Imperial Valley press., 1931-10-15
SPLENDID TALKS
PRESENTED AT
CHAMBER MEET

Scenes of tropical beauty were
presented to the members Of the
Ell Centro Chamber of Commerce at
yesterdays luncheon meeting by
Winfield Thompson, field agent of
the Panama Pacific line in connec-
tion with a talk which dealt with
the history, romance and develop
ment of the Isthmus of Panama and
Panama Canal, the building OF
which cut the distance by water
from New York to San Francisco
1873 miles and enables one to
make a transcontinental trip through
Panama in six hours. The cities
of Panama, Balboa and Colon, to-
gether with the ruins of Old Pan
ANA, destroyed by Morgan's buc-
cancers, were shown in color with
interesting scenes showing the con-
trast between the sections built by
the United States and those erected
in the original American ira
dition.
The Panam Pacific line was the
first to operate passenger service
through the Panama Canal, and has
developed since until it is now US
ing three electrically operated
steamships of the type used in
ans-Atlantic travel and maintains
the only express service operating
exclusively between California and
New York, with especially planned
refrigeration to carry California
perishable products to the eastern
markets, according to Thompson,
who states that the future OF water
shipping from California is unlim-
tied. Views of the Panama Pacific
line steamers were presented by the
speaker, showing the accommoda-
tions and recreational facilities at
the disposal of passengers on this
increasingly popular trip which
takes seven days from San Fran
cisco to Panama and the same
length of time from Havana to New
York. with additional time for the
crossing from Panama City to Ha-
vana, Cuba.
San Diegans Talk
Rufus Choate, harbor commits
sioner of San Diego, preceded
Thompson in short talk wherein
he described the relations of San
Diego and Imperial counties as CO.
operative and not competitive, with
Imperial county producing necessi-
ties, San Diego luxuries and the
two together forming a mecca foI
the migratory wealth Of the world,
Choate stated that the entrance to
San Diego has been deepened to the
depth of the New York narbor
entrance and that shipping opera
tions and rates will be made more
reasonable than those of other
harbors because the mud flat shores
Of the San Diego harbor permit
the building of mole type piers,
which are of inexpensive upkeep.
The speaker prophesied that with
in three to five years $4,000 steam
err passengers will visit San Diego
yearly and he pointed out where
this would create a new market for
Imperial Valley products and make
the harbor as much an Imperial
Valley harbor as q San Diego har-
Dor.
Other guests at the luncheon
were L. r. Gordon, manager of
Gordon's Gift Shop, Dal DeWeese,
San Diego and Imperial County
passenger traffic agent of the Pan
anna Pacific line, Captain Standard
and Manager Trap of the U. S.
Army band and Miss Mary Morrow
Derby, psychologist of the bureau
of juvenile research of the state
department of institutions. Miss
Derby told of the work of the
travelling childs guidance clinic,
which may give a demonstration
of the work it accomplishes in Ell
Centre in the near future. This
clinical work is diagnoStic and de-
signed to prevent the development
of mental discords and major delin-
quencies among children of the
various communities Of California.
According to Miss Derby many
children are saved from delinquen-
cy by preventive study and the
work of the clinic is to make this
study of children designated be-
fore they develop mental disorders