult to total. Some indication

of the number is the fact that 680 U. S.- Rate boys registered for basketball alone. They have been formed into 61 teams, in A, B, C, D, and E leagues, according to

their age, height, and weight. The D- and

E-ers are the local equivalent of U. S. "Biddy" leagues. Swimming, from begin- ners classes to Red Cross life saving in- struction, has attracted 473 children. Archery is by far the most popular of the 17 sports in the Local-Rate communities and about 500 signed up for it. Swimming is another favorite sport. A

number of day outings were arranged this summer to enable Pacific Side children to use the new pool at Silver City.

Children Go By Age Groups

Typical of the arts and crafts program,

although more elaborate than some, is that of Cocoli. The children have been

divided into age groups, each with a sum- mer project and each with a field trip. The groups are Cowboys, Indians, Farmers, a Panama group and the 'teenagers. The Cowboys, for instance, are second

graders. They have built a corral, made

spurs and belts and molded and painted

little plaster horses. Their field trip will be to the Panama Riding Academy.

The summer recreation program is fi- nanced from the Canal Zone Community

Chest, the small registration fees paid by

the children and by the Schools Physical

Education budget. Aside from the athletic instructors, who are on the Schools

payroll, the only paid workers are Mrs.

Parker and Mr. Loney who are also on

the Government rolls. The Panama Canal Clubhouses have co- operated by making bowling alleys avail- able wherever possible and the Army has provided transportation for the children.
18 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW August 3, 1951

Schools Reopen Next Week

Local-Rate Communities

School doors will open next Monday,

August 6, for nearly 4,000 girls and boys

in the Canal Zone local-rate communities.

If present indications are reliable, stu- dents will turn out in such numbers that classroom facilities are going to be

strained in at least two of the schools. Last .May there were 3,858 students in the 12 grades from first through high

school, 46 students in the Junior College

at La Boca, 227 attending night classes and 85 others enrolled in the extension

division which is part of in-service training for teachers in the colored

schools. School officials believe that these fi- gures will not vary to any great degree.

Other than the addition of the second

year to the Junior College course, there

will be little change this coming school year in the colored schools. Along the scholastic line, the schools plan to expand the program of visual aids to education, with films which cover

subjects from punctuation and grammar

to geography and social science. Expand Physical Education

In the physical education department,

the schools will continue and expand the program begun last year at Santa Cruz

where gymnasium facilities are available. Swimming classes, which were started during the summer at the new Silver City

pool, will be continued into the school

year. Instruction will be given to pupils

in the elementary grades as well as in high school. The Canal Zone has 12 colored schools, ranging from the big occupational high

schools—last May La Boca High School had 299 pupils and Silver City High

School 249—to the 30-pupil one-room

"country school" at Chiva Chiva where

principal Ernest M. Morris is in charge.

The schools are: the La Boca elementary, junior and senior high schools, the

junior college, the Silver City elementary,

junior and senior high schools, Red Tank,

where grade and junior high school

classes are held in the same building, as they are also at Santa Cruz, and the Chagres, Paraiso, and Chiva Chiva ele- mentary schools. Including the principals, the dozen schools are staffed by 149

teachers.

Summer Session for Teachers

A summer session was held from June

11 to July 10 for the teachers in the

colored schools, one group meeting on the

Pacific side, the other on the Atlantic

side.George C. Wright, who heads the La

Boca Occupational High School and the Junior College, was in charge of the

Pacific side classes. The teachers were

given courses in physical science, under

DeWitt Myers of the Junior College staff, English literature under Miss Margaret

Whitman of the Balboa High School

faculty, and health education under Miss

Jessie Wier, also of the BHS staff. Alfred E. Osborne, Supervisor of Instruction in the Colored Elementary Schools,

conducted a social studies workshop for elementary teachers on both sides of the Isthmus. On the Atlantic ide, Roscoe Haining,

who is acting principal of the Silver City

High School, was in charge and taught

English literature. Miss Hazel Matthews

of the Balboa Junior High faculty gave a

course in health education and James

Gartside of the Balboa High School staff instructed a class in contemporary

civilization. FORTY YEARS AGO

In

April - May - June

The seventh year of the Canal construction by the United States ended May 4, 1911, 'with approximately 138,000',000 cubic yards of excavation completed,

over three-fourths of the amount estimated

for completion. Gatun Locks were then about 60 percent completed and orders were placed with the United States Steel Products Company for the fabrication and erection of the six emergency dams

for the new locks. There were over

35,000 Isthmian Canal Commission employees engaged on Canal work that year.

formed on the Canal anniversary, May 4, 1911, at a dinner held at the Hotel Tivoli. The famous society was composed of American employees whose service with

the ICC began in 1904. Although it was

the fourth annual dinner, the Incas were

not formally organized until 1911. The

annual gatherings continued to be held every May 4th up until a few years ago.

Progressive notes of 1911: The building

of board walks was tanned in the Canal

and concrete sidewalks were ordered for Ancon, Cristobal, andGatun, then slated for permanent communities. A chess match wax conducted by wireless between the Culebra and Porto Bello Chess

Clubs. The Boys Anti-Cigarette League in Gorgona celebrated its second anniversary.

unior section nf the league more than doubled its membership within the year.

The first commencement exercises of the Canal Zone high school were held June 25

in Gatun Clubhouse. There were two graduates, Miss Blanche Marguerite Stevens of Gorgona, and Miss Maria Elisc Johnson of Gatun. Commencement addresses were delivered by Judge II. A. Gudgcr, Chief

Justice of the Supreme Court of the Canal

Zone, and Maurice II. Thatcher, Head of

the Civil Administration Department.

Theliigh school in Ancon was opened the previous year for the few high school stu- dents residing on the Pacific side.

Col. William C. Gorgas was elected first president of the Inca Society which was

The first ordinance requiring automobile drivers to have operators' licenses was issued by the ICC in June 191 1. The

ordinance stated that no one could obtain

a driver's license unless he could prove to

24 Apprentices Appointed

To Jobs With Canal Units

Class training for 24 young men who

were awarded apprenticeships in 12 crafts started late last month, according to Apprentice-Learner Coordinator Philip T. Green. The shop training portion of their four year courses began early in July.

The new apprentices are:

Electrical Division: William Carlin,

David Long, and Thomas Jordan, cablesplicers; James Nellis, armature winder; Charles Sherry, Gerald Dare, William

Henderson, John Corlis, Ralph Malcolm,

Jr., Burnice Herring, and Dan Nellis, wiremen;

Panama Canal Press: Richard Aycock,

printer; Motor Transportation Division: William

Clarke, mechanic;

Municipal Division: Edmund Wozniak,

mechanic;

Dredging Division: Edmund Coe, machinist; Terminals Division: James Fraser, elec- trician; Industrial Bureau: John Pescod, boatbuilder; Charles Swisher, pipefitter; Leo

Turner, shipfitter; Leo Mclntire, machinist; Robert Hanson, boilermaker; James

Ramsey, rigger; and Robert G. Brown

and Edward Bringas, shipwrights.

the Board of Local Inspectors that he had

"the knowledge, skill, and judgment

necessary for the safe and skillful driving

and handling of automobiles." The mini- mum age requirement was set at 18 years.

Extensive caverns, later to become popularly known as the Bat Caves, were

discovered on the Chilibre River by

hydrographers.

A requisition was placed for a 50-pas- senger observation motor car for operation over the main line of the Panama

Railroad. It was ordered to supplement

the famous "rubber-neck" trains which

operated along the new Canal channel and was a forerunner of the "scooters" of present day operations.

A ten-cent litre tax was imposed on all

distilled spirits produced in the Canal Zone. Meanwhile, liquor licenses were issued during the year for certain areas in the towns of Culebra, Empire, Rio Grande, Las

Cascadas, Bas Obispo, Matachin, Gorgona,

andGatun.

One of many special inventions pro- duced especially for Panama Canal work

during the construction was accepted by

the Commission in May 1911. It was a

special trip for steam shovel dippers. Its inventor was A. H. Geddes. The committee appointed to test the device expressed the opinion that it would in- crease the production of a 95-ton steam

shovel by at least 100 cubic yards of material a day.

.4 three-month trial of cash sales of Commissary and Hotel coupon books was begun

in May 1911 among employees of the Gorgona Shops. It was designed to replace

the payroll deduction plan. The trial ante- dated by some 38 years the complete aban- donment ofselling Commissary coupon books by payroll deductions.
August 3, 1951 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 19

TEN YEARS AGO

=—

In —

April - May - June

Three officers of the Italian Line's luxury ship, Conte Biancamano, five employees of the Line in Cristobal, and

the Italian Consul in Colon, were placed

under arrest April 3, 1941, in Cristobal in connection with sabotage aboard the

vessel. The ship had been held in Canal

waters for nine months because of admiralty proceedings in the United States

District Court, and was seized by military

authorities four days before the arrests.

The first landing at the new Howard

Field took place April 7. The plane left Albrook Field for the flight across the Canal

with Major General Frank M. Andrews as

pilot and carrying Lt. Gen. Daniel Van

Voorhis and Governor Glen E. Edgerton as passengers.

Panama Constructors, Inc. entered the low bid for the dry excavation of the Pacific side Third Locks and was awarded the contract at a price of nearly $22,500,000.

It was the largest single contract ever awarded on the Isthmus up to that time. The company was composed of several of the largest contracting firms in the United

States, including S. A. Healey, Henry J. Kaiser, the Kaiser Company, Walsh Construction Company, Morrison Knudsen,

J. F. Shea, and the Hawaiian Dredging

Company.

The Canal Zone was abuzz with activity ten years ago. War news and construction news was mixed in the day-to-day news

reports. The new Third Locks towns were

nearing completion —a Japanese fisherman was arrested for writing on a matchbox

the name of a British ship transiting the Canal—President Roosevelt signed the Executive Order establishing the boundaries

of Fort Gulick—entry to the pier areas was

banned to all except those on official business—new workers were being imported

by the hundreds—an emergency mass

meeting was called in Pedro Miguel to consider air raid plans.

Old timers of the Canal organization

learned with a pang of regret that the Panama Canal Record was being indefi- nitely suspended in May after appearing

regularly for 33 years and nine months.

The Panama Canal Record was and

still remains one of the best sources of historical references on the Canal's

construction.

Contracts to supply 9,000 head of young beef cattle were awarded by the Commissary Division. The contract for a year's supply of beef was split between

the Panama Government, which was to supply 3,000 head, and Francisco Arias P., who was awarded a bid for 6,000 head. The Government bid was entered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce.

E. W. James, Chief of the Highway

Transport Division of the Public Roads

Administration, told the House Foreign

Affairs Committee in Washington that the Pan American Highway could be completed

in five years at a cost of $30,000,000.

The Panama Line Panama was requisi- tioned for duty as an Army transport. It was the first of the three new Panama

liners to enter war duty. All three came

through the war unscathed and with

outstanding records.

Panama —Dr. D. P. Curry, Assistant Chief Health Officer, J. H. K. Humphrey,

First Assistant Chief Quartermaster, and Zone Police Captain L. C. Callaway re- tired—Lt. Comdr. William H. Vanderbilt

reported for duty with the 15th Naval

District— United States Marshal John E. Hushing announced the appointment of

Peter Brennan as Deputy Marshal.

Personnel news of the period: United

States Ambassador William Dawson was

reassigned to Uruguay and was succeeded by Edwin C. Wilson as Ambassador to

Colonel R. A. Wheeler, Acting Governor, announced in June that certain areas

of the harbor waters at both entrances to the Canal were restricted. Both incoming

and outgoing vessels at both ports were

required to proceed only upon instruc- tions of Naval vessels stationed at the seaward and inward harbor limits.

Construction Costs Require Canal

To Follow Trend Toward Smaller Houses

A two-bedroom cottage at Diablo, above, is typical of the masonry houses now nearing completion.

Landscaping of the area is also underway.

{Continued from page 1) 1,891 square

feet and the cost of the bare house is $14,500.

Comparable to the three-bedroom

houses of the composite, or "San Juan"

type built locally, is one described from

South Dartmouth, Mass. This house is built on stilts for a better view. This

house has only 1,370 square feet of floor space with four bedrooms, two of which

are only 10>2 x 10^2 feet. Smaller, overall, than the San Juan houses, this house

has a maid's bath, laundry and car port

below the house. It has plain shingle

sides and a flat roof and it cost $32,000

to build. Of course, the prices of the houses above

are probably not based on quantity production, but it is interesting to note that

all of the houses built here during the past year, by contract or by the Building

Division, cost under $15,000.

Local readers probably recognized the "breezeway" type house (type 328) in a house featured in the current issue of House and Garden. This magazine de- votes one issue each year to what it considers a "model" house for an American family with $18,000 income. The

basic plan and the number of rooms is identical with the Canal Zone's "breeze- way" houses. This "House of Ideas," as House and

Garden calls it, is larger and more elaborately furnished. It cost, as actually built on Long Island, $45,800 instead of the $14,419 which is the contract price for the five houses of this same type being

constructed at Diablo Heights.

The local breezeway house was designed

by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, a leading

firm of United States architects, who

were employed as consultants in the new

housing program.

Just like a private builder, the Panama

Canal Company is limited in the money

which can be spent on a house. An

$80,000,000 housing program sounds like a lot of money. It is a simple matter of arithmetic to determine that if new

quarters are provided for the 4,200 U. S.- rate employees and many of the local-rate workers, the amount to be spent on each house is definitely limited. Costs of quarters here during the past

year, as actually performed by contract, have averaged slightly under $9 per square foot. Building costs in the United

States presently are averaging over $10

per square foot. What this all adds up to is that the Panama Canal Company is doing its best to provide employees with the most modern and best quarters that can possibly be obtained. Both engineers and builders here con- cede that the Canal is getting more for

its money and doing a better job in this respect than is presently possible in the United States at this time.

If the new quarters appear to be less spacious than the older houses on the Canal Zone, residents must remember

that a dollar doesn't go as far today as it did in grandfather's—or even father's

time.
20 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW August 3, 1951

Colon Police Build Rancho

For Fellow Zone Officers

The spirit of cooperation which exists between the police forces on both sides of the Canal Zone-Republic

of Panama boundary lines is exemplified by the "Rancho Ramos" which was dedicated late in June. The Rancho was built by the Colon Police members at the Canal Zone Police target range at Brazos Brook

for their fellow police officers of the Canal Zone on the Atlantic side. The structure, 84 by 27 feet, is named in honor of Major Pastor Ramos, Jr., popular Commanding Officer of the Panama National Police in Colon. A

plaque at the entrance bears a suitable inscription of the gift.

Provisions For Retirement

Cover Varied Circumstances

(Editor's Note: This is the second of a

series of articles on retirement. The first, with charts for retirement pay compulation,

appeared in the February 1951 issue of the Panama Canal Review).

To many people, retirement means only

the mandatory separation of an employee

from the Canal service when he is 62 years

old, or when he becomes too ill or disabled

to work. There is considerably more to retirement than these two instances. Some of the other facets of the complicated retirement problem were outlined for The Panama Canal Review by

E. L. Payne, Chief of the Personnel Records Division of the Personnel Bureau, and by Retirement Clerk Robert

Kelly. For instance:

(a) An employee may retire voluntarily

at full annuity when he reaches the age of 60 and has at least 30 years service.

(b) An employee may retire at reduced

annuity, voluntarily, when he is 55 years

old or over, if he has at least 30 years

service.

(c) An employee with at least 25 years

service who is given a reduction of force

is entitled to an immediate reduced annuity, regardless of age. For (a) the amount of the annuity is determined just as it would be for age or

disability retirement, i.e. if the average

basic salary for the employee's five highest consecutive years is less than

$5,000, retirement is computed by taking one percent of the average and adding

$25, then multiplying the resulting figure

by the number of years of service; if the average basic salary over the five high

years is $5,000, or over, retirement is computed by taking 1.5 percent of this average and multiplying this sum by the number of years of service.

For (b) the annuity is reduced by one- fourth of one percent for each full month

the applicant is under 60. That is, three percent per year. This annuity is payable

at once and does not wait until the

retiring employee reaches the compulsory

retirement age of 62. For (c) the annuity is also reduced by

one-fourth of one percent for each month

he is under the age of 60. Short-Service Retirements

An employee with over five years of

civilian service who leaves the service, for any cause, before he becomes eligible for an annuity, will be entitled to an annuity

to begin when he reaches the age of 62, provided his retirement deductions are not withdrawn. This annuity is based on

years of service and average salary.

Members of the Canal Zone police force have special retirement provisions.

When they reach 50 and after 20 consecutive years of police work, they may

be retired on an annuity computed at two percent of their best five years of salary multiplied by years of service. Unlike other retiring employees, each

police officer must apply individually for this retirement, citing what he has done

to qualify for the "hazardous occupation"

clause. The police retirement is based on a special ruling of the Civil Service Commission for federal police officers. Another angle of retirement which is not widely understood is that concerning

the repayment into the retirement fund

of money withdrawn when an employee

separates from the service. Take, for instance, the case of John Doe. He left the Canal service in 194S after 15 years

service, withdrawing his retirement deposits. (If he had had over 20 years of

service, he could not have withdrawn the

Division Is Organized

For New Contract Work

A new division has been added to the Engineering and Construction Bureau. It

is the Contracts and Inspection Division which has been established because of the

great increase in contract construction scheduled by the Canal Company during

the next few years. The new division will have its offices in Room 336 of the Administration Building

at Balboa Heights. It will be divided into three branches: Area inspection, Atlantic

side; Area inspection, Pacific side; and

Contracts. Plans have been made for the expenditure of $80,000,000 within the next few

years in the replacement and construction

of quarters. The major building program

got into full swing this year with contract work in Diablo Heights, Margarita, and

Silver City.

The new division will be made up from

the nucleus of the Contracts and Inspection Branch which has been a part of the Engineering Division. Approval of the formation of the new

division came after the organization

charts were prepared for the organization

supplement of this issue of The Canal

Review

deposits but would have received an

annuity on them when he reached 62). Last January, John Doe returned to the Canal Zone to work. If he wishes to get retirement credit for his previous 15 years of service, he repays the retirement

deposits which he had withdrawn. The

longer he delays, the more it will cost him.

Repayment of Retirement Deposits

He will pay no interest for the years he was out of government service, but for every year he is back in service and the previous retirement deposits are unpaid

he is charged three percent interest. Except for service on which retired pay

is based, military service is creditable under the retirement act. This mili- tary service, however, must have been

active and terminated under honorable

conditions.

Disability annuities are also not clear to many employees. These are paid to those persons who have over five years of government service and who become to- tally disabled for service in the grade or

class of position they had held. Such

annuities are computed like other retire- ments: average salary and years of

service. They may not be based on dis- ability of short duration nor disability

based on vicious habits, intemperance, or

willful misconduct. Annual physical ex- aminations may be required until the dis- abled employee reaches the age of 60.

ORGANIZATION SUPPLEMENT

A limited supply of extra

copies of the organization

supplement will be available

for sale after the close of the

general sale of this issue on

August 12. Requests for additional copies should be made

to the Vault Clerk, Third

Floor. Administration Building, Balboa Heights.
August 3,1951 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 21 STATISTICS ON CANAL TRAFFIC

For the purpose of comparison between pre war and post-war traffic through the Panama Canal, statistics for the fiscal year 1938 are used in this section, as being more nearly normal for peace-time than those for 1939. COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC INCREASES SLIGHTLY

LAST YEAR BUT TONNAGE AND TOLLS LOWER

IntercosstaJ Tsnkpr

Losses Are Overcome Use of Southern Ports For Panama Line

By Other Type Ships Studied to Determine Possible Economy

The number of ocean-going commercial

vessels using the Panama Canal during

the fiscal year 1951, ended June 30, was

slightly higher than the previous year's

totals, but slight decreases were shown in both net tonnage of vessels and tolls collected. The variance—more ships but less ton- nage and tolls— was accounted for by the drop in tanker trade on the United States

intercoastal run. During the fiscal year 1950 the number of large tankers moving

oil from the west to the east coast of the United States was one of the significant

traffic trends of the year. The intercoastal tanker traffic through

the Canal for the past fiscal year totaled approximately 2,025,000 tons under the net tonnage of the previous fiscal year, a

62.5 percent loss. The tanker traffic was more than over- come in the number of other vessels transiting the Canal, while the total Panama

Canal net tonnage of all ocean-going vessels last year was 27,180,000 tons, only

three percent under the previous year's

figures which set a new record. Tonnage High In 1951 The net tonnage of vessels last year has been exceeded only four times since the Canal was opened, the fiscal year's 1928,

1929, 1930, and 1950.

Tolls collected on ocean-going vessels

of more than 300 net tons for the past

fiscal year amounted to $23,906,000, ap- proximately $525,000 less than the pre- vious year's figures.

There was a marked increase in trade over several trade routes during the past

year. While the tanker trade on the inter- coastal run was 62.5 percent under the 1950 figures, the loss was partially over- come by other shipping on this route.

Traffic, other than tankers, on the inter- coastal route increased from 3,203,000

tons in 1950 to 3,287,000 last year. The

net result was that the United States

intercoastal trade route figures for total

traffic last year were only 30 percent

under 1950 figures.

European Traffic Increases Commercial shipping between Europe

and the west coast of the United States and Canada increased from 2,699,000 tons

in 1950 to 3,553,000 tons last year, a 31.6 percent gain.

Other notable increases in commercial

traffic occurred on the trade routes be- tween the east coast of the United States and Asia, and between Europe and the west coast of South America, the former

by 10.8 percent and the latter route by

8.8 percent.

Traffic losses, in net tonnage, on routes other than the United (See page 22)

Studies are presently in progress to determine if schedule changes for the Panama Line could be advantageously made. Above is one of the three 10,000-ton sisterships, the S. S. Ancon, which might

alter its run if the studies result in a change of home port or ports of call. The Panama Line has been in the shipping business continuously for almost 100 years.

(Continued from page 1) of the steamers on longer or shorter runs.

5. Economy in operation of the Line's home office in the United States; and,

6. The efficiency in transportation ser- vices for employees and their families to and from the Canal Zone. Question Has Arisen Before

The questions of making scheduled

stops at some southern port and regular runs to the West Coast have arisen on many previous occasions. Numerous re- quests have been made by port officials for Panama Line service to ports along

the Atlantic seaboard, the Gulf Coast,

and the West Coast. In 1938, while the three new Panama

liners were still under construction, Senato William G. McAdoo of California introduced in the Senate an amendment

to the Merchant Marine Act which would

have "authorized and directed" the ex- tension of the Panama Line service to the West Coast for a period of one year after

the. first of the vessels went into service. At that time Panama Railroad Company officials vigorously opposed any ex- tension of the service to the California ports and the proposal was defeated on

the floor of the Senate. The proposal for West Coast service arose soon after the

three large passenger-cargo vessels of the Panama Pacific Line were withdrawn

from the New York-San Francisco run. Service Started in 1855 During the long course of the Panama

Railroad Company's sea transportation

service, which began in 1855, its ships

have served Chilean, Ecuadorian, Colombian, Central American, Haitian, and

West Coast ports of the United States.

The service was first opened with five barques and four brigs operated between

New York and Aspinwall (Colon). The

following year the Company opened a steamship line service between Panama

and the West Coast ports of Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Salvador, and Guatemala.

Later all of these services were taken over by the Pacific Mail Steamship Line, which

had the same executive officers as the Railroad Company.

The Pacific Mail contracts were termi- nated in 1893 and the present New YorkCristobal run was inaugurated that year with two steamers. The following year

the Company entered the West Coast

trade but discontinued the service to San Francisco in 1896. It was revived for about one year in 1901 and no service to California ports has since been offered.

The Panama Railroad Steamship Line

(now Panama Line) operated into Portau-Prince, Haiti, on its northbound and

southbound runs from 1917 until the

three vessels were requisitioned by the Government at the beginning of World

War II. The service was never considered

sufficiently remunerative and was not resumed when the steamers returned to Panama Line service after the war.
22 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW August 3, 1951

Traffic On Uptrend In Last Quarter

Panama Canal commercial traffic for

tst quarter of the fiscal year 1951 showed a slight increase over the comparative period in 1950, with major in- creases shown in the trade routes between

the Europe and the east coast of the United States to the Far East and west

coast ports of the United States and

Canada.

Total ship traffic for the three-month

period increased from 1,928 in the last quarter of 1950 to 2,085 last year. Slight increases were shown in all classifications, including large, tolls-paying vessels, small commercial ships, and vessels which transited free of charge.

There was a decrease in the number

of American commercial ships moving

through the Canal last quarter from the

Commercial Traffic Higher

Past Year Than During 1950

(Continued from page 2ti States intercoastal included the following: East coast United

States-Central America, 8.6 percent; east coast United States-Canada and Australasia, 5 percent; Europe-Australasia, 5.3 percent; and between the United States and the west coast of South America,

1.7 percent. Commercial traffic figures for the past

fiscal year on number of ships, tonnage of

vessels, and tolls were higher than those

for the fiscal year 1938, generally regarded

as normal year for peacetime operations

between the two World Wars. Last year's

figures, however, were under those for the

fiscal year 1929 when Canal traffic reached an all time peak in number of ships and

amount of tolls. Comparative figures on commercial

shipping for the three years in round

numbers are: TRANSITS

1929—6,289

1938—5,524

1951—5,593

TOLLS

1929—$27,111,000

1938—$23,170,000

1951—$23,906,000

NET TONNAGE

1929—27,585,000 tons 1938—25,950,000 tons 1951—27,180,000 tons

One of the significant factors in Panama

Canal commercial traffic last year was the

great increase in cargo shipments from the west coast of the United States and

Canada to European ports. Cargo ton- nage on this run increased from 2,393,000

to 3,210,000 tons, or 78 percent over the 1950 figures. The heaviest shipments

were in wheat, lumber, barley, and fresh

fruits. Cargo shipments from Europe to the west coast of the United States and

Canada totaled 886,000 tons last year, or 22 percent of the total on this trade

route. Commodity shipments over this trade route from the Atlantic to the

Pacific for the past fiscal year were more

than double the tonnage of the previous

year.

last quarter of 1950. Ships flying the

British, Ecuadorean, Panamanian, and

Norwegian flags all showed increases. A

notable change in the charts of nationality

of vessels was shown by the 21 Japanese

and 27 German ships which used the Canal during the last quarter in 1951. There was none listed for 1950. The two leading commodities shipped

through the Canal from the Atlantic to the Pacific in the last quarter of 1950 held

their respective places in this year's list, although both showed notable increases.

Coal and coke shipments, as well as sugar tonnage, both increased in April,

May, and June of this year over the same

three-month period in 1950. Commodity shipments from the Pacific

to the Atlantic for the last quarter of 1951 were approximately 350,000 under those

of the last quarter of 1950. Increases were shown in lumber, ores, wheat, nitrate, and sugar shipments, but decreased tonnage was noted in shipments of canned

food products, metals, mineral oils, and

refrigerated food products.

CANAL TRANSITS—TOLLS PAYING AND FREE

Fourth Quarter—Fiscal Year

April, May, June in 1951 1950 1938

Atlantic

to

Pacific

Pacific to Atlantic

Total Total Total

Tolls-paying vessels: Ocean-going ______ 708 725 1,433 1,400 1,397

Small 192 175 367 306 265

Total, tolls-paving _ _ 900 900 1,800 1,706 1,662

"Free transits _ 105 180 285 222 112

Total, tolls-paying and free 1,005 1,080 2,085 1,928 1,774

* Vessels under 300 net tons or 500 displacement tons.

"* Exclusive of Panama Canal equipment.

TRAFFIC MOVEMENT 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:

Fourth Quarter—Fiscal Year

1951 1950 1938

132 254 248

East Coast of U. S. and South America 319 331 120

East Coast of U. S. and Central America _ _ _ __ 103 96 19

East Coast of U. S. and Far East __ __ 212 145 200

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

Europe and west coast of U. S. /Canada-- __ 203 120 270

93 88 136

51 74 68

283 255 120

1,433 1,400 1,221

CARGO HANDLED OVER PIERS

(In short tons)

Local cargo received

Local cargo forwarded

Transfer cargo received

Total incoming cargo handled.

Rehandled cargo

Transfer cargo forwarded

Total cargo handled and

transferred

Fourth Quarter,

Fiscal Year 1951

Cristobal

65,216

19,758

112,367

197,341

3,531

110,890

311,762

Balboa

25,926

16,437

2,071

44,434

193

1,574

46,201

Total

91,142

36,195

114,438

Average

quarter,

1951

All piers

96,005

25,810

105,138

241,775

3,724

112,464

357,963

226,953

3,551

102,561

332,815

Average

quarter, 1938

All piers

87,968

9,388

138,386

235,742

1,584

136,127

373,453
August'3, 1951 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 23

Coaling Plant Closes at End of Year

A familiar segment of the Cristobal Harbor skyline

the Cristobal Coaling Plant—is beginning to disappear. The Panama Canal Company will retire from the

coaling business at the end of this year after which

the entire plant is to be scrapped. The plant was

installed soon after the Canal was opened to traffic

in 1914 and the first coal was unloaded there in March 1916. The reclaiming bridge and two of the unloading

towers have already been sold for scrap and are

presently being dismantled. The picture above was

taken before the dismantling work was begun. Balboa Coaling Plant has been closed for about

four years. A part of the equipment there was altered shortly before the beginning of World War II to handle sand and gravel. The plant was placed on a standby basis in 1946 and was permanently dis- continued as a coaling station in December 1947. The plant was permanently closed early this year and

the salvageable parts have since been sold for scrap. An announcement that the Cristobal station would

be closed at the end of this year was made by Canal

authorities late in 1950. Comparatively few coal-burning ships now ever touch Canal waters and during the past fiscal year

only 3,500 tons of coal were sold. Approximately

12,500 tons remain in storage at the Cristobal plant. The sale of coal was once a prosperous business for the Canal, and for several years the operation of the

Names For New Towns

Are Summit, Cardenas

Summit has been selected as the name

for the new U. S.-Rate town and the new Local-Rate town has been named

Cardenas. The official designations for the two new townsites were selected in accordance

with the general practice of using town names in conformity with old geographical names in the vicinity.

Cardenas (pronounced CAR'-de-nas) is the name of the well known river which

flows through the vicinity and empties

into the Canal channel below the Miraflores Locks. The name, Summit, is not a new one

for the Canal Zone. It takes the name

from the highest point of the saddle be- tween the Atlantic and Pacific watersheds. Present plans for the new town

call for a part of the houses to be on the

Atlantic slope, which will make some of the residents Pacific siders and others

Atlantic siders, even though the entire town is in the southern or Pacific district. The two new townsites are to be graded

during this coming year but the building

program is not scheduled to begin until the next year.

Coaling Plant on the Atlantic side was one of the most important harbor operations. During and soon

after the first World War the United States Navy

converted most of its ships to oil burners and the two expensive plants became less and less important

in Canal operations. The two plants had a normal storage capacity of approximately 500,000 tons of coal. At one time

coal sales ran as high as 45,000 tons a month. Sales had dropped in the four-year period from 1920 to 1924 to 14,000 tons a month. The business revived

slightly during the past war when a few old coal- burners were pressed into service but since the war

the sale of coal declined steadily to last year's all- time low. When the Canal was first opened the sight of a

ship pouring large streamers of black smoke from its funnels was common in traffic. During recent years

the sight has been a rare one and few of the newer

employees have ever seen a coil of black smoke

between Gold and Contractors Hills as a coal burner steamed through Gaillard Cut.

Principal commodities shipped through the Canal

(All figures in long tons)

Figures in parentheses in 1938 and 1950 columns indicate

relative positions in those years ATLANTIC TO PACIFIC

Commodity

Fourth Quarter—Fiscal Year

1951 1950 1938

472,472

445,866

317,857

223,238

146,877 95,615

85,719

85,554

72,111 61,721 53,369 33,070

27,337

24,899

14,367

1,133,175

263,850 (1) 348,596 (2) 27,377 (7) 244,715 (4) 75,202 (12) 100,976 (5) 61,952 (11) 59,937 (10) 75,317 (6) 57,066 (9) 71,208 (8) 26.448 (14) 47,499 (13) 30,811 (17) 149,788 (3) 728,929204,624 (3) Manufactures of iron and steel — 370,925 (1) 25,352 (14) 77,382 (6) 20,176 (21) Paper and paper products, 105,902 (5) 57,368 (9) 70,203 (8) 67,125 (7) 40,109 (10) 43,766 (13) 25,143 (15) 39,024 (11) 21,648 (16) 10,320 (22) 1,691,670

Total 3,293,247 2,369,671 2,870,737

PACIFIC TO ATLANTIC

Fourth Quarter—Fiscal Year Commodity

1951 1950 1938

998,165

919,809

502,514

357,578

307,453

192,679 172.938

135,346

131,342

114,186 68,056

65,749

59,582

51,843 40,762

583,067

776,365 (3) 811,072 (1) 402,852 (4) 361,946 (5) 295,739 (7) 294,872 (6) 159,698 (9) 962,860 (2) 124,949 (10)

163,774 (8) 55,974 (13) 88,902 (11) 51,855 (18) 37,652 (12) 54,060 (14) 520,705

655,505 (2) 517,845 (3) Wheat 179,065 (7) 340,496 (5) 445,366 (4) 161,496 (6) 179,380 (8) 732,510 (1) 17,900 (19) Refrigerated food products (ex- 118,555 (10) 41,275 (18) Wool 54,547 (21) Fresh fruit (except bananas) 110,339 (9) 50,542 (16) 20,232 (20) 712,245

Total ._ 4,701,069 5,163,275 4,347,298
24 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW August 3, 1951

New Port Captain

CAPTAIN WILLIAM S. PARSONS, V. S. N., arrived early last month to begin his new duties as Port Captain in Cristobal. He succeeded Captain Robert S. Fahle, who has been assigned to duty as

District Intelligence Officer of the 13th Naval

District with headquarters in Seattle, Wash. Captain

Parsons has had 2.3 years of Navy service since his graduation from the Naval Academy in 1928. Prior

to his Canal assignment he served two years as Director of Naval Reserves and Director of Training

for the Eighth Naval District in New Orleans.

Income Taxes Paid In Zone

Would Pay Government Cost

(Continued from page 3) explained that when the law reorganizing the Panama

Canal and Panama Railroad into the Panama Canal Company and Canal Zone Government was drawn up government

employees on the Canal Zone were not

taxed. Those who drafted the reorganization legislation considered it fair that

these employees pay some portion of the

cost of such items as schools and roads,

in lieu of taxes. Passage of the bill ex- tending income tax to the Canal Zone was almost simultaneous with the passage

of the Canal-Railroad reorganization measure. The latter bill placed part of the support of the Canal Zone Govern- ment on the employees,.

"We are hoping to have this situation corrected," the Governor said. Other matters discussed in the conference, which is conducted on an in- formal basis, included: A question raised by Mr. Luhr as to whether or not part-time school teachers

are entitled to employee hospitalization. Forrest G. Dunsmoor, Executive Assist- ant to the Governor, answered that this depends on the teacher's marital status

(i.e. whether she is a married dependent

or head of her own family) and on the frequency with which she substitutes as a teacher. A request presented by J. H. Jones of the Pedro Miguel Civic Council that a

district dentist be assigned to that town. Edward A. Doolan, Personnel Director,

answered that there is still a shortage of dentists locally, as well as of doctors. A question raised by Charles Garcia of the Pacific Civic Council as to why

Cocoli, a "perfectly good townsite," is being transferred to the military and how

soon its civilian occupants will have to vacate their quarters. The Governor an- swered that Cocoli was never intended as a permanent town and added that there

is no definite date when its employee resi- dents will have to move. They are, he

said, substantially on notice that if they

have an opportunity for as good or better quarters elsewhere they should accept

them.

An objection by the people of Gatun,

presented by R. S. Ralph, on the bill recently proposed in Congress to change

the name of Gatun to Sibert. A question from Mr. Lovelady on the discrepancy between the new rental rates

just announced and those charged for Diablo houses built in the past couple of years. The Governor said that some ad- justment will have to be made for the

rates set up for the Diablo experimental

houses. Attending the conference were: the

Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Mr.

Doolan, Mr. Dunsmoor, and H. J. Chase, w

of the Community Service Bureau; Robert C. Daniel, representing the Rail- road conductors; Vicent Biava, Gamboa

Civic Council; G. T. Fitzgerald, Marine

Engineers; W. R. Howe, Mr. Greene,

Walter Wagner, and W. R. Price, Central Labor-Metal Trades Council; Mr. Luhr,

Locks Association; Mr. Jones, Pedro

Miguel Civic Council; Mr. Lovelady, A.F.G.E. No. 14; M. R. Creich, Cristobal- Margarita Civic Council; Mr. Ralph,

Gatun Civic Council; W. S. McKee, Machinists; Albert Saarinen, Electrical Workers, and Charles Garcia, Pacific Civic

Council.

MONTHLY COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC AND TOLLS

Vessels of 3D0 tons net or over By fiscal years

Month

Transits Tolls

(In thousands of dollars)

1951 1950 1938 1951 1950 1938

July 513 430 457 §2,373 $1,891 $2,030

August.. . . . . 453 388 505 2,093 1,733 2,195

September 446 401 444 1,983 1,795 1,936

October .. 480 440 461 2,068 1,985 1,981

November 446 439 435 1,844 1,964 1,893

December . 452 488 439 1,886 2,185 1,845

January 452 483 444 1,854 2,207 1,838

February. _ _ . 444 457 436 1,853 2,121 1,787

March ... 474 522 506 1,943 2,327 2,016

470 459 487 2,007 1,959 1,961 May 485 488 465 2,020 2,170 1,887

June .. _ _ 478 453 445 1,982 2,093 1,801

Totals for each fiscal year .

5,593 5,448 5,524 $23,906 $24,430 $23,170

Canal commercial traffic by nationality of vessels

April—May—June

Nationality

1951 1950 1938 Number

of transits Tons

of cargo Numberof transits Tonsof cargo Number

of transits Tons

of cargo

Belgian . 1 267

16

2 22

S.ISO

1,742,944 80,480

14,784 24,058

British 225

13

1,400,835 57,364 344

3

1,674,876

2 552

Chinese. . Colombian 20 19,056 Cuban . 2 Danish 50 56 69

206,841

28,182 5029

1

176,053

12,199

1,088

227,960 Ecuadorean.

Finnish . 1 27

196

139,000 26 144,353 2397

25

2

18 23'

370,814 Creek 2179

3

17

21

187,259

114,574 346

83,998

169,458

20

122 147,948

176,244

87,718

164,506 Honduran 844

Iceland

16 1476

2

35,530

441,353 Latvian 4,900

Liberian 11

1 28

1 13954

9

6

1

44,572

9,946

140,343 Mexican • 226

1 11547

143

1

11,707 119,510 224

383,068

243,812

40,753

17,731 9,201

Netherlands Nicaraguan

74 147,118

Norwegian

Panamanian . .

596,037

330,472

19,491 41,388

18745

1

1

933,990

110,150

1,195 Philippine

Portuguese

8,441

Soviet 1 1,054 Spanish 7 36

24,285

167,956

1638

1 607

7

67,301 151,047

9,800

4,246,161 9,773

33 189,181 Turkish

I Inited States . _ Venezuelan

Yugoslavian

540

4

3,815,565

3,652 408

2

3

2,253,371

2,018 21,910

Total 1,433 7,994,316 1,400 7,532,946 1,397 6,710,795

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01 =

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