Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-08-28
Probably viii Carry More Than
100000 Tons by
1915.
NHERE are other considerations
involved in the question Of Pan
anna canal tolls than those re-

involved in the question Of Pan
anna canal tolls than those re-
lating to foreign treaties and
domestic railroads. For example. there
is the problem Of making the big ditch
self sustaining.
No one has made more exhaustive
study of the Panama canal tolls than
Professor Emory r. Johnson Of the
University of Pennsylvania, who was
member of the isthmian canal COM
mission from 1899 until 1904 and was
appointed by President Taft in 1911
special commissioner to report on Pan
anna canal traffic, tolls and the meas
urement Of vessels. He is also the au-
thor Of the report to the isthmian ca
nal commission on the industrial and
commercial value Of the isthmian ca
nal in 1901.
His preliminary statement. prepared
at the behest of the president and the
secretary of war. has just been pub
lished by the government. 1t CON-
prises the first five sections Of his more
extended report, which Is to appear
later. He also contributes to the Au-
gust issue of the North American Re-
view an article entitled Panama Ca
nal Traffic and Tolls" and the state
ment which follows incorporates the
conclusions of DR.. Johnson as express
ed in these two publications.
Will Cost $15,000,O00 Per Year.
DR.. Johnson directs his inquiry first
to tile annual revenue from the canal
necessary to meet the charges Of oper.
alton and the interest upon the invest
ment. The maintenance of the canal,
it is estimated. will come to $4,OOO,OOO,
including the expenses of the zone gov
eminent. Placing the total Investment
at the conservative figure Of 1915, O00,-
600, the interest at per cent would
be $11.25OO0O. On this basis Of COM
putation it would be necessary for the
canal to earn $15,25OOOO year.
The question of what charge to levy
per ton upon the traffic requires for a
satisfactory answer complete knowl-
edge as to a. the amount Of available
traffic, (2) the effect tolls would have
to prevent traffic and 81 the prospec-
tive rate Of increase Of traffic. The
authors researches 60 to show that
had the canal been open in 1910 the
registered tonnage Of vessels that
might have used the waterway to adj
vantage would have been 8,32S,O29.
The chief items in this total of en-
frances and clearances are the 3,148,-
400 tons representing the commercial
intercourse of Europe with western
South America and that from the orr
entail countries east of Singapore and
Oceania. To take the forward look,
it Is estimated by a close study of the
rate of normal increase that the traf-
flc by 1915 would amount to total net
registered tonnage Of 1O,50O,00O. 1t is
declared conservative to put the rate
Of increase for the Panama canal at SO
per cent in decade. In the decade of
1910 the gain of the Suez canal was
not less than 1925 per cent
Saving In Coal.
Besides the relative distance by the
Panama canal as against competing
| routes, two important factors affecting
the volume of the traffic are the tolls
charged and the cost of the coal con-
| sumed. Panama with reasonable tolls
will get the traffic of Hawaii and of
the west coast of North and South
! America, but it is to be borne in mind
that the bulk Of commerce Of Pacific
Asia and Australasia will be readily
diverted to Suez if the charges at Pana-
ma are deemed excessive. ''The CON-
MERGE between the central or agricul-
tural portion of Chile and Europe
would probably be diverted from the
Panama canal through the strait of
Magellan by tolls of 81 per ton net
register We're it not that the vessels
engaged In this trade will desire to
pass up and down the west coast Of
South America to engage in the trade
at intermediate ports. An even greater
advantage which the Panama route
will have for shipping engaged in the
Chilean trade will be the
cheaper fuel costs. Vessels taking the
strait Of Magellan route from Chile to