Omaha daily bee., 1912-10-14
ISTHMIAN TRAFFIC GROWS
Shipments Across Panama and Te-
huantepec Show Increase.
RAILWAYS DO BIG BUSINESS
Some Interesting Information ms TO
Trade Already Established Be-
fore Canal is Com
p1eted.

WASHINGTON, Oct. i3,--Commerce be.
tween the eastern and western coasts OF
the United States by way Of the 18TH
muses. Of Panama and Tehuantepec shows
a remarkable growth In recent years.
Figures Just made public by the bureau
OF foreign and domestic commerce of the
Department of Commerce and Labor
show that this traffic has trebled In Value
In the last four years. Prior to 1907 all
ern and western coasts Of the United
States by way Of the isthmus utilized
the Panama railway. At the beginning OF
1907, however railway line 100 miles
in length was opened across the Isthmus
of Tehuantepec in southern Mexico. con-
structed with special facilities for trans
ferring merchandise from vessel TO rail-
way and railway to vessel. and since that
date this traffic, on both the Panama
and Tehuantepec railway lines, has
grown very rapidly and amounted In the
fiscal year 1919 to s125.Ooo0Oo in value
against $S6.o00Oo0 In 1905. These figures,
which include only domestic merchan-
disc passing by way Of the isthmus be-
tween the eastern and western coasts Of
the United States Qncluding, however
Porto Rico as among the eastern and
Hawaii among the western ports) suggest
that still greater growth In this traffic
between the eastern and western coasts
Is likely to develop with the opportunity
for vessel shipments without breaking
bulk at the isthmus which will come with
the opening of the Panama canal.
TehuAntnepec Responsible.
The chief growth in this coast to coast
traffic by way of the isthmus has de-
veloped. as above indicated. since the
opening of the Tehuantepec railway. The
total value of shipments from the At
lantic coast ports to the Pacific coast
ports In the year ended June 30. 1908.
the first fiscal year including full years $
operation OF the Tehuantepec road, was
SIS. 10000, of which over $i300O,0OO passed
by way Of the Tehuantepec road. BY
1912 the total had grown to $6s5OpOOO OF
which little over $5S,oOO.Ooo was by way
OF Tehuantepec.
The value Of merchandise passing from
Pacific coast ports to Atlantic coast ports
by way Of the isthmuses was, In the
fiscal year. 1908. $1s, $4,000, Of which about
SIS, 1913, 900 passed by way OF the Tehuan-
tepec road. In the fiscal year. 1912. this
total had grown to practically S5, 900,
Of which little less than $45, 100000
crossed by the Tehuantepec line.
Sugar from Hawaii.
Practically all of the sugar sent from
Hawaii to the eastern coast OF the United
States goes by way OF Tehuantepec and
forms considerably more than one-half OF
the eastward movement OF domestic mer-
chandise from the Pacific coast to the
Atlantic coast by way Of the Tehuantepec
road; while merchondise from the eastern
coast bound for the Hawaiian islands
forms approximately 10 per cent of the
westeward movement Of domestic mcr-
chandise across the Tehuantepec road.
The charpcter of articles forming this
large traffic between the eastern and
western coasts by way OF the Isthmuses
of Tehuantepec and Panama is shown by
t1Oio ioSueu oy tHS bNisiOH ol otAuS-
tics Of the Bureau of Foreign and Do
mestic Commerce. This table shows that
of the 81, 10000 worth OF merchandise
passing from the Atlantic coast to the
Pacific ports Of the United States in July
and August, 1912. to nearly s2.0ooeOO. and
the remainder miscellaneous articles in
large variety, chiefly manufactures. The
MERCHANDISE from the Pacific coast des-
tined to the Atlantic ports, includes, as
above indicated. sugar from the Hawaiian
islands forming about one-half Of the
total OF sS,oD00C0 during the two months
cnded August 81. 1912: the remainder be-
ing chiefly fruits. canned vegetables,
canned salmon, WOOL copper ore. and
wines