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Gift ofthe Panama

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Vol. 6 No. 12 BALBOA HEIGHTS, CANAL ZONE, JULY 6, 1956 5 cents

COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC THROUGH PANAMA CANAL TOPS

8,000 MARK TO SET NEW ALL-TIME HIGH RECORD

Rewarding Years Ahead New Yearly Record

Anticipated By Governor Also Established

j\\ For Tolls, Cargo

The r umber of transits by ocean-going

vessels in the fiscal year 1956 totaled

8,209. This was the fifth consecutive fis- cal year in which a new record number of

..„,.. transits was set and it was the first time

" ' " '

- in the history of the Canal that the number of ocean-going vessels exceeded the 8,000-mark.

Although the final figures on amount

of cargo, tolls on commercial shipping,

;=.-,..*» 'i jm.'?',;; m SBV and ne* ^onnaSe °f vessels have not been __ .,--_.

- ,..../,.,-. L^BJHIftfcN^ compiled, new yearly records were estah- ^ lished in all these categories. ^ ^ • The following are the totals in ocean- going commercial transits for the five record-breaking years: 1952 6,524 1953 7,410 % Jv I 1954 7,784 .££> '. 1955 7,997 1956 8.209

It was not until the fiscal year 1952

that the old record number of ocean-going

commercial transits of 6,279 set in 1929 was surpassed. Since that time the level 'WSW """mB of commercial traffic has been substan- A PARTIAL TRIP through the Panama Canal aboard a big ore carrier and a visit to the Locks tially higher than that of the late 1920's.

occupied one of Governor Potter's first days in office. From the Pedro Miguel control house he The total number of ocean-going transwatched a ship in the chamber.

j ts commercial and U. S. Government

"I am looking forward to the next four roe, Jr., Marine Director, and his succes- vessels last .vear failed to top the pre- years which I anticipate will be the most sor, Capt. Warner S. Rodiman, and Col. V10US record of 8> 584 set m the fiscal year

interesting and rewarding of my entire Hugh M. Arnold, Engineering and Con- 1954- The amount of Government shipcareer," Gov. W. E. Potter told The struction Director, the Governor made a Pmg being moved through the Canal in Panama Canal Review in a special mes- partial transit of the Canal on June 26 that vear was h 'gh because of the Korean

sage to employees of the Canal organiza- aboard the ore ship Aquitanius. The ship war, there being 800 transits by oceantion and their families. was piloted by Capt. H. L. Wentworth. Somg Government ships. The third

"It was with undeniable pride," he con- The Governor transited with the ship hlgh year ln total traffic was set ln 1953

turned, "that I received the appointment as far as Orchid Island in Gatun Lake TM& ' tota' of;

S' 474

,

t,

' a "s' ts

; ^l W to head the Panama Canal organization, where the party left the ore carrier and l

3

-v Government vessels The total for the The waterway is a kev world-stiucture returned by launch to Gamboa. The afterfisca' T

ea!' ]ust ende£TMas 8

,' 4?

5' the and the organization which operates it has noon was spent n an inspection trip to second hlShest vear ln the Canal s hlstorv - a worldwide reputation for efficiency, first the Pedro Miguel Locks. This week the New Records

established a half century ago when the Governor made a field trip to the Atlantic Traffic through the Canal last year was

Canal was being built." sj de where he visited a number of Canal highlighted by several new records. In Governor Potter, who arrived with his units. On Wednesday he attended Inde- May a new record amount of commercial

family on June 20 to begin his permanent pendence Day celebrations at Gatun and carg° for one month was recorded with a

residence in the Canal Zone, spent much Margarita. ' total of 4,045,416 tons. This was the first of his first two weeks here in becoming time that over four million tons of corn- acquainted with Canal operations and , v

,em°w ?

er

. pla^ n

le

tave "exJ mercial cargo was moved through the with those most closely associated with TM for Washington, D L to attend Capal jn one month It was also in M

the enterprise. £.

e quarterly meeting of the Board ot that th(? , t ca shJD (the orp ^^

He lost little time after his arrival in °3recto

[1s °f ** Parama Canal Com Pa".V; Ore Prince) ever locked through the Canal

beginning a series of field trips to make a This will be his first attendance at a full made its maiden transit with a , oad Qf personal inspection of installations and Board raef

mS s?TM becoming a Director 35m tms of iron ore from Pmi tQ thp work. Appropriately, the first of these and President of the Company Late in United states. trips was an inspection of the waterway Ma-V he atttended sessions of the Budget other significant trends in the M

itself and how ships are put through the Committee of the Board of Directors.

traffic was the rise b the ayerage to] js Canal. In his message to the employees, Gov- per vessel, and the transit of five krge

Accompanied by Capt. Frank A. Mun- ernor Potter called (Se° page it) tankers loaded with (See page 16)
THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW July 6, 1956

Will Start July 20 Alert

PHILIP L. DADE

Civil Defense Chief

Nuclear Burst Over Gatun Former Executive

Studying Operation

Of Panama Railroad

The study of Panama Railroad operations for the House Merchant Marine and

Fisheries Committee covering such phases

as equipment and rolling stock, schedules,

administration, and business potentials, has been in progress for the past ten days.

The study is being conducted by John

T. Ridgely who recently retired as Assist- ant Vice President of the Pennsylvania

Railroad. He is being assisted in his in- vestigations for the House Committee by

John D. Hollen, Chief of the Executive

Planning Staff. The study is the result of discussions

of Panama Railroad operations over a

period of the past three years. Appropriations requested by the Canal administration for the purchase of additional roll- ing stock for the railroad in fiscal year

1954 were denied and the Governor was

requested to submit a plan for abandoning the facility. A plan to abandon the railway and use motor vehicles for all trans-Isthmian

transportation needs was subsequently

approved by the Panama Canal Company

Board of Directors and submitted with

the 1955 budget proposal. Requested at the same time was an appropriation for $600,000 for the purchase of trucks. The question of the Panama Canal

Company's authority to abandon the rail- road was raised by the Appropriations

Committee, and the Governor was di- rected by both Senate and House Committees to seek Congressional approval of the plan. He submitted the plan to the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee last year and public hearings were held at Balboa Heights by the Pan- ama Canal Subcommittee late last year. In February of this year the Subcommittee, headed by Rep. Edward A. Garmatz, announced that the Committee desired additional information, particularly

as to the military value of the railroad, before any final action in the matter is taken. As a result of this Congressional action, Mr. Ridgely was employed to conduct

the independent investigation and will submit his findings to the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee at a later date. Mr. Ridgely, accompanied by his wife, arrived on the Isthmus on the Panama

liner Ancon on June 27 and has been en- gaged on his study since his arrival. His

lifetime career has been in the operations

phase of railroad work. He was graduated in civil engineering by Lehigh University and served until his recent retire- ment from the Pennsylvania Railroad

Company. From 1940 until 1947 he

served as General Superintendent of the company's Southern Grand Division, and

from 1947 until his retirement as Assist- ant Vice President.

The Canal Zone will be silencsd an I

stilled for all but ship and vital vehicular

traffic for a ten-minute p.-riod on Friday

morning, July 20, when the Civil Dafens

organization joins in a test planned for the entire nation by the Federal Civil Defense Administration. The test, in which the Civil Defense

organization plans active participation

by all communities, is designated Operation Alert 1956. It is designed not only

to give practice to those individuals who

are active participants in the civil defense program but to educate the general public

in the air raid signals and their mjanings,

and in the best means of self protection

in event of a major disaster in this area. The extent of participation in Opsration Alert 1956 in the Canal Zone will generally be the same as in a similar exercise held in June of last year which was

the first time the Civil Defense participated in the nation-wide test. The standards to be used in the July 20

exercise have been set by the FCDA.

They call for a simulated explosion of a

nuclear weapon of 100 kilotons, or 100,- 000 tons of TNT, over the Gatun Locks

area. The burst will occur at 10 o'clock

in the morning in a surprise attack with

the simulated missle being launched from

an imaginary submarine.

What To Do

Since test conditions provide for an

attack without warning in the Canal

Zone, the TAKE COVER signal will sound the alarm on the air-raid warning

sirens. On the sounding of the Take Cover

signal the general public will be asked to cooperate in the following manner:

1. All vehicular traffic except emergency vehicles Civil Defense, fire, and

LONGEST SERVICE ENDS

Till', LONGEST continuous service of any Canal employee finally came to an end last month for George N. Engelke. Assistant General Manager "f the Commissary Division. On June 30. after having worked for the Canal organization for 44 yea:.--. 9 months, and 16 days, Mr. Engelke sailed for the

with his wife, enroute to their new home in Bentonville, Ark. With him he took a letter from Governor Potter, commending him for his years cf work on the Selective Service Board, other mementos

of his service, and memories of a rousing farewell party attended by clcse to 200 of his old friends and

associates the night before his departure. Mr. Engelke began his Canal service en September 5, 1911,

in the Paraiso Commissary and during his years cf service worked at practically all of the Divisicn's

stores. He was Supervisor of Retail Stores for several years and Assistant General Manager since 1951.

police equipment will pull to the side

of the road and stop.

2. Employees at work will take cover

in the designated areas in their buildings.

3. Pedestrians and others in the open when the attack is signaled will seek the nearest available shelter.

4. Residents at home will go to the

safest structural shelter in their homes.

The end of the practice for the general public will come ten minutes later and will be indicated by the sounding of the ALERT signal. The exercise will be

continued, however, for those units of Civil Defense which will mobilize on the sounding of the alert. Civil Defense units to be mobilized will include the Main and Alternate Control Center staffs; and the section wardens,

first-aid workers, and child-care centers

of the Volunteers Corps. It is not planned

to mobilize the Control Point Task Forces but the various Control Point Commanders will participate actively by simulating the establishment of control points and communication tests. Two Signals

The two air-raid signals which were

adopted a veai ago are: TAKE COVER: This is a three- minute warbling or oscillating sound on the

sirens. This will be sounded first on July

20. It means that everyone should take cover immediately because of an imminent attack. ALERT: This is a steady, three-minute blast over the sirens. It will be sounded 10 minutes after the Take Cover

signal. When sounded first, it means that an attack is expected and everyone should

listen to his radio for instructions. For

the purpose of the Civil Defense exercises on July 2(1, it will signal the end of the test for the general public and normal work

and traffic movement can be resumed.

Plans for the local participation in the Operation Alert 1956 are being made for the Canal Zone organization under the

direction of Philip L. Dade, who was re- cently appointed Chief of the Civil Defense Section. He replaces in that job

William G. Dolan who has been transferred to the Fire Division. Overall plans for the Isthmus-wide participation in the test are being made in

cooperation with the Disaster Control or- ganization of the Caribbean Command

and the Civil Defense organization in the Republic of Panama. Several meetings

of the joint Civil Defense Committee

have already been held and otheis are scheduled prior to the test. The control of vehicular (See page 13)
July 6, 1956 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW

Anti- Rabies Inoculation First Domestic Electrical Appliances In

For Canal Zone's Dogs Canal Zone Homes Converted To 60 Cycles

Will Be Started July 11

Teams which will vaccinate Canal Zone

dogs against rabies and license them for the year starting August 1 will begin

their rounds of Canal Zone communities

July 11. The teams will consist of a vet- erinarian and his helper and a clerk from

the Canal Zone License Section who will register the dogs as soon as they have

been vaccinated.

Anti-rabies vaccination and registra- tion of dogs has been compulsory in the Canal Zone since 1953. Last year a total of 2,268 dogs were registered in the Canal

Zone, including about 1,039 whose owners live on military posts. The vaccinating teams will operate one day in six major Canal Zone towns, except

Balboa where they will work two successive days. The hours this year will be

the same as last year: 10 a. m. to 1 p. m., ani 3 to 5 p. m., for each community.

The schedule for the vaccination-registration teams follows:

Dale

July 11 July 12 July 13

.Julv 16

July 17 July IS July 19

Atlantic Side Torn Location Margarita North Elem. School Rainbow City Mt. Hope Stadium Gatun Fire Station

Pacific Side Gamboa

Paraiso Balboa

Balboa

Aids-to-Nav. Bide. Old Eleai. School Stadium

Stadium A fee of $2 is charged for the licensing

of the dogs. The anti-rabies vaccination

is given free.

Conversion of the first domestic electrical appliances for 60-cycle use was

begun last week for a group of 10 apart- ments in Margarita. The previously an- nounced schedule for conversion in this Atlantic side community is to be followed, with the contractor working across town

from the south side where the first units were converted. The conversion schedule has been de- layed by almost three months by the late delivery of materials needed by Sachse

International Corp., contractor for the

Atlantic Area conversion. The work had

been scheduled to start early in April and

be completed in Margarita by the middle

of August.

Additional delays are expected until parts and materiel on order have been

received. Since the conversion of appli- ances in the homes must be accomplished

at the same time for all quarters supplied

by the same transformer, the contractor must have all parts needed for that particular area before the work can begin.

Most of the transformers feeding residential areas have dual lines so that either 25- or 60-cycle current can be supplied.

Industrial Division Conversion

The first industrial equipment to be converted on the Atlantic side will be

that at the Industrial Division. The contractor plans to begin this work within about three months or as soon as the necessary parts arrive. Meanwhile, preparations are being

made for the conversion of domestic and

industrial equipment in the Central and

Pacific areas. L. R. Sommer is the contractor for the work in the Central Area,

They'll Represent The Canal Zone

CANAL ZONE representatives in this year's National Veterans of Foreign Wars Teenage Baseball Tournament to be held in August in Hershey, Pa., will be this group of boys from Atlantic and Pacific

side3 of the Isthmus. The Canal Zone team is made up cf selected players from the Fastlich Teenage League on the Pacific side and the Atlantic Teenage League on the Atlantic side. Last year, the first time a team was sent from the Canal Zone, the local boys were rated by the L'nited Press as favorites

to win the tournament after winning their first game, 14-7. They were not as fortunate in succeeding games but ended up winning two and losing two. They did, however, break tournament records by

scoring the most runs in tournament play. Bruce Bateman set the highest batting average ever attained

in the tournament play, a healthy .600. Some of the leading baseball men in the Canal Zone felt that the team last year was severely handicapped by not having several days practice in Hershey before the tournament began. This is the reason for the decision to fly the team to Hershey this year, several days

before opening day for the tournament. Shown above are: left to right, kneeling: George Barbier, Charles Chase, Corbin McGriff, Peter Corrigan, Jr., Donald Humphrey, Jon McGraw, Charles French; standing, Peter Corrigan, Sr., manager, Joseph Godsey, Morgan Scho:h, Luigi Pernigotti, William Gibson. Norman Pedersen, Jr., Frank Ammirati, Theodore Webb, and Joseph Thompson, coach. John Engelke, an outfielder, was in the States when this picture was taken. He will join the team in Hershey.

which includes the towns of Gamboa,

Summit, Paraiso, and adjacent areas. Parts and equipment needed for this work

have been ordered and some have already

been received. The actual conversion- work is not scheduled to begin until the

latter part of this calendar year. The survey of domestic equipment in the Pacific area, comprising all communities south of Paraiso, which is being done

by the Electrical-Mechanical Branch of the Engineering Division, is entering its

final phases. The survey in Balboa will be completed early this month and the two teams now assigned on this work will move to Ancon immediately afterwards.

It is expected that the survey of the equipment in the remaining homes in the

Pacific area will be completed by October. Residents in the areas which have not

yet been surveyed have been reminded to give ample notice before leaving on vacation so that arrangements for the survey and listing of their electrical equipment

can be made during their absence. The first 60-cycle current to be used on the Atlantic side under the conversion program is being supplied through a fre- quency changer at the Agua Clara Diesel

Station. The installation of three of the generating units for the Gatun station is nearly complete, but the distribution of 60-cycle current from there will be de- layed until the installation of the main

transformers and switchgear. The deliv- ery of this equipment has been delayed

several months by the recent strike at the Westinghouse Electric Company plants.

Delivery of this material is now scheduled

to begin this month.

Other Work Progressing

Work is well advanced on two other power-conversion contracts held by Bil- don, Inc. This firm has now completed

the installation of a power feeder to the Coco Solo Hospital which will supply 60- cycle current during the conversion work

there and will later provide emergency

electrical service to the hospital.

The other contract is the installation

of heavier transmission line conductors from Madden Hydroelectric Station, to Miraflores Substation. The contractor has completed the reinforcement of exist- ing towers and the installation of footings

for new towers in the Paraiso-Miraflores

section and will begin the stringing of new aluminum conductors this month.

The replacement of transmission lines from Madden to Summit will be started within the next three months.

Two additional contracts are scheduled

to be advertised for bids within the next few weeks. These cover the construction

of a new Substation at Summit and the conversion of the Madden Hydroelectric

Station operating equipment. Specifica- tions for these projects are now in course

of preparation and invitations for bids

will be issued within the next few weeks. Another phase of the power-conversion

project the replacement of towing loco- motives for the Locks is presently under

consideration. Bids for the replacement program were opened in March. An agree- ment has been reached for a 60-day ex- tension for additional study of the proposals received from the International General Electric Company and R. G. Le- Tourneau, Inc.
THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW July 6, 1956

Zonians Welcome

New First Family

There's more to a change of Governors

of the Canal Zone than simply moving in behind the big desk in the northwest room

of the Administration Building's second

floor. A new Governor is nominated by the President of the United States and the nomination must be approved by the

Senate. Once nominated and approved,

he is sworn in. Maj. Gen. William E. Potter, twelfth Governor of the Canal Zone, took the oath of office May 28, in the Pentagon

office of Secretary of the Army Wilber

M. Brucker. At the top left the oath is administered by Secretary Brucker while Assistant Secretary of the Army, George H. Roderick, watches. Secretary Brucker

is Stockholder of the Panama Canal Company and Mr. Roderick, the Chairman of

its Board of Directors. The Governor of the Canal Zone is ex officio member of the Board of Directors and President of the Panama Canal

Company. One of his first official actions was to meet with the Board's Budget

Committee. Members of the Committee

and officers of the Company appear at the center left. Seated are Robert P. Burroughs, Maj. Gen. J. L. Schley, Governor Potter, Ralph H. Cake, Budget

Committee Members, and Edward A. Bacon, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army. Standing are three Company offi- cers: Philip L. Steers, Jr., Comptroller;

Lt. Gov. H. W. Schull, Jr., Vice President; and W. M. Whitman, Secretary.

Moving to the Canal Zone is just as much of a problem for a Governor as for any other new employee, albeit it is at- tended by a bit more ceremony.

Above, Governor and Mrs. Potter leave

the gangplank of the SS Cristobal to greet a group of welcomers on the dock. Below,

left, the Potters and their daughters at home in the roomy old Governor's House,

admire the two macaws, Johnny and Duff,

who are the latest addition to the family.

Suzzie, who will be a senior at Balboa

High School in the fall, holds a baby Capuchin monkey which is her particular

pet. Jo Ann, who was graduated in June

from Brownell Hall in Omaha, will attend Bucknell University in September.
July 6, 1956 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW

Consolidated Personnel Services

Is Job Of Central Labor Offices

The Central Labor Office in Balboa

and its Atlantic side branch in Cristobal

are now just exactly that -central labor

offices. Anyone who is looking for a job in the Canal Zone, whether the job is that of doctor or cowbarn hand, now starts from

the Central Labor Office. There is no more running from pillar to post to make

applications, to fill out forms, and to be

"processed," which is what personnel

people call being photographed and fingerprinted and registered.

To make things even simpler, the address of each of the central labor offices

is Roosevelt Avenue. The main labor

office is in Building 69, on Balboa's banyan-shaded Roosevelt Avenue. The

Cristobal Labor Office is in the basement

of the Red Cross Building, on Roosevelt Avenue, of course. This easy-to-remember state of affairs may not continue much longer, however. As soon as an adequate fireproof concrete

building is available, the Pacific side

office hopes to leave its Roosevelt Avenue

location and assemble in one location, safe from fire and flood, its irreplaceable

files and records of all the personnel of the Company-Government organization, as

well as those of other agencies in the Canal Zone which participate in the Central Labor Office program. Consolidation and integration of this type of personnel services for U. S. -cit- izen applicants and employees, and of applicants and employees who are paid

at locality rates was started about a year ago by the Employment and Util- ization Division of the Personnel Bureau. And it is this Division which

staffs and is responsible for the operations of the central labor offices. The Division's job is, basically, exactly

what its name says: Employment, or hiring, and Utilization, or use, although the

Division's Chief, George F. Welsh, says

it can't be said as simply as that. Beside the actual hiring of all Company-Government employees, the Employment part of its duties includes employee recruitment here and in the United States, the restoration to the Canal service of those returning from

military service, and the transfer of any

employee within the organization or to and from other government agencies.

The men and women who work on this end of things have to know where in the United States and where on the Isthmus

they can find qualified new employees to meet the Canal's need to staff the 480

job categories covering more than 1,000

job titles probably one of the most complex recruiting problems of any private

or Government agency in the Unit?d

States -and they must be familiar to the

last dotted i or crossed t with the govern- ment and civil service regulations which

govern the majority of Company-Government jobs. Just as Employment is more complicated than hiring, so Utilization is more than simply the use of an employee, Mr. Welsh days. Utilization, in his words, is an operation to assist both

employing units and applicants and

employees in obtaining the most benefits, employment-wise, from the experBRANCH HEADS get together frequently with the Chief of the Employment and Utilization Division, George F. Welsh, seated. Standing, left to right, are John H. Terry, U. S. Citizen Records; Charles H. Crawford, Central Labor Office; James A. Yates, Utilization and the Civil Service Unit; Charles Garcia, acting Employment Branch head in the absence of Otto W. Helmerichs; and George V. Daniels, Non-U. S.-Citizen Records and the Disability Relief Section.

ience and qualifications the applicants

and employees can bring to the job. For instance, when John Doe went to work as an engineer on one of the Navigation Division's harbor tugs, he listed his vocation as a marine engineer and his avocation as a licensed radio operator. Suppose one day the radio operator on

the sea-going tug Taboga becomes ill at

a time when the Taboga is called out on

a rescue or salvage job. John Doe, in such a case, may suddenly find himself temporarily relieved from his harbor tug

and on his way to sea aboard the Taboga,

relieving the ailing radio operator.

There is nothing particularly mysterious about the way the Employment and

Utilization Division managed to find him. The special and unusual talents- -the secondary and tertiary skills—of each employee who claims them and who can

prove his claim are filed by subjects in a special case at Building 69. On not more than a minute's notice, the Division can locate an employee who speaks Swedish, German, French, or Italian, or any

one of a dozen other languages, a physiotherapist who holds a teacher's certificate

CLARENCE H. BROWNE

Manager, Cristobal Labor Office

and can become a recreation teacher in a

pinch, or a boilermaker who is a qualified

journeyman in another craft. These secondary and tertiary skills are being listed not only for United States

citizens but also for employees who are paid under the prevailing local wage scale. With the consolidation of the Employment and Utilization Division and

the old Central Labor Office Division a year ago, employment policies and pro- cedures became the same for all Company-Government employees, regardless of citizenship.

The few differences are those established by law Public Law 600 and Civil Service retirement, for instance and

legislation now being considered which,

if passed, will remove most if not all legal restrictions to a unified personnel

program.

Nearly everyone who applies for a job with the Canal organization now fills out an application and everyone is considered

alike for any job for which he can qualify

through training and experience. In addition to a thorough review of experience

and training, in some cases a job applicant

is tested as to his clerical, typing, or sten- ographic skill, mechanical or mental abilities and comprehension. To the same

extent employees being transferred, re- assigned, or promoted must meet the

qualification standards of the job. All of

this is done at the two labor offices. The application forms for locality- rate employees are new. They are avail- able in either English or Spanish and most of the Division's personnel are bi- lingual and able to assist an applicant in

filling out the forms. Prospective employees may learn of job

openings in a number of ways; one of the simplest is through the Transfer-Vacancy

Bulletin which is issued biweekly. In this bulletin available positions are listed for

all Company-Government units, regardless of whether the jobs are at United

States or locality rates of pay. The only

jobs not listed on the biweekly bulletin are those for unskilled or semi-skilled

labor. The grapevine is, (See page 11)
THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW July 6, 1956

FOR YOUR INTEREST AND GUIDANCE IN^ACCIDENT PREVENTION

CAUSE AND CURE

I ALLS account for a big percentage of

all work-injuries. There are certain hazards which account for a large percentage

of these falls. Here is a quick, spot re- mmder about falls to stick on your mental

bulletin board —

FLOORS . . Clean up wet spots. AISLES.- Keep them clear. LADDERS Place them securely. LITTER.. ^Pick it up. STAIRS. _ Walk, use hand-rail. QUIZ

Yogi Berra, Rocky Marciano, Duke

Snider, Nellie Fox, Mickey Mantle- familiar names, aren't they? You probably

know all about them too, don't you?

But, quick, do you know their/fr.s< names?

That's a little puzzler that ought to stop

you for a minute or two.

It also illustrates a pretty important

point. You probably think you know

everything about the hazards of your job

and how to protect yourself against them.

But take a minute and take a look at your job—every phase of it. Do you

HONOR ROLL

Bureau Award For BEST RECORD

MAY

HEALTH BUREAU

CIVIL AFFAIRS BUREAU

AWARDS THIS CALENDAR YEAR

Civil Affairs 4 Health 4 Engineering and Construction 1 Supply and Employee Service 1 Transportation and Terminals 1 Marine

Division Award For NO DISABLING INJURIES

MAY

COMMISSARY DIVISION

HOSPITALS AND CLINICS

SERVICE CENTER DIVISION

DREDGING DIVISION

INDUSTRIAL DIVISION

ELECTRICAL DIVISION

RAILROAD DIVISION

MOTOR TRANSPORTATION DIVISION

STOREHOUSES DIVISION

AIDS TO NAVIGATION

SANITATION DIVISION

AWARDS THIS CALENDAR YEAR

Aids to Navigation 5 Motor Transportation 5 Sanitation 5 Service Center 5 Storehouses 5 Commissary 4

Electrical 4 Hospitals and Clinics 4

Industrial.. 4 Railroad 4 Dredging 3 Maintenance 3 Navigation 2 Housing and Grounds 1 Terminals - 1 Locks

really know all the hazards? Do you

really know all the safe practices? Do

you have all the protective clothing and

equipment that you need?

If you're still stumped by the question

about first names, see bottom of page.

If you're not sure of the questions about your job, you may be headed for an

accident.TRUE OR FALSE?

Traffiquiz No. 1

1. All there is to crossing a street cor- rectly is to walk to the corner, wait for the green light, and cross. Answer—False! Because . . . You may cross at the corner, and you

may have the light with you, BUT, if you want to stay alive, you have to watch

carefully for cars turning the corner!

2. Most pedestrian fatalities are wild

kids who pay no attention to safety rules. Answer— False! Because . . . Three out of five pedestrians killed are over 45! Older people should remember

that they are not as spry as they once

were. They should be extremely careful when crossing, whether they have the right-of-way or not!

3. A great many older people are killed in traffic accidents when crossing streets

in familiar neighborhoods, near their own

homes. Answer True!

Because . . . The familiar streets seem to make

people overconfident, and they act out of habit while daydreaming. These fatalities often happen in early evening and

late at night, when traffic isn't especially

heavy, but is generally fast. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx fovw pub x

X 'qOOEf 'UTMpg; 'O00CJJ 'OOUOiMBq X

4. Most youngsters are safe enough in their own residential neighborhoods. It's when they go to business areas that they run into trouble and get hit. Answer—False! Because . . . Most young children are hit in residential areas and in midblock! Parents - watch your children at play ! ! ! Keep

them off the streets. Home training is your child's best protection. Drivers—

Expect children anywhere ! ! !

5. Traffic signals at an intersection make it safe for a pedestrian. Answer—False! Because . . . Statistics show half the pedestrians hit at intersections are hit at intersections equipped with traffic signals—many of these were crossing against the signal. Cross only with the signal.

6. In the cities, more people are killed while riding in cars than are killed while walking.Answer—False! Because . . . In cities, 5 out of 9 deaths are pedestrians. In addition, injuries to pedestri- ans are much more likely to be fatal than

in the case of car occupants injured.

7. The greatest number of pedestrian- deaths are caused by walking against a red light? Answer—False! Because . . . Crossing against a red light is extremely

dangerous, of course, and causes many

deaths. However, the greatest number of pedestrians were killed while crossing

streets in mid-block.

It should have taken you less than five minutes to answer this quickie Traffic- quiz . . . But, on the street, the lowest

passing grade is 100 percent. If you make

one mistake—you could get DEAD!

MAY 1956

Health Bureau

Civil Affairs Bureau

Supply and Employee Service Bureau

C. Z. Govl.-Panama Canal Co. (This Month)

Transportation and Terminals Bureau

Engineering and Construction Bureau

C. Z.Govt.-Panama Canal Co. ( Last 3-Year Av. I

Number of Disabling Injuries 10

Disabling Injuries per 1,000,000 Man-Hours Worked

i Frequency Rate)

10 20 30

Man-Hours Worked 2,326,532 LEGEND

Amount Better Than Canal Zone Government—Panama Canal Company Last 3-Year Average

Amount Worse Than Canal Zone Government—Panama Canal Company Last 3- Year Average

Rftjftgt&l Accumulative Frequency Rate This Year
July"*, 1956 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW

Official Panama Canal Company Publication

Published Monthly At BALBOA HEIGHTS, CANAL ZONE

Printed by the Printing Plant

Mount Hope, Canal Zone

W. E. Potter, Governor-President

H. W. Schull, Jr. Lieutenant Governor William G. Arey, Jr. Public Information Officer

J. Rufus Hardy, Editor

Eleanor H. McIlhenny

Assistant Editor

SUBSCRIPTION—$1.00 a year SINGLE COPIES—5 cents each

On sale at all Panama Canal Service Centers, Commissaries, and Hotels for 10 days

after publication date.

SINGLE COPIES BY MAIL—10 cents each BACK COPIES—10 cents each

On sale, when available, from the Vault

Clerk, Third Floor, Administration Building, Balboa Heights.

Postal money orders should be made payable to the Treasurer, Panama Canal Company, and mailed to Editor, The Panama

Canal Review, Balboa Heights, C. Z.

DEPUTY COMPTROLLER

STEPHEN VAN NESS POWELSON, former Controller for the International Cooperation Administration to Austria, was appointed Deputy Comptroller

of the Panama Canal Company last month. He is

a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Master's

Degree in Business Administration. In his spare time—whatever spare time the father of four young

children has!—he enjoys water skiing and has done

a lot of it. In Austria he did both figure skiing and

jumping on water skiis, and is interested in getting

a similar hobby group started here.

OF CURRENT INTEREST

REPLICAS OF Panama's famed golden frogs will be presented to her sister Rainbow Girls this month

by Martha Stevenson, above, of Gamboa. A member of the Balboa Assembly, Order of Rainbow for

Girls, and editor of its monthly magazine, Pot of Gold, she is now in San Antonio, Tex., to attend the Supreme Session of the Order. She is representing the Cristobal Assembly of the Order as well as her own. Each of the girls attending the Supreme Session brings with her an item typical of the area from which

she comes and "swaps" these for items brought by the other girls. Unable to take 150 live golden frogs with her, Martha has made ceramic replicas of the little amphibians from El Valle and has painted and

glazed them. The ceramic frogs are mounted with pins so they can be used as lapel ornaments. With

each frog will go descriptive material. Martha is 17 and will enter her senior year at Balboa High School

in the fall. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mi's. William J. Stevenson.

A five-cent bottle of milk is now available

to these children in the Canal Zone schools who eat their lunches in the school cafeterias or in those sections of the Panama

Canal Service Centers where school lunches

are sold. Put up in half-pint bottles, it is being sold

at the special low price under a program

sponsored jointly by the Health Bureau and

the Supply and Employee Service Bureau. The milk was first placed on sale in April

in the school lunch section of the Balboa

Service Center. It immediately became so popular that the Canal organization decided

to place it on sale in all school lunch centers. At present it is available to the child- ren in the Latin American schools, which

are now in session. In September, it will again be placed on sale in all Canal Zone

school lunch centers. The five-cent bottles contain reconsti- tuted milk which has the same properties as fresh dairy milk and has the endorse- ment of the Health Bureau as a nourishing

and wholesome product recommended for inclusion in the daily diet of children and

adults. It is also available in the Canal Zone Commissaries in quart bottles.

An American flag which has been flown over the Capitol of the United States is the main part of the Fourth of July display

set up this week in the ground floor of the Canal Zone Library-Museum in the Civil Affairs Building. The flag was presented to the Canal Zone Government June 14 by the Canal Zone American Legion organizations.

It was obtained through Sam Rayburn,

Speaker of the House of Representatives,

and the American Legion National offices

in Washington at the request of the American Legion Department of the Panama

Canal Zone. The flag and the other items in the Inde- pendence Day exhibit will remain on display over the week-end.

The Panama Line Ticket Office in Balboa has been transferred from its previous location in the former Dispensary Building on The Prado to Room 243 in the Administration Building at Balboa Heights. The

change and the transfer of the three employees in the ticket office to the Administrative Branch was made last Monday.

The transfer will permit a better coordination of the work involved in the issuance

of travel authorization papers, steamship

tickets, and stateroom assignments for employees and their families. Payments may

also be made in the same office. The new

arrangement is expected to be more con- venient for these traveling on Panama Line

ships.

Money orders can be purchased with

speed and dispatch at the local Canal Zone

post offices now that the Postal Division has adopted a streamlined method of

issuing money orders. The new system went

into effect July 1 with the use of a redesigned card money order form similar to that used by the United States Post Office Depart- ment at first and second-class post offices. Instead of the old complicated system

under which the purchaser filled out a money order application and the clerk transferred the information to the money

order form, the purchaser now indicates the amount wanted to the money order clerk. The clerk writes in the desired amount and

validates the money order. The purchaser

has only to fill in the name and address of the person or firm to which the money is to be paid, together with his own name and

address.

It is expected that the new system will cut down the length of the lines at the money order windows and will save time both for the customer and the money order

clerks.

Relief in the heavy traffic congestion at one of the most troublesome spots on the

Pacific side came this week with the opening of a new short street connecting Frangipani Street directly with Tivoli Crossing.

The flow of traffic from several directions

at the Tivoli and Frangipani Street grade

crossings is expected to be further improved by the installation of signal lights. The contract for these installations has been

awarded and the work will be done when

equipment is delivered.
THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW July 6, 1956

CRISTOBAL PIERS jut out from the mole. They provide more than a mile of berthing space and about

15 acres of covered pier space. Approximately 2,000 of the Canal's employees depend directly on port operations for their livelihood.

Port Operations In Cristobal Provide

Jobs For Majority Of Atlantic Siders

were unloaded there. Considering the port facilities then and now, the amount

of cargo handled during the early Canal

work was staggering.

During the first five years about 23,- 000,000 tons of general cargo and rail- road track material were handled in addition to 1,700,000 board feet of lumber, 190,000 crossties, and over 300,000

feet of piling. The amount of cargo

stevedored in the fiscal year 1955 was

772,000 tons, as compared with the av- erage annual rate of nearly 5,000,000 tons from 1904 to 1909. Another period of high jinks at the Port of Cristobal occurred just before and

during World War II. The volume of cargo was well above 2,000,000 tons a

year from 1940 through 1943 and the sit- uation was badly complicated by disruptions to shipping by enemy submarines

and the subsequent use of the convoy

system. This would bring a flood of vessels into port at one time and the amount

of cargo to be handled fluctuated wildly

from week to week.

It was during this period when the

available cargo storage space on the Cris- tobal piers -normally far in excess of de- mands became so badly overcrowded

that it became necessary early in 1942

to embargo all ports against the receipt

of transshipment cargo. This restriction was lifted after about one month but the movement of shipping and cargo into and

out of the port continued at top speed

until after the war ended. Aside from its importance as the Canal's terminal, much of Cristobal's importance derives from transshipped cargo. Located at the junction of some of the

principal trade routes of the world, the

port is one of the most important in the world for this type of commerce, operating essentially as a free port where cargo may be unloaded and transshipped free of import restrictions. The relative importance of this trade

is directly reflected by tonnage figures. In the fiscal year 1955, approximately

one-third of the 465,000 tons of cargo unloaded was reloaded and shipped out

to other ports. While more people are engaged In handling cargo than in any other specific activity at the port the Terminals Division is the second largest of the Canal organization cargo handling hinges, like all other direct or re- lated operations, on the efficient handling of shipping in the port. This is a function of the Port Captain's office of the Navigation Division. Seventy-eight

of the 114 U. S.-rate employees and 219

of the 478 local-rate employees assigned

to this office are directly engaged in port

operations. The others are mostly pi- lots or seamen assigned to transit duty.

A ship entering or leaving the port has

its first or last contacts with the Port

Captain's Office. The handling of a ship

at Cristobal is substantially the same as the procedures at the Port of Balboa

which were described in some detail in the March issue of The Review.

Aside from handling many more ships

than at Balboa, there are certain other

differences between the two ports. Since

the Panama Line is the principal shipping service for the Canal Zone, the handPort operations at the Canal's Atlantic terminal far overshadow any other single business activity on the Atlantic side. Approximately 2,000 of the Canal's employees are directly dependent on Cristo- bal port operations for their livelihood. Many others, such as employees of shipping agencies, are also directly affected, while the jobs of many thousands of others both on the Atlantic side and else- where in the Canal Zone and the Republic of Panama hinge to some degree on

the level of port activities. The Panama Canal Company's payroll

for these 2,000 employees is now running

at an annual rate in excess of $5,000,000

and the force employed represents nearly

one-fifth of the entire Company payroll.

This dominant position in Panama

Canal operations and in the economic life of the Isthmus is easily comprehensible

by examining some of the shipping statistics. For the past three or four years more

than 10,000 ships of all categories have

gone in and out of the harbor annually.

Most of these, naturally, are ships

which transit the Canal without docking. However, in the fiscal year 1955 there were 310 ocean-going ships which

entered the harbor, but did not transit. These include the large cruise ships

with thousands of passengers; freighters which have Cristobal as one of their ports of call in the Caribbean; and such

ships as the Panama Line vessels, which

have the port as their southern terminus. Cristobal is not only the principal port

of entry for the Canal Zone and the Republic of Panama it is one of the most

important transshipment points in the

world. It is estimated that about 90 per- cent of the cargo for Panama comes

through the port. Additionally, all the

ships needing repair go to Cristobal and most of those buying fuel tie up there

because of the difference in price there and in Balboa. The Port of Cristobal dates back to November 1851 when the first two commercial steamers were driven into Limon

Bay by bad weather and unloaded several hundred California-bound gold seekers at the wooden piers the Panama Rail- road Company had built. Since that time

the port has been the principal artery of commerce for the Isthmus. During the first half century of its existence the port was periodically subjected to violent "northers" which played

hob with its facilities and any shipping

in the bay. The past half century has been characterized more by economic

storms than those of nature. The first of these economic upheavals

occurred during the early Canal construction psriod when almost every new employee and nearly every ton of freight

LITTLE THAT goes on in the Port of Cristobal is not known to these two. John T. Clancy, left, is Chief Customs Inspector for Cristobal. Capt. John

Andrews, Jr., USX, is Captain of the Port.
July 6, 1956 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW

ling of these ships involves more work

than that of most other vessels. The

Port Captain's Office now maintains

radio-telephone communications with all three ships for 48 hours out of port. The

office also furnishes weather reports for the entire Caribbean area to all vessels leaving port for sea. Hurricane maps are furnished in season. These reports and

maps are prepared by the Navy's hydrographic service and are delivered to the

ship captains with clearance papers. The Port of Cristobal has acquired a reputation for its prompt and efficient handling of shipping, surpassing in most

respects services provided at other large world ports. Ships are boarded, passed,

and docked on a 24-hour schedule. There

are two pilots on harbor duty from 6

o'clock in the morning until 10 o'clock at night and one for the remainder of the 24 hours. On busy days the harbor pilots

sometimes handle as many as eight ships

in one watch. The Port Captain's office provides

pilotage, tug assistance, and similar

service for all vessels, except local traffic, docking at Coco Solo, and its men

board the relatively few small vessels entering Colon waters from countries

other than Panama. The Port Captain

is also responsible for all marine emergencies in the harbor; has charge of the

explosive's dock at Mindi; and assigns

pilots upon request to ships outside the breakwater.

A business in Cristobal harbor which

has been increasing recently is the handling of large tows. The shipping of bulk

cargoes by tug and barge is a relatively new service in Canal waters and is more

time-consuming in port than the handling

of freighters, since pilotage and tug assist- ance are provided.

To handle the heavy flow of marine

traffic in the harbor, the Navigation Division maintains a sizeable fleet of small

vessels of its own. This includes the tugs

Alhajuela and Trinidad, and the sea-going

tug Cardenas, all equipped for fire fighting; a fire boat and launch in Gatun Lake;

seven passenger launches; three launches

for passenger and utility service; two work launches; and the police launch Paja.

An important function of port operations is the work of the Customs Division. The work-load of the Cristobal Customs

Office is several times that in Balboa be- cause of the much greater amount of cargo unloaded and number of passengers dis- embarking in Cristobal. The office per- forms the required immigration functions

for the port and the Customs Chief is also Shipping Commissioner. The personnel

of the office consists of 20 employees who

are on duty on a round-the- clock schedule. The importance of the Port of Cristobal was greatly increased six years ago when

all of the ship repair facilities of the Industrial Division were transferred from Balboa. The shops at Mount Hope provide

modern equipment and skilled craftsmen

for all types of marine repair work. Repairs and other service are provided for more than 1,000 vessels in a normal year's operations.

Although the Navigation, Terminals,

Customs, and Industrial Division are the

units most directly concerned in port operations, there are few units of the Canal

organization which are not indirectly affected and many of these have a part

of their personnel assigned on a full-time basis on work at the port. The physical characteristics of CrisCRISTOBAL IS UNIQUE among world ports for its cargo handling since it operates 16 hours a day, seven days a week, while most ports only handle cargo eight hours a day. It is also one of the most important transshipment points of the world. Modern cargo handling facilities are available for most types

of freight. Three of the men who direct operations are shown on the pier while unloading operations are

in progress. Facing the camera, left to right, are: B. I. Everson, Transportation and Terminals Director; John \V. B. Hall, Chief Stevedore Foreman; and A. E. Beck, Superintendent of the Terminals Division.

tobal Harbor are much simpler and the

port facilities more concentrated than

those of the Canal's Pacific terminal.

From a high aerial view or on a map

the harbor roughly resembles a deep

cup or wineglass faced toward the Caribbean. The wide end of the cup is all but closed by the two long breakwaters

which stretch from Toro Point on the west and Margarita Point on the east. The harbor covers several square miles with safe anchorage for many more vessels than are ever expected at one time. The explosives anchorage is to the west

of the breakwater entrance, while other

large dredged anchorages are provided on

either side of the Canal channel. These

have a minimum depth of 42 feet, so that

the harbor is capable of accommodating

the largest ships afloat. During the past war as many as 85

ships were anchored in the harbor at one

time, and port authorities estimated that

MARINE BUNKERING operations are a vital pert

function. During fiscal year 1955, 2,002 vessels were bunkered at Cristobal. Above is Walter G. Laurie, Foreman for the Oil Handling Plant at Cristobal.

200 vessels, including small ones, could

be accommodated.

The principal port facilities, except for the Industrial Division and Oil Handling

Plant, are clustered along and near Cris- tobal Mole. This is a long finger of filled land projecting from Cristobal Point at

right angles to the shoreline. Here are located all of the principal cargo and pass- enger piers. They are Nos. 6, 7, 8, 9, and

10, each being about 1,000 feet long ex- cept No. 10 which is on the shore of Cris- tobal Point. They provide 545,900 square

feet, or nearly 15 acres, of covered area

in transit sheds. The general cargo piers have more than

a mile of berthing space, sufficient to ac- commodate as many as 14 average-sized

freighters at one time. The piers are of masonry construction and are equipped

with all modern facilities for handling

cargo, including cranes, elevating forklift trucks, conveyors, stackers, tow trucks,

and cargo dollies. The efficient handling of cargo is a source of great pride to all connected

with the operation. Cristobal is one of the few ports in the world where cargo handling is done more than eight hours

a day. Cargo handling services are

available there 16 hours a day for seven days a week. Cargo can be handled at the rate of 20 to 22 tons an hour, and

the rate of discharge from ships compares favorably with that of any port

in the United States. Planning for the present-day port facilities in Cristobal began 50 years ago, but

only the construction of the breakwaters was begun during the early Canal construction period. Because of the storms which had beset the harbor in the pre- ceding half century, the Board of Consulting Engineers on the Canal construction recommended in 1906 the construction of the two breakwaters. Another

plan was recommended two years later by Maj. William L. Sibert, Division Engineer. A board composed of Col. H. F. Hodges, Col. D. D. Gaillard, and Adm.

H. H. Rousseau was appointed to study

the problem and in 1908 sub- (See page to)
10 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW July 6, 1956

C. Z. School Children

Have Average Teeth,

First Survey Shows

The dental health of the children in the Canal Zone's United States schools is average or better than average, Dr. Lewis

E. Fontaine reported in a detailed sum- mary of the first dental survey ever made

of Canal Zone children. Dr. Fontaine,

Chief of Dental Services for the Health

Bureau, was in charge of the survey which began in January and was completed in April.

His report covered only the children in the United States schools since the Latin

American schools were in recess for the long dry-season vacation during most of the time the dental survey was underway.

A similar dental survey for the children

in the Latin American schools was begun

late in May and was completed about the end of June; statistics from that survey had not been compiled at the time this

issue of The Review went to press. Parents of all of the children who have

been found in need of dental attention have been notified by the school nurses. A total of 4,955 children, from kinder- garten through sixth grade, were examined

during the dental survey of the United

States schools. The survey teams found

that 38 percent of the children either had

no dental defects, which meant that they

have been receiving regular dental treat- ment, or had never had a dental problem.

Kindergartens and fourth-grade pupils

had the highest percentage of good teeth, with 56 and 55 percent respectively.

The children in the United States

schools averaged two fillings apiece, and

there was an average of 1.5 decayed teeth among those in need of dental treatment.

Dr. Fontaine's report stated that the

children's dental health will be even better in the future, with continued fluoridation of the water and with periodic dental examinations and treatments.

Porl Operations In Cristobal Provide

Jobs For Majority Of Atlantic Siders

(Continued from page 9) mitted a recommendation which was adopted and followed. There has been one change in this

characteristic feature of Cristobal Harbor

since. The east breakwater was originally only 6,200 feet long, leaving a gap

of some 6,500 feet on the shore side. This gap was closed during the early part

of World War II by the U. S. Navy to provide calmer water for planes landing

at the Coco Solo Naval Station. Both breakwaters now stretch more

than two miles from shore with an en- trance 2,000 feet wide directly in front

of the pier area. Final plans for the Cristobal terminal

facilities were not completed and ap- proved until 1910. During the early

planning stages of the Atlantic terminal

it was proposed to have a large anchorage

basin for the port just south of Gatun

Locks. This plan was changed and the 1910 proposal provided for a mooring

basin one-half mile wide fronting the

piers. This also was later changed and

this area has never been used as a commercial anchorage.

Concrete Mixers From Madden Dam,

Old Generators, Junked For Scrap

SALVAGED from the spot where they have been lying for the past 20 years, concrete mixers that were

used during the construction of Madden Dam are broken up to swell the Canal Zone scrap collection.

Over three and a half million pounds of scrap, including some items discarded over 20 years ago, were collected in the Canal Zone between January 1 and the

early part of June. The scrap collection was the result of an intensified drive started at the beginning of the present calendar year to take advantage of the current high prices offered in the scrap market. As usual, the bulk of the scrap collec- ted was what the Division of Storehouses

calls ferrous -or having an iron base

as differentiated from non-ferrous scrap, which is primarily non-iron. Between January 1 and June 12, the scrap collection brought in 1,650 tons, or 3,300,000 pounds of ferrous and 225,000

pounds of non-ferrous scrap. This was

well above the average for some time. In their search for scrap, employees of a numbei' of Panama Canal Company

Divisions turned up some long-forgotten

items. These included several old concrete mixers and the dollies on which they were hauled. The mixers and the dollies had been used during the construction of Madden Dam in the early part of the

1930's. After the dam was completed, the

concrete mixers were abandoned near the junction of Madden and Gamboa roads. When the scrap drive started several months ago, some of the Maintenance Division employees remembered the aban- doned mixers and found them where they

had been left 20 years or so ago. From the former Gamboa gravel plant, scrap hunters salvaged pipes and beams

to swell the ferrous scrap collection, while discarded and damaged forms, in which

huge concrete blocks had been cast at Gamboa to armor Cristobal breakwater,

provided more tonnage for the scrap heap.

A good part of the non-ferrous scrap came from the Armed Services, but some

of that from the Canal organization were

electric motors which had been scrapped

in anticipation of the power conversion,

together with the old generators from the Gatun hydroelectric station. According to Storehouse officials, the scrap drive will be continued for some

time. Last month they issued a memorandum "to all concerned" asking that they be notified of any equipment or arti- cles which could be scrapped economically.

Failure To Yield Road

To Emergency Vehicles

Violates Traffic Rules

Failure to yield the right-of-way to an emergency vehicle, such as a piece of

fire equipment enroute to answer an

alarm, is a violation of the Canal Zone

traffic regulations which is punishable by

a maximum sentence of 30 days in jail or a $100 fine, or both, officials of the Canal Zone Fire Division reminded the public

last month.

The requirement that other drivers must yield the right-of-way is contained

in section 5.62(a) of the Traffic Regulations, which provides:

"Upon the immediate approach of an emergency vehicle equipped with at least one lighted lamp exhibiting red light visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of 500 feet to the front

of such vehicle other than a police vehicle when operated as an emergency vehicle and when the driver is giving audible sig- nal by siren, exhaust whistle, or bell, the

driver of every other vehicle shall immediately drive to a position parallel to, and

as close as possible to the right-hand edge

or curb of the roadway clear of any inter- section and shall stop and remain in such

position until the emergency vehicle has

passed, except when otherwise directed by

a police officer." An incident of this sort occurred early

in June when the big pumper from the Balboa station was enroute to answer an

alarm in Los Rios. The driver of a private

car failed to yield the right-of-way at Corozo Crossing. The pumper was forced

to pull almost to a complete stop to avoid

running into the rear of the other car. The driver was later taken to Balboa

Magistrate's Court and fined $15.
July 6, 1956 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 11

Medical Tariff Changes

Were Effective July 1

Several modifications in the Canal Zone

Medical Tariff became effective July I. Among these was the discontinuance of charges for visits to the first-aid stations. Other principal changes were revision

of daily rates at Gorgas and Coco Solo Hospitals to include laboratory services with no separate charges; establishment

of separate rates for Corozal Hospital;

revision of funeral charges; and discon- tinuance of charges for laboratory tests, such as blood chemistry tests and gastric

analyses, for out-patients attending the various clinics. Simultaneous with the announcement

of the changes in the medical tariff, Col. Charles 0. Bruce, Health Director, an- nounced that the Red Cross Blood Bank

program had been so successful at both

hospitals that it would no longer be nec- essary to charge $25 per pint for fresh blood used in transfusions.

Consolidated Personnel Services Is Job Of Central Labor Offices

Foreseeing What' s Ahead Is Job

Of Economist For Canal Company

(Continued from page 5) of COUrSe, not

discounted as a source of information

about available jobs although its reliabil- ity is sometimes questionable. In the bygone days, personnel-wise,

eligibility cards were issued to all local- rate employees seeking jobs in the Canal. Now the use of the cards is being limited with the Canal organization to semi-skilled occupations, unskilled laborers, and "mass referrals,"

when a dozen or more men of this occupational type are sent out to a

large construction or maintenance job.

Prospective employees of the Armed

Forces, other government agencies, or of contractors working in the Canal Zone

are given eligibility cards by the Division's Central Labor Office Branch before they report to the employment office of the agency concerned. Under its present organization, the Employment and Utilization Division is made up of the Employment Branch,

which also includes the Civil Service unit which performs its special functions for the Canal Zone Board of Civil Service Examiners for all government agencies in the Canal Zone; the Central Labor Office Branch; the non-United States Citizen Records Section, which includes Disability Relief Section; and the United States

Citizen Records Section which also in- cludes Civil Service Retirement and Government Employees Insurance.

All of these are now under one roof with two exceptions. These are the Cris- tobal Labor Office and the United States

Citizens Records Section which remains

in the Administration Building until there

is room for its 4,700 in- and out-of-S3rvice

files in a larger home for the Division. "Since the reorganization of the Employment and Utilization Division last July," Mr. Welsh says, "much progress has been made toward standardizing and

extending uniform p?rsonnel regulations,

procedures, and practices to both U. S.- citizen and locality-rate employees. "In view of the continuing nature of

this expanded personnel program and the emphasis being given to the application

of the most advanced and comprehensive

techniques available, it is anticipated that much more progress will be made as the program continues."

HUGH A. NORMS

As Economist, he looks ahead

The crystal-ball department of the Panama Canal Company is located in an ordinary-looking office on the third

floor of the Administration Building at Balboa Heights.

Unlike its carnival counterparts, there

isn't a dim light, black cat, or astrologer's chart in the place.

Soothsayer-in-charge of this headquarters for prophecies is Hugh A. Norris who

qualifies for The Review's singleton series because he is the Economist for the Canal Company.

A major part of his job has to do with

forecasting trends in Canal traffic but

occasionally he is called on to make

what he calls an "educated guess" on

every phase of the Company's activities —from the number of housing units

which will be needed in I960 to the vol- ume of freight the Panama Line will carry to and from Haiti five years from

now.

Like his office, the implements of his trade are prosaic enough. They are shelf after shelf of books and pamphlets and

government reports, and stack upon stack

of newspapers and magazines.

Here's an example of what he runs into

in his day-by-day study of trends: Several years ago a new and productive iron ore field was opened in Peru. Canal traffic swelled as shipment after shipment of the ore went north to steel plants in the United States. But how long will this flow of ore continue? Will Venezuela re- place Peru as a major source of ore, pro- vided the Orinoco River is dredged to accommodate big ore carriers? Will the development of new ore fields in Labra- dor detract from the South American

sources? As Economist, Mr. Norris attempts

to predict Canal traffic with some ex- actness two years in advance, for budget purposes. But frequently he is asked to make long-range predictions

for long-range planning. Recently he was asked to predict the number of ships likely to transit the Panama

Canal in the year 2000. He came up

with a figure of approximately 13,000. In his probings into the field of world

economics, Mr. Norris concentrates on

the probable movement of and demand

for the 11 commodity groups which make

up approximately 75 percent of the car- goes carried through the Panama Canal. These are: metal ores, mineral oils, lumber, coal and coke, wheat, iron and steel products, nitrates, phosphates, canned

foods, sugar, and bananas. At the moment, he is attempting to determine how long the present heavy

shipments of scrap metal from the United

States east coast to Japan, via the Canal,

are likely to continue. Scrap shipments now are building up to the record levels

of the days just before the beginning of World War II. Trade through the Canal to the Far

East increased gradually after the end of the war until 1954, when it dropped off suddenly. It is again rising, largely be- cause of the traffic in scrap. Economics, Mr. Norris says, is not

the exact science that chemistry is, for instance. There are too many "if's" involved. From the Canal's comprehensive records it is fairly simple to determine what has happened in the

past, but it is not so easy to tell what

will happen in the future. Mr. Norris was born in what is now

Gorgas Hospital and graduated from Bal- boa High School with the Class of 1940 and from the Canal Zone Junior College

in 1942. He began an apprenticeship as a wireman but the war and his service in the Air Force interrupted this. After the war ended, he began to lead

a double life. Nine months of the year

he attended Bradley University in Peoria,

111., and during the summers he worked

here as a wireman. After several years of

this, he earned his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and his Master's

in Economics. He has been the Canal

Company's Economist since March 1954. Like all of the Canal singletons to date, he thinks his job is the most interesting

in the Canal organization (They're all wrong; working on The Panama Canal

Review is!) And he even hopes that his four-year-old son will follow him into the

field of economics.

FELLOW GRADUATES

MRS. KEITH LANE and her son, Guy, of New

Cristobal, are the first mother-and-son pair ever to graduate together from a Canal Zone High School. They received their diplomas last month at graduation ceremonies at Cristobal High School. Guy, 17.

will go on to the Canal Zone Junior College next year. Another Lane, David, has just finished his first year

at the University of Utah. With the two boys in college and other young Lanes still in school. Mrs. Lane says she'll just have to wait her turn for college.
12 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW July 6, 1956

70 New Firemen Start Intensive Training

As Zone Fire Fighting Is Consolidated

An intensive program of training began

this week for 70 locality-rate firemen who

will staff the consolidated fire stations in the Canal Zone. The firemen were se- lected from over 1,000 men who applied

for the jobs. When their two-month

training period is completed, the firemen

will be assigned to the 14 Canal Zone

stations under the direction of United

States citizen officers. Before they were appointed as firementrainees, the 70 new employees were

screened carefully by the Employment

and Utilization Division of the Personnel Bureau and then interviewed by the Chief of the fire district to which they were assigned.

The training program planned for the new firemen will be directed by Chief W.

H. Casswell in the Cristobal District, and

Chief W. E. Jones in the Balboa District. Capt. W. G. Dolan, who occupies the newly-created post of Supervisory Drill- master, will coordinate and monitor the

training program in both districts. Captain Dolan has just returned to the Fire Division after several years as Chief of Civil Defense for the Canal Zone Government. The firemen trainees will spend their

first six weeks undergoing a basic fire- fighting course. This will include instruc- tion as to how to handle everything from

grass fires through grease fires in kitchens

to ship fires. The 17 firemen who are to be stationed on the Atlantic side are being

trained there, while the 53 Pacific side firemen are getting their training at the Balboa station. Know Their Towns

After this basic training, the locality- rate firemen will be given some instruction in how to drive and operate the

division's pumping equipment. This

course will be followed by a week in which

each locality-rate firemen will familiarize himself with the town, post, or base to which he is assigned. He will learn the

streets, main buildings by type and location, the whereabouts of fire alarm boxes,

and such potentially hazardous locations

as shop areas, paint storage sheds, and

oil handling areas. After they have finished the intensive

training, the locality-rate firemen will be

given further in-service training during

their probationary period which will last until they have completed a full year with

the Fire Division. At the end of the first

six months, they will take a written ex- amination and thereafter will take part

in the continuing training given by the

Fire Division to all of its members. This

training consists of classes and drills. Employment of the locality-rate fire- men and their training program are part

of the consolidation of all fire-fighting activities in the Canal Zone. The consolidation, which was effective this week,

will ultimately bring under the Canal Zone Government a total of 14 stations,

eight of which were foi merly operated by

the armed services. Each of the military

services for which the Canal Zone Government performs fire fighting duties will reimburse the Canal Zone Government

for this service. The consolidated fire-fighting activities

and two of them will be assigned to each

district. The new captains are P. F. Gra- ham, A. J. Mathon, J. A. Taber, and E.

L. Cotton. New lieutenants are C. F. Hallett, K. R. Coleman, and S. L. Churchill from the Canal organization,

and D. W. Lowe and R. J. Douglas,

transferred from the Navy fire organization. Rodman, Cocoli, Coco Solo

WILLIAM G. DOLAX

Fire Drillmaster

are headed by two district chiefs, W. E. Jones in Balboa and W. H. Casswell in Cristobal. Four former Fire Division lieu- tenants have been promoted to captains

The first armed-services fire stations transferred to the Canal Zone Govern- ment were the Navy stations at Rodman,

Cocoli, and Coco Solo. This transfer of operations also involved the transfer to the Canal Zone organization of 36 locality rate firemen and five U. S.-citizen firemen who had been on the Navy rolls. Also

effective on July 1 was the manning of the Gatun fire station with U. S.-citizen

officers and locality-rate firemen. When the training of the new firemen

is completed, the Canal Zone Government's Fire Division will absorb the re- maining Army and Air Force fire stations. The Navy and Air Force will retain re- sponsibility for crash fire-fighting in con- nection with their aircraft, the Navy will continue to handle fires on its own vessels and all of the armed services will do fire- preventive and inspection work in their own areas.

Crowd Attends Paraiso High School Dedication

KEYS TO THE new Paraiso High School, latest of the buildings incorporated into the Latin American

school system, were presented last month at a short impressive dedication ceremony in the school library.

In his presentation speech, Lt. Gov. H. W. Schull,

Jr., pointed out that more than $3,000,000 had been devoted to education in the Canal Zone during the

fiscal year. "Health and education together," he said, "con- sume 60 percent of the Canal Zone Government

budget." The building and its facilities, Colonel Schull said, "represent progress and opportunity," but moreover

they represent the "determination of the Canal Zone Government to maintain strong scholastic institutions which offer the student a proper basic education

for his future." At the conclusion of his talk, Colonel Schull handed

the keys to the new high school building to its principal, Ellis L. Fawcett. Mr. Fawcett accepted them

on behalf of the school while Cyril Atherley, Vice

President of the Paraiso Civic Council, made the

acceptance for the community. At the left, Colonel Schull presents the keys to Mr. Fawcett. Above, is part of the crowd which

overflowed the library and listened to the dedication from outside.
July 6, 1956 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 13

Bound Sets Of REVIEW

May Now Be Obtained

Bound sets of the first five volumes of The Panama Canal Review may now

b? obtained on order. These five volumes

include all issues from the first in May

1950 through that of July 1955. Because of the limited number available, orders will be filled first for Company-Government offices or units, and

secondly for individuals or other outside

agencies. Requests for bound sets from

individuals will be filled in the order re- ceived. The Review* are bound in attractive

fabricoid with The Review flag, volume

numbers, and dates impressed in goldleaf on the front cover and face. The first set includes Vols. 1 through 3, and the second set includes Vols. 3 and 4. These bound sets cost $11.50 each, or $23.00 for the two sets. Individuals who so desire may have all five volumes bound in a single cover for $17.00. Individuals may specify covers

in red, green, or black, with the latter being furnished unless otherwise ordered. Company-Government units placing

orders should do so by written memorandums, giving charge account numbers.

Other orders should be mailed direct

to the Editor, The Panama Canal Review, Balboa Heights, C. Z., accompanied by money orders made payable to the Panama Canal Company. Individuals

placing orders should indicate if they desire all volumes bound in a single cover, since all other orders will be accepted

only for volumes bound in two sets.

Canal Oldtimer Presents

Rare Magazines To Library

More than a dozen magazines -some

of them more than a half century old

were added recently to the Panama Collection of the Canal Zone Library through

the kindness of a Canal oldtimer. The magazines, and two old pictures, are the gift of Frank E. Greene of Detroit, Mich. He joined the Canal force

in 1905 and was a clerk in the old Accounting Department when he resigned

in 1918. During a visit to the Isthmus for the dedication of the Goethals Memorial in March 1954, he looked over the library's collection of books and magazine articles on the history of the Canal Zone and the construction of the Panama Canal.

"Since his return to Detroit," according to Mrs. L. B. Burnham, Librarian, "Mr. Greene has been most helpful in sending us valuable magazines and clip- pings covering construction days and also

in attempting to influence other members

of the Canal Zone groups in the States

to send material or to make us 'heirs' to such material if and when it should no

longer be needed." His latest gifts were the May 1906

issue of Everybody's Magazine; eight

issues of The Independent, dated from

1905 to 1909; and four issues of Outlook

for 1905 and 1906. In addition, he sent

the library two small pictures of the Colon railroad station and the Hotel Washington. These had been given to him by John C. De La Vergne of Long

Island, whose grandfather had worked on

the Railroad during the 1850's.

Long Range Plan To Move Air Force

Activities To Howard Is Announced

Announcement of a long-range plan to

transfer Air Force activities from Albrook

to Howard Field with a maximum interim use of the latter for air craft operations was made last month.

The plan was outlined in a letter from

George H. Roderick, Assistant Secretary

of the Army and Chairman of the Board

of the Panama Canal Company. Excerpts

from the letter were read to the Civic Council representatives at their June

meeting, with Acting Governor H. W.

Schull, Jr. The removal of aircraft operations from

Albrook Air Force Base has been urged

for the past several years by the Civic Councils and other groups as a safety

Plant Appraisal Functions

Transferred To Accounting

The Plant Inventory and Appraisal

Staff of the Office of the Comptroller was

abolished as of June 30 and the remaining

functions transferred to the Accounting

Division under the supervision of the

Assistant Comptroller Accounting.

The continuing functions will be per- formed by two units the Plant Accounting Branch with Albert M. Jenkins as

Chief, and the Plant Evaluation and

Transfer Staff, of which Frank A. Bald- win is Chief. The latter is a small staff responsible

for developing the accounting for all transfers of properties between Govern- ment agencies, the inventorying of properties involved, appraisals as necessary,

periodic analysis of the adequacy of depreciation reserves, and the handling of any questions on details pertaining to the valuation study presently under review

by the Bureau of the Budget.

measure since the flight pattern for planes

leaving or landing at the field is over the Balboa schools and the most densely populated area of the town. The move has

also been urged by the Board of Directors

of the Panama Canal Company for the

past two years. The plan outlined in Secretary Roderick's letter was developed on studies made

by components of the Caribbean Command and was presented to the Secretary

of Defense by the Department of the Army as the executive agency of the command. He said the Department of the Air Force considers the ultimate reloca- tion of the Air Force activities from Al- brook to Howard Field a desirable long- range objective to meet future military

aviation needs in the Canal Zone. No exact schedule of dates for any

changes in the long-range plan has been announced. Secretary Roderick did say

in his letter, however, that "the Air Force

is able to consider funding only foi mini- mum rehabilitation of existing airfield

facilities at Howard Field as necessary to provide a capability to support current and emergency U. S. Air Force operations on an austere basis."

Nuclear Burst Over Gatun

(Continued from paqt 2) traffic in the

civilian communities of the Canal Zone

during the test will be handled by Canal Zone Police. The Civil Defense Chief has requested that the public cooperate

fully in the forthcoming test. Although vehicular traffic will be halted during the test, the exercise will not affect the movement of shipping in Canal

waters, the movement of Panama Rail- road trains, nor that of emergency vehicular equipment on streets and roads. George Green Park

BACKED BY a slender waterfall which tumbles down a steep rock face, George Green Park is dedicated

to the memory of the man who was the Canal's Municipal Engineer for over 25 years. It is located on Madden Road; the little park was one of his favorite spots. The monument itself is made from stone from Sosa Hill Quarry and was designed by Leo C. Page of the Architectural Branch. Funds to build

it were contributed by Mr. Green's friends and associates. The memorial was dedicated to January' 1951.
14 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW July 6, 1956

PROMOTIONS AND TRANSFERS

May 75 through June 75

Employees who were promoted or transferred between May 15 and June 15 are

listed below. Within-grade promotions are

nol listed.ADMINISTRATIVE BRANCH

George K. Hudgins, Jr., from File Cleik

to Mail Clerk. Sidney Temple, from Passenger Traffic Clerk, Transportation Section, to File Clerk, Records Section. CIVIL AFFAIRS BUREAU

Mrs. Dorothy W. Cotton, from Clerk- Stenographer to Secretary (Stenograph)),

Office of the Director. Gaddis Wall, from Police Captain, Detective, to Detective Captain, Police Division. Gerald F. Fox, from Student Aide to Recreation Assistant. Division of Schools. OFFICE OF THE COMFIROLLER

Charles A. McArthur, from Accountant

to Auditor, Internal Audit Branch. ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION

BUREAU

Milford K. Bailey, from Foreman to Lead

Foreman, Plant Engineer, Maintenance

Division. James A. Hoverson, from Foreman to Lead Foreman, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, Maintenance Division. Walter A. Marek, from Pipefitter and

Plant Engineer to Plumber, Maintenance

Division. John L. Dougan, from Machinist and

Plant Engineer to Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic and Plant Engineer,

Maintenance Division. Herschel N. Johnson, Jr., from Service Mechanic to Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic, Maintenance Dhision. Jack A. Muller, Electrical Engineer, from

Plant Inventory- and Appraisal Staff to Engineering Division. Ocus S. Kleinfelder, from Contract Offi- cer to General Engineer (Specifications),

Engineering Division. John E. Davis, from Civil Engineer to General Engineei, Engineering Division. Leon M. Warren, from Architectural Engineer to General Engineer. Engineering

Division. George T. Darnall, Jr., General Engineer, from Plant Inventory and Appraisal Staff to Engineering Division. Richard O. Egger, from Apprentice Wire- man to Wireman, Electrical Division.

Ira M. Payne, from Machinist, Locks

Overhaul, to Construction Inspector, Contract and Inspection Dhision. James F. Hood, from Powerhouse Operator to Senior Powerhouse Operator, Electrical Division. Austin E. Salter, from Wireman to Lead Foreman Wireman, Electrical Division. Robert H. Stewart, from Civil Engineer

to Geologist, Engineering Division. Walter W. Carlson, from Relief Dredging Foreman to Lead Foreman, Barge Service

Station, Dredging Division.

Lisle E. Gorham, Richard H. Evans, Russell W. Schmidt, Harlan P. Crouch, Julian

P. Hackett, from Telephone Maintainer to Automatic Telephone Communication

Equipment Maintenance, Electrical Division.John E. Winklosky, from Safety Inspector, Director's Office, to Construction In- spector l General). Contract and Inspection

Division. OFFICE OF GENERAL COUNSEL

Mrs. Irene S. Walling, from Stenographer

to Clerk (Stenography), Office of General

Counsel. HEALTH BUREAU

Dr. Evganie P. Shirokov, from Chief. General Surgical Section, to Chief, Surgical

Service, Gorgas Hospital.

Maj. John M. Kohl, from Assistant Chief

to Chief. Radiology Service, Gorgas Hospital. Dr. Jose A. Filos-Diaz, from Resident. Gorgas Hospital to Medical Officer, Coco

Solo Hospital. Mrs. Susan S. Smith, from Medical Technician (General) to Medical Technician

(General-Supervisory), Coco Solo Hospital. Dr. Dwayne L. Sargent, from Intern to Resident, Gorgas Hospital.

MARINE BUREAU

Lionel L. Ewing, from General Engineer, Plant Inventory7 and Appraisal Staff, to Admeasurer, Navigation Division. Joseph J. Zambito, from Machinist, Lock

Overhaul, to Towing Locomotive Operator,

Pacific Locks. Harold H. Fahrubel.from Electric Welder, Locks Overhaul, to Towing Locomotive Operator, Pacific Locks. Alfred V. Simonsson, from Boilermaker, Locks Overhaul, to Towing Locomotive Operator, Pacific Locks. SUPPLY AND EMPLOYEE SERVICE BUREAU

Gilbert A. Sollas, from Storekeeper I Receiving and Shipping), to Commissary Supply Assistant (Stock Control), Commissary

Division. Mrs. Dorothy C. Rose, from Clerk-Typist

to Clerk (Typing), Housing and Grounds

Division. Mrs. Janet M. Bienz, from Steward to Supervisory Steward, Service Center Division.TRANSPORTATION AND TERMINALS

BUREAU

Frederick J. Wainio, from Supervisory

Business Accountant to Supervisory Accountant, Tetminals Division. James A. Brooks, Merlin B. Yocum, from

Supervisory Cargo Checker to Supervisory

Cargo Officer, Terminals Division. Mrs. Cecile G. Marceau, from Cargo

Clerk to Cargo Clerk (Typing), Terminals

Division. James A. Barrett, from Supervisory Cargo

Assistant to Supervisory Cargo Operations

Assistant, Terminals Division. Lynn T. Hornaday, from Supervisory

Cargo Clerk to Supervisory Cargo Assist- ant Terminals Division. Arthur B. Rigby, from Yard and Road

Locomotive Engineer to Yard and Road

Conductor. Railroad Division.

JULY SAILINGS

From Cristobal Panama . . J illy 7 Cristobal .--July 14 Ancon - July 21 Panama July 28 From New York

Cristobal July 5 Ancon July 12 Panama July 1') Cristobal July 26 (North- and south-bound ships are in Haiti Mondays).

RETIREMENTS

Retirement certificates were presented

the end of June to the following employees

who are listed alphabetically, together with

their birthplaces, titles, length of Canal

service, and future addresses: Carl G. Brown, New York; Supervisory

Sanitation Inspector, Sanitation Division; 35 years, 11 months, 21 days; St. Peters- burg, Fla. George N. Engelke, Georgia; Assistant General Manager, Commissary Division; 44 years, 9 months, 26 days; Bentonville. Ark.Harvey W. Green, Missouri; Food In- spector, Division of Veterinary Medicine;

29 years, 2 months, 26 days; Panama, for the present. Joseph H. Michaud, Maine; SupervisoryFreight Traffic Officer, Railroad Division; 33 years, 6 months, 2 days; address undecided. Mrs. Reva Starke, Kentucky; Cash Accounting Clerk, Commissary Division; 30

years and 21 days; St. Petersburg, Fla.

ANNIVERSARIES

(apt Henry G. Ferri, one of the Atlantic- Side's senior Canal pilots, wins top spot on

the June list of anniversaries, by three days.

One of seven employees who rounded out 30 years of government service in June, his service date of June 7, 1926, puts him three days ahead of the next three —Leonard H.

Scranton, Mrs. Reva Starke, and Capt. Walter H. Kuhrt who share June 10 as

their mutual 30-year anniversary.

A native New Yorker, Captain Ferri first went to sea with the Navy just before and

during World War I. Then came years aboard Shipping Board vessels, and with

the United Fruit Company and the Nosa

and Waterman Lines. His first commands

were with the Nosa Line, whose routes be- tween the Gulf Coast and South America

took him through the Panama Canal. He

joined the Canal organization in May 1935. After the preliminary training assignments on docks and tugs which were part of pilot training in those days, he began his actual

pilot work in 1936. Off duty, Captain Ferri is an avid rummy

fan. He plays, his friends say, whenever he

can get a group together.

Captain Kuhrt, a Canal pilot, Mr. Scranton, Lead Foreman for Crane Operation and

Rigging for the Industrial Division, and

Mrs. Starke, Cash Accounting Clerk in the Commissary Division, have unbroken service not only with the Canal organization

but also with their respective divisions. Mr. Scranton, who comes from Madison,

Conn., went to work with the old Mechanical Division as a rigger the same day that Mrs. Starke began work as a commissary

saleswoman. This year's anniversary is Mrs. Starke's last; she retired the end of June and will live in Florida. Captain

Kuhrt, who was born in Tomkinsville, N. Y., entered the Canal service as a third mate in the Marine Division. He began his pilot training in 1934. George Washington Parker— hi- birthday

is February 22 which may have something

to do with his first two names—is next, chronologically, on the 30-year list. Now

a Control House Operator at Pedro Miguel

Locks, he began his Canal career on the

police force. He has been with the Locks

Division for the past 11 years. Mrs. Mildred Stone, who completed 30

years of government service on June 16, has been a telephone operator throughout most of her service, although for brief per- iods she inspected commissary coupon books and worked as an Accounting Division operative. She is now assigned to the Cris- tobal telephone exchange.

Last, by dates, of the June 30-year employees is Henry L. Donovan, Director of the Civil Affairs Bureau and one of the few

to have directed two Bureaus. He moved

to Civil Affairs in 1953 from the Community Services Bureau which he had headed

since its formation in 1950. Born in Brookline, Mass., he still has his Boston accent. He began his Canal career in what is now

the Engineering Division and has demonstrated his versatility by serving in such

widely different posts as 1 ead of Civil Defense during World War II and as the Canal's liaison man with the military during

the latter part of and just after the war.

25 YEARS

June brought Silver Anniversaries —for completion of a quarter of a century of gov- ernment service —to two women and two men in the Canal organization.

Miss Rebecca Kendall, known to all her

friends as Becky, has been on the Gorgas

Hospital nursing staff for 25 years; she is now a Nurse Supervisor. The other woman

who completed 25 years of ser\ice v as Mrs.

Isabelle C. Wolford, a Clerk-Stem grapher

with the Executive Planning Staff. She has had prior service with the Stotehouses,

Gorgas Hospital, and the Finance Bureau. The two 25-year men are Joseph M.

Cooke who, as Designing Engineer, heads

the F^ngineering Division, and Melvin E. Walker, Manager of the Diablo Heights

Service Ceiter. Mr. Cooke is a comparative newcomer to the Canal service. The

bulk of his government service has been

with the Army Engineers. Mr. Walker be- gan his Canal career with the Canal Zone
July 6,1956 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 15

RP Roasted Ground Coffee

Available In Commissaries

Coffee which is roasted and ground in Panama is now being procured by the Commissary Division from three local supply sources and is available in all U. S.- and local-rate commissaries. This is the first time that ground

roasted coffee has been purchased here

for retail sale. Heretofore the Commissary Division has bought green coffee and roasted and blended it. The Commissary's own packaged blend, such as Tivoli and Mocha, are also available.

Police; he has been with the Service Centers since 1945.

20 YEARS

Nine of the twelve employees who completed 20 years of Government service last month have worked with the same Canal

unit during their entire service and seven

of the dozen have unbroken Canal service. Those with continuous Canal service and,

coincidentally service in one division only,

are: Shirley E. Clymer, Clerk-Stenographer with the Housing and Grounds Division; Fred A. Dube, Orthopedic Technician at Gorgas Hospital; Alton J. Hayward, Machinist, Industrial Division; Irl R. Sanders,

Jr., Head Foreman for the Terminal Division's dock and pier maintenance; Gordon

A. Updyke, like Mr. Hayward a Machinist

in the Industrial Division; William Wall, Canal pilot; and Aloysius S. Zon, Policeman

with the Balboa District. Other 20-year employees are: John T. Burns, Chief Towboat Engineer with the Navigation Division; Gordon Graham, Supply Requirements Officer with the Store- houses; Rufus C. O'Neal, Traffic Controller

in Cristobal; Jack Pearson, Machinist, Gatun Locks; and Agnes T. Wilkinson,

Cash Accounting Clerk, Commissary Division. Mr. Burns, Mr. Graham, and Mr.

O'Neal have worked only with their respective divisions.

15 YEARS

The increase in employment just before World War 1 1 when The Panama Canal- Panama Railroad force (in June, 1941) totaled 33,254 compared to todav 's total of 14,077, is reflected by the number of employees who completed 15 years of Govern- ment service last month.

Of the 25 15-year employees, 13 have unbroken Canal service. Some of the re- mainder interrupted their Canal careers to serve in the military forces during the war. Those with unbroken Canal service are: Samuel D. Brinkley, Machinist, Mirallores Locks; Margaret C. Brenneman, Staff Nurse, Gorgas Hospital; Benjamin R. Brundage, Chief Towboat Engineer, Navigation

Division; Rufus L. Carey, Wireman, Pedro

Miguel Locks; Horace E. Coleson, Machinist, Mirarlores Locks; James C. Cros5, Commissary Supervisoi , Commissaiy Division; John M. Klasovsky, Control House Operator, Gatun Locks; Edgar H. Light, Quarantine Inspector, Navigation Division; C. J. O'Sullivan, Commissary Supervisor, Commissary Division; Wiliiam G. Slaughter, Auto Repair Machinist, Motor Transportation Division; Robert C. Walker, Chief, Internal Security Branch; Wilfred R. Waldrip, Commissary Supervisor. Commissary

Division; Margaret C. Yerkes, Procurement

Clerk, Gorgas Hospital.

Those whose service with the Canal or- ganization has been broken are: Gerald Brennan, Chief Towboat Engineer, Dredging Division; James A. Cruz, Signalman,

Navigation Division; James C. Cullen, Mechanical Engineer, Engineering Division; Thomas J. Egger, Customs Guard, Customs

Division; William D. Goodwin, Vardmaster,

Railroad Division; Robert W. King, Machinist, Pedro Miguel Locks; Leo J. Krziza,

Supervisory Administrative Assistant, Motor Transportation Division ; Robert W.

Lawyer, Policeman and Motorcycle Officer, Police Division; Ralph D. Robinson, Res- taurant Manager, Diablo Service Center; Spencer B. Smith, Signal Maintainer, Rail- road Division; Howard L. Wentworth,

Pilot; and Anthony G. Winkes, Electric Welder, Industrial Division.

Rewarding Days Ahead, Governor Anticipates

ONE OF THE first groups to meet with the new Governor was made up of representatives of organized

labor in the Canal Zone. Left to right, above, are: John F. Rice, a fireman and second vice president

of the Central Labor Union; Fred H. Hodges, First Engineer of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers; Louis S. Damiani, Secretary of the Operating Engineers, and first vice president of the Central Labor Union; Curtis L. Coate, Labor Representative on the Wage Board; Rufus Lovelady, president

of the local American Federation of Government Employees and national vice president of the AFGE;

George T. Fitzgerald, president cf the Marine Engineers; Lt. Gov. H. W. Schnll. Jr.; Edward W. Hatchett, president of the Central Labor Union; and Gov. W. E. Potter.

(Continued from page 1) special attention to the diversity of the Canal operations and

the importance of employees functioning

as a team in accomplishing the principal mission of the Canal - that of transiting

ships from ocean to ocean. "The men and women who make up

the Panama Canal organization perform

a function of highest priority to our Government and of highest service to world commerce," he stated. "The complexities

involved in this important operation cover

highly technical work and the entire range

of normal community living. "For many obvious reasons it is essential that this group work with precision

and efficiency. This teamwork hinges

heavily on that very human factor we

call morale. I hope to center much of my efforts to the end that the morale of

all our employees and that of their families will be sustained at a high level. "The Canal organization has been put

to some rather severe stresses during re- cent years the war period and the sub- sequent readjustment to peacetime operations, and since then the reorganization

which has affected the living and working

conditions of most of the employees.

"I foresee that further adjustments will be necessary in the near future as commitments of our nation under its treaty

with the Republic of Panama become

effective. To the extent possible the re- quired changes will be made with mini- mum of disarrangement possible to the

lives of our employees.

"One of the principal objectives of my

administration will be to keep you fully informed in advance of any changes to be made.

"It has been a great pleasure to meet many of you personally during the rela- tively short time I have been on the Isthmus. I shall continue to extend my

personal acquaintance, particularly among

the people of the Canal organization. "As I face my four-year term as administrator of this important organization, I look forward to serving with you

and for you. I hope each of you will give me your confidence in all matters affect- ing your jobs and your living conditions. And, I pledge you my best efforts to your

welfare and to the continued success of the Panama Canal and its allisd operations."

Employee-Purchased Bonds

Now Show Date Of Payment

Information indicating when payment

for a government bond was made or completed is now shown on the face of bonds

purchased by Company-Government employees under the payroll deduction plan.

The additional data made its first appear- ance on the bonds last month.

The plan was suggested by Bertha I. Frensley of the Comptroller's Office. Authority to include the additional infor- mation on the face of the bond was obtained from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The ending date of the pay period in which the bond was purchased or during

which payment was completed, in the case

of bonds purchased by installments, ap- pears directly above the Issue Agent

number and date of actual issue, like this: Pay period ending 6-2-56

U. S. Savings Bond

June 15, 1956

Issue Agent 2-83

This example shows that payment for

this particular bond was made or completed from the employee's salary for the pay period ending June 2, 1956, even

though the bond was not actually pro- cessed and issued until June 15. No change has been made in the issue date of the bonds. This is a separate

imprint and determines the redemption

date.
16 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW July 6, 1956

teL SHIPS *nd SHIPPING ^j^t

Transits By Ocean -Going Vessels In May

1956 1955 Commercial 703 698

U. S. Government 25 24

Total.

.

728 722

Tolls* Commercial . . . .$3,215,786 $3,080,281 U. S. Government . 1 15,389 73,345

Marine Directors

Total. ..$3,331,175 $3,153,626

'Includes tolls on all vessels, ocean-going and small. A U. S. Coast Guard Cadet Practice Squadron with 325 Coast Guard Cadets

on board made its first visit to the Canal Zone during the past week as part of its annual summer training cruise to inter- national waters. The squadron arrived here July 2 from San Juan, Puerto Rico,

and will leave today for Havana, Cuba,

the final port of call during the first phase

of the Cadet's cruise. The entire squadron is under the command of Capt. Fred

P. Veterick, Assistant Superintendent of the Coast Guard Academy. Capt. C. C. Knapp is Deputy Squadron Commander.

Enough birds and animals to more than

stock a zoo or a circus were passengers through the Canal late last month, en

route from Australia to Charleston and

New York. The animals were aboard the SS Pioneer Glen. The shipment included 40 camels, 100

wallabies, nine crates of swans, three

crates of ostriches, and one case of echid- nas—the remarkable, nocturnal, burrowing mammals which live "Down Under,"

have spines mixed with their hair, and

eat ants. The animal shipment was only one of several unusual cargoes carried through

ihe Canal in June. Listed as part of genOPERATIONS of the Canal itself were the subject of long discussions last month between incoming and outgoing Marine Directors of the Panama Canal Company. Capt. Frank A. Munroe, Jr., left, Marine Director since May 1953, is leaving July 10 for his new post as Administrative Officer of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Wash. His successor, Capt. Warner Scott Rodimon, came to the Isthmus from command of Destroyer Squadron 8 of the United States Atlantic Fleet.

eral cargo manifests on several ships were

these items: Three-and-a-half tons of horseradish, three tons of crayons, 21

tons of "lacker" ware from Japan, 60 tons

of bones, and out of season as it may

seem 16 tons of Christmas decorations from Holland en route to Los Angeles,

and 25 tons of the same item from Japan

to New York.

A first visitor to Isthmian waters last month was a Cuban naval training ship, the 2,300-ton frigate Maximo Gomez. The

Big Tow

HEADED for rejuvenation in a Norfolk, Va., shipyard, the venerable (24-year-old) Matsonia was towed

through the Canal recently. She was one of the largest "dead" tows ever to be taken through the Canal. Transit of the 24,762-ton, 605-foot vessel was coordinated by the Marine Controllers who checked

her passage through Locks, Cut, and Lake. The dead ship had three' Canal pilots aboard and was assisted, altogether, by five Canal tugs although at no time were more than three tugs alongside her. The tug .4rrai- jan took her from the outer anchorage at Balboa to Miraflores Locks, the Gatun from the outer anchorage to Gamboa, the San Pablo from the outer anchorage to Cristobal, the Cuhbra from the north end

of Miraflores Locks to the south end of Gatun, and the Alhajuela from Gamboa to Cristobal. The ship, which ran during the war as the transport Monterey, is to be refitted on the east coast and returned to the

Pacific to serve on the San Francisco-Hawaii run.

training craft arrived in Cristobal harbor June 25 and left June 28. She was under

the command of Comdr. Humberto Cancio, and had aboard a complement of 227.

Approximately 10,000 visitors took

advantage of open house aboard the huge

aircraft carrier Franklin D. Roosevelt last week when the carrier docked at Balboa

for its second Isthmian visit.

New Yearly Record Also Established

(Continued from page i) barley. The large

number of tankers and ore ships moving

through the Canal in May was principally

responsible for the record amount of cargo and the average of over $4,500 per ship

in tolls. This average was considerably

higher than that for the fiscal year. While there have been occasional ship- ments of dry cargo in tankers through

the Canal in past years, the movement

of five large tankers in such trade in one month was unusual. The shipments, averaging well above 15,000 tons of barley, were enroute from Canada or the United

States to north European ports.

Oils, Ores Up

The heavy shipment of oil, metals, and

ores reached the highest levels of any

year in the postwar period in the fiscal year 1956. The 12-month average ton- nage of petroleum and petroleum products of 600,000 tons was over twice that of four years previous. A similar increase has been shown in the amount of iron ore and metals, with tonnage in these commodities being more than doubled in a four-year period.

The most significant trend in the move- ment of shipping over the various trade routes in recent years has been the in- crease in the tonnage of vessels in the route between Europe and South American west coast ports. The net tonnage

for the past fiscal year reached nearly

300,000 a month as compared with an

average of less than 175,000 tons a month

in the fiscal years 1952 and 1953.