Evening star., 1923-01-18
POINTS TOLESSON
| |NpANAMA CANAL
Col. Jay ]. Morrow Declares
Operation Is Proof of Gov
i ernmental Efficiency.

The Panama canal offers proof that
The government can and does sue
cessfully operate big business, Col.
DAY j. Morrow. Governor of the rama
ma Canal Zone, declared at a meeting
OF tho Washington Society OF CiVli
Engineers at the Interior Department
last night.
\ The canal is of paramount impor-
fance to this nations coastwlse busi-
ness, Gov. Morrow said, adding that
the most important trade through the
canal at present is that between the
two seaboards of the United States.
Traffic has grown to an average OF
about ten ships a day, each or the last
three months having established new
records for transits and tolls he
added.
THE Panama canal is not merely
an artificial waterway connecting the
two oceans" said Col. Morrow, but is
a vast business enterprise and a civil
government over a territory of nearly
500 square miles, with mixed popu-
lation, and all of us are. working with
the idea that service to the ships is
our prime mission. and all other func-
tionSs must be subsidiary to that.
Opposes Amy Change.
Awhile the slides are not now
serious menace. they would be if an
canal into Il sealevel canal. The
straits of Panama, proposition is moth
inS:tsmore than an alluring designa-
tort
No sea-level canal practicable of
construction could provide channels
of the present width or permit so
rapid a. transit as we now give.
In January. 1921. in two days time,
three vessels. some of them battle-
ships of the heaviest draft and beam.
ThiSa shows what can be done in an
emergency with our normal force,
designed for an average of about
eight vessels q day. Since then traf-
ftc has grown to an average of ten
ships u day. each of the last three
months having established success
SiNefS new records for transits and
Tor tolls. 1t is now fact that all
our expenses for operation, mainte-
nance and the manifold tasks of gov
ernmental administration call for
Just about half as much money as
We are turning into the Treasury
fhe canal is almost paying all ex-
renses incluuiug interest on the busi-
ness investment and amortization.
Tonnage shows Increase.
The net tonnage Of vessels using
the canal has increased from 1000, 900
tons in 1915 to more than 1000, 600
tons in 1922, and will almost GER
tainly exceed 10000. 900 tons in 1923.
our lockage capacity is 10000. 600
net tons of shipping per annum, and
II is estimated that our traffic will
not redch this volume until 1855
When il does We can add more locks
and can pay for them out of profits.
'Of the 1857 commercial vessels
which passed through the canal prior
TO November /, 1922, 81 per cent were
under the American flag, "a per cent
under the British. per cent Nor
weglan, per cent Japanese and l9
per cent all other nations. The ratio
from July ]. 1922, to November T.
ls22. was: American. A. per cent;
British. 32 per cent: Japanese. per
cent; Norwegian. per cent; all
others. Is per cent. 1t will be noted
that the japanese have taken third
place from the Norwegians, but by a
narrow margin.
The most important trade. and the
most rapidly growing trade, through
the canal at present is that between
the tWb Seaboards of the United
States. The canal is of paramount
Importance to our own country's eco
nomic business.
Railroad Invaluable.
THE Panama railroad and steam
ship line are auxiliary and neces-
Sary functions of the canal, as
much so now for successful operation
as they were for construction; they
have paid their way most Handsomely
and will doubtless continue to do so
when the depression of the last two
years clears up.
The canal and the community con-
nected with it are the finest express