Evening star., 1911-06-08
THE PANAMA CANAL.
KY When the Ships
Go Through.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

The canal commission already is look
ing forward to the time when the canal
is finished and ships are ready to go
through. The practical interest of the
shipping world is shown by the fact that
steamship lines already are making in
Quiries as to what the tolls are going to
be and for other information which will
enable them to adjust their affairs SO as
to be ready to use the big waterway at
the earliest opportunity.
1t is the desire Of President Taft to
have the tolls 80 fixed that it will be
more profitable for the ship owner to
send his vessel by way of Panama than
by Suez. The net ton charge through
Suez is about $50 per ton and vessel
with 1900 tons Of cargo would have to
pay $4,000 to pass through Suez 1t is
proposed to fix the toll on the Panama
canal at 81 per ton. On this basis
vessel with a 4.O00-ton cargo would pay
$1,000 less to get through Panama than
it would have to pay to go through Suez-
Of course. there can be no way of
definitely estimating the amount of traffic
that will pass through the canal, but
in 1900 a member of the commission. who
was well acquainted with the shipping
business of the world, estimated that
6.S0O,OOO tons net register would pass
and that this would increase 25 per cent
a year thereafter. He said it would take
years for shipping to readjust itself to
the new conditions. and that 1t was his
opinion that to make the tolls greater
than 81 a ton would drive business away
Such cargoes as lumber would be carried
around Cape Horn as at present, rather
than pay excessive tolls.
The total cost Of the Panama canal
will be 1878 900, 600, and at per cent
the rate at which
Total Cost Will Uncle Sam can
Be $375,ooo,ooo. tOrr0w t0,z VIII, moneyn 1nne;ye
an interest charge of $7,5OOO0O a year.
The cost of maintenance and operation
is expected to exceed $3,OO0,O0O a year,
so that the total expenses of operation
will amount approximately to $11 100000
a year 1t is not intended to charge the
American navy anything for the privi-
lege Of using the big waterway. At pres
ent 1t is the hope of the administration
that Congress will Professionally fix the
toll at 81 per ton, leaving it optional with
the President to change the toll as COM
mercial exigencies may seem to demand.
1t is the hope of the chief engineer that
the United States will make early provi-
sion for the maintenance of the canal. He
would have matters SO arranged that the
government could furnish everything re-
quired for the traffic through the canal
on a commercial basis. For instance, he
would have coal furnished the passing
ships as part Of the business Of main
tanning the canal A coaling station for
the navy will have to be maintained, and
this may as we'll be used to supply the
demands of commercial shipping. Col.
Goethals would not deny to private en-
terprise the right to handle coal or any
other essentials to the conduct of the
shipping business. He seeks only to have
a government plant operated at safe
margin of profit, so as to guarantee that
the use of the canal would not be rem
dered Improbable by excessive prices
ships might have to pay IL competition
were stif1ed.