Evening star., 1925-11-09
OIL LOSS BLAMED
FOR CANAL SLUMP
Other Shipments Show Nor
NAL Gains, Says Report on
( Panama Waterway.

The slump in oil shipments from
California was responsible for the de-
cline in business through the Panama
Canal in the last fiscal year, according
TO the annual report from Gov. NJ. L..
Walker of the Canal Zone, made pub
lie last night.
with oil excluded. the 1925 traffic
shows normal growth over 1924" the
report said. explaining that slight
losses elsewhere were counterbalanced
by more than equivalent gains.
4,613 Ships on Canal.
The number of vessels which passed
through the canal in the II months
ending June so. exclusive of Govern
ment and other ships exempt from
tolls, was placed at 4,673 as compared
with $3.50 in the preceding fiscal year
and the gross revenue from tolls
amounted to S21 400. .523.51 against
$24 .290, ,963.54
Cargo in transit, deducting the
tanker Cargoes," the report stated
aggregated 1888. .46S tons, as com
pared with l7,0S1.S24 tons in 1924
There was an increase in traffic over
all the important trade routes. except
ing the intercoastal. in which oil was
a principal factor. and from the At
lantiC coast to the Far East, where
The relatively unimportant decline
may he attributed to disturbed polit-
tcal conditions.
THE record by months shows a
fairly uniform shrinkage from 422
transits in July. 1924, to 36S in June
1925. At the end of the fiscal wear
there was some evidence that the bot
tom had been reached, and that the
monthly totals would begin to climb
again. However. it is quite possible
that the recovery may be so gradual
that the totals for 1926 will be lower
than those for 1925.
There were "a flags represented in
the traffic through the canal. with the
American and British predominating
In terms of cargo carried American
vessels accounted for 81 per cent of
the whole, and British vessels. "a
per cent. Japan followed with 80
per cent, Norway, 3.5 per cent: Ger
many. 3.4 per cent; Holland, % per
cent, and France. : per cent.
Income Is Sl3,465, ,924.1e.
For the fiscal year 1925 the net
income from tolls and other miscel-
laneous receipts grouped under the
head of transit revenue was S13.465.-
924.I2, as compared with $780,, ,94S. 80
in 1924 and Sl0.00l 066 50 In 1929. The
net profits on auxiliary business
operations conducted directly by the
Panama Canal, of which the most i'm
portant are the mechanical shops. ma
terial storehouSes and fuel-oil plants,
totaled s765,9l6.S5. as compared with
S9Ol.624.12 in 1924, while those con
Quoted by the Panama Railroad Co.
exclusive of the Panama Railroad
Steamship Line. but including com
mlssaries. docks, coaling plants and
cattle industry, showed "A profit of
81 l,o20,glO.13. as compared with 81 .044,-
SSI.04 in 1924 The total net revenue
of the year from all sources. exclusive
of the Panama Railroad Steamship
Line, was S15.757.7511O"
United States intercoaStal traffic
was placed at the head of the list of
principal trade routes in the report.
accounting for 80 per cent of the
cargo moving through the canal in
the fiscal year 1924. and 1916 per cent
IN the succeeding year. The shrink
age amounted To 100000 tons. OF
which 500, 900 was in westbound traffic
and 3,500,0O0 in eastbound cargo, due
TO the slump in oil shipments.