Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1914-03-27
WHAT PANAMA CANAL MEANS.
Great Time Saver to Ocean Going
Vessels and How Tolls are Fixed

AiiuS ocean NOlnE
Vessels and How Tolls are Fixed.
The adage that "time is money
never has been more forcibly illus
trated than in the methods employed
to fix the rate of tolls which shall be
charged vessels passing through the
Panama Canal. There are numerous
elements entering into the rate of
Sl.2O per net register ton which has
been proclaimed, but chief among
these elements is the question of time.
South America has long been a bar
rier to more than half the commerce
of the world. Ships have used the
route around the southern tip of
South America for centuries, freight
has been transhipped by railroad and
mule across the Isthmus of Panama
for half century and for nearly as
long u time, freight has been tran
shipped across the Isthmus of Tehu-
antepec, the lower tapering stretch
of Mexico. But of all effective de-
vices to overcome the natural obstacle
of the South American continent, the
Panama Canal promises to be mos,
effective. IT vii, shorten shorten most Of tn,
Commercial routes of the world. The
nations of the earth have been linked
more closely together.
Vessels bound from New York to
the west coast of South America will
have their voyage shortened greatly.
A vessel bound from New York to
Valparaiso, Chile, will save 3,747
making 9 knots an hour will sve II
days on that trip. A vessel bound to
Callao, far north on the coast of
South America, and therefore a short
er distance from New York as the
crow flies, will save $3.50 miles or %
days for knot vessel. Ships bound
from New DIRK to San Francisco will
save 36 days; from Liverpool to Val
paraiso, Is days; from New York to
Melbourne, II days; from Liverpool
to Melbourne, days; from New York
to Yokohama, 16 days; from Liver
pool to Singapore, 81 days.
Professor Emory Johnson, in pre-
pairing a report on the subject of
tolls, made complete distance tables
showing not only the actual miles
that would be saved vessels using the
Panama Canal, but the time in hours
that vessels of different speeds would
save.
An exhaustive inquiry among
steam ship owners revealed the fact
that it costs about 10 cents per day
per net register ton to move mod
ern freight vessel. Although scores
If operating sheets were examined,
the operating cost was found to be !
nearly ten cents per net ton per day
in all instances and the general aver
age ascertained is almost exactly 10
cents.
Having found these different ele-
nents, the fixing of tolls became a
natter of arithmetic. Obviously, if it
sosts 10 cents per day to move a net
register of ocean freight, the ship
owner can afford to pay 10 cents to
save a days operation. The ship
sailing from New York to Valparaiso
saving II days steaming time, could
afford to pay $1.7O for the privilege
of passing through the Panama Canal.
A higher toll would make it cheaper,
so far as this single element is con-
cerned, for the vessel to adhere to the
old Cape Horn or Straits of Magellan
route, Consequently. there is limit
alton on the amount of tolls which
can be collected.
Out of the great shipping average
of savings, it was found that the
greatest amount of shipping prob
ably would be attracted to the Pan
anna Canal by toll slightly in excess
Of 81 per ton and the exact rate of |
$1.2O, subject to change by Presi-
Dental order, finally was decided
upon.
Owing to the greater safety of the
Panama route, ship owners will make
an additional saving through their.
ability to purchase insurance at lower
rates than when they risked their
vessels in the uncertain weather that |