The northwestern bulletin-appeal., 1924-12-27
PANAMA CANALS NET
REVENUE $17,2O9,57
Earnings of Railroad Bring
Total to $1S,254,459.

the history or the Panama canal. The
total net revenue mounted to SIT ,209,-
572 and to this peak figure, represent
ing the profits of the waterway itself
and business operations In connection
with canal activities, was added the
sum Of s1,044,SS7, earned by the Pa
mama railroad. bringing the combined
net revenue to $1S,254, ,459.
Comparative figures also are dis
closed by former Governor Jay J. Nor
row in his annual report to the secre-
tary Of war, prepared by him before
he resigned that office and made pub
lie by the War department. The tab
ulation shows that the income from
tolls and miscellaneous receipts was
$16,307,9 1854, as compared with $10.001,-
O66 for the preceding operations, in
Guiding machine shops, commissaries,
cOaling plants, the cattle industry,
storehOuses, fuel oil plants, etc, netted
$1,0H,SS7, as compared with S922, III
in 1923.
$3.50 Ships Pass Through.
The number Of ships In transit dur
ing the fiscal time period reported,
exclusive of American toll-exempt
craft and others allowed free passage
through the canal, was $3.50. Their
net tonnage was 26,14S,S7S and tolls
collected aggregated $24,290,963. ex-
ceeding by 3S.7 per cent the tolls col
leCted in 1923.
Governor Morrow explained that the
high figures" for 1924 were due in
part to heavy oil shipments from Cali
fOrnia.
These began in September. 1922"
he said, "and reached their peak one
year later, in September, 1923, when
9O9,ST9 tons of California crude oil
passed through the canal. Declining
gradually from that date, these cargOes
in June, 1924, totaled only 453, ,945
tons, and a further shrinkage Is ex-
pected. Owing to the loss of this oil
business 1t is possible that the record
of 1924 will not be equaled in 1925,
but there Is constant growth in
other directions which tends to make
good the loss in oil. Excluding Cali
fornia oil altogether, the cargo in
transit through the Panama canal in
1923 was 15,S7S,S26 tons, and in 1924
1t was 1S,493,7OO tons.
The report further showed there
were 81 flags represented in the canal
traffic and that In terms of cargo car
ried the American colors led all others,
with 61.7 per cent of the total. Great
Britain was second with 22.4 per cent,
Japan third with 35, Germany fourth
with 2.7 and Norway fifth with per
cent. British, Chilean, Danish, French.
German, Dutch, Italian and Swedish
ships showed gains I'm cargo tonnage
while those of Japan, Norway and
Peru fell below the 1923 figures.
"The Argentine, Belgian and Costa
Rlcan flags, which appeared on the
1923 list" the report said, ''were not
seen at the canal in 1924. On the other
hand, the flags Of the free city of Dan
zig, Ecuador, Finland and JugO- Slavia
appeared in 1924, but not in 1928"
An examination of tables given in
the report, in which traffic Is segre-
gated by trade routes, shows that the
United States intercoastal trade fur
nished an even 80 per cent of all cargo
passing through the canal in 1924 and
ed for 35.5 per cent additional. These
were the trades between Europe and
the Pacific coast of North America,
11.5 per cent; between the east coast
of the United States and the west
coast Of South America, 10 per cent;
between Europe and South America,
IA per cent, and between the United
States and the Far East, 66 per cent.
Increase in Major Trades.
In this connection, the report said:
"All of the major trades show an in
crease over 1923, with the single ex-
ception Of the trade between the
United States and the Far East, in
which there was slight decline.
"The cargo moving in the United
States intercoastal trade increased
fran SO6S,553 tons to 1882, 1873 tons,
or 607 per cent. In the trade be-
tween Europe and the Pacific coast Of
North America there was an increase
from 2,511,791 tons to 3,113,O36 tons,
or 23.9 per cent. In the trade between
the east coast of the United States
and the west coast Of South America
the increase was from 2,054,523 tons
to 2,702, 1924 tons, or 31.5 per cent.
"In the trade between Europe and
South America the 1923 cargo tonnage
was 1,7499S6, and In 1924 1t was q
0O5, 5,S57, an increase Of 146 per cent.
In the combined minor trade routes
there was an Increase from 3,273, 1877
tons to 3,S47, ,532 tons, or 17.5 per cent.
The only decline, as previously noted,
was In the trade between the United
States and the Far East, where 1,79S,-
27S tons were handled In 1924, as COM
pared with 1,9O9,2S5 tons in 1923, a
loss of 5.S per cent.
"Of the total west-bound cargo 69.6
per cent was shipped from United
States ports and 426 per cent con-
signed to United States ports. OF the
total east-bound cargo 67.9 per cent
was shipped from United States ports
and 72.2 per cent consigned to United
States ports"
Receiver Holds Church