qq^l^^Ol^d) Gift ofthe Panama Canal Museum. im. Vol. 5, No. 1 BALBOA HEIGHTS, CANAL ZONE AUGUST 6, 1954 5 cents Quartermasters Meet HEALTH OFFICIALS BUSY WITH PLANS ON CONSOLIDATION August will be a busy month in the Health Bm-eau while pi-eparations are in progress for the expected increase in work resulting from the consolidation of hospi- tal facilities in the Canal Zone. Six wards at Gorgas Hospital which have been closed for the past few years are being readied for use again, and expansions will be required in practically all departments and services at the hospital. A considerable increase in the staff is planned and a recruitment program has already been initiated both here and in the States. Legislation passed by Congress this year provides for the transfer of the Naval Hospital at Coco Solo to the Canal Zone Government. This will per- mit the closing of Colon Hospital and the operation of only one general hospital on the Atlantic side. No change is presently planned in the dispensary and mortuary services on the Atlantic side. Tariff Distributed Meanwhile, printed copies of the revised medical tariff of the Health Bureau containing changes required as a result of new provisions in the Civil Functions Appropriation Act have been received and distributed to interested agencies. In the main, the changes are technical in nature. They provide for CHIEF QUARTERMASTERS, and the modern equivalent thereof, met last month when General R. E. Wood paid a brief visit to the Canal Zone. Former Chairman of the Board of Sears, Roebuck, he the admission of and establish rates for was Chief Quartermaster from 1913 to 1915; his Canal service, however, dates back to 1905. With him persoimel'of U. S. Government agencies are two of his successors in office, F. R. .Johnson, kft, present Supply Director, and R. K. Morris, Chief other than the Company-Government Quartermaster from 1917 to 1928. They posed, appropriately, at the Goethals Memorial, since General and for dependents of such personnel. Wood had been chairman of the first committee to erect a memorial to Col. George W. Goethals. The revised tariff provides for no in- crease in charges for medical services and Classes Start Next Week For 4,000 hospitalization of Company-Government employees. Students In Latin American Schools "The extensive changes in the hospital and medical services furnished by the Next Monday wOl mark the beginning ment of Panama's Ministry of Education Canal Zone Government are made neces- of a new school year for some 4,000 stu- have been assisting the Canal Zone school sary by provisions in the Appropriations dents in the Canal Zone's Latin American officials in this. Walter Oliver, formerly of Act. In addition to requiring the con- schools. the faculty of the Balboa High School, is solidation of hospital facilities, the legisla- Registration for first graders, kinder- coordinator for the changeover to the Span- tion provides for the reimbursement of garten pupils and newcomers to the Canal ish-language teaching program. He recent- the Canal Zone Government by other Zone schools was done late last month; ly headed the Pan-Amerjcan Institute in U. S. Government agencies (See jmg? w) next Monday all students in the Latin Panama City. American schools will report to the 11 Instruction in grades seven through 12 Change In Sailing Days schools in the system and receive their will continue to be predominately in Of Panama Line Planned assignments to classes. Actual class- English this year although some classes room work will not begm until the may be converted to Spanish if this A change in the sailing schedule following day. proves feasible as the school year pro- of the Panama Line will be made about November 1, details of which All classes in grades one through six gresses. By next year it is expected are now being made. A full an- will be taught in Spanish this year, that classes in all grades in the Latin nouncement of the changes will be although English will continue to be American schools will be conducted in made in the September issue of taught as a subject. Text books and Spanish. THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW. The principal change will be in classroom material have been obtained While the transition to Spanish is the the days of arrival and departure at in Spanish for the new program. major change in the Latin American both New York and Cristobal. The As nearly as possible the curriculum schools this year there have been a few sailing schedule will also be slightly in winter wOl be patterned after that of the Panama physical changes. Red Tank School is, different the months from the summer months, because of the schools. Temistocles Cespedes, Chief of of course nonexistent, and the old school preponderance of employee travel the Technical Service Section, and Miss at Chagres has been replaced with a two- from April through September. Zoraida Brandao of the Technical Depart- room school which will (See page 15) THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW August 6, 1954 Up And Down The Banks Of The Canal Governor-President's Office Personnel Bureau Supply Bureau All Selective Services ;u'ti\ilii'.s ul Local Building 729, opposite the Balboa Com- is Board No. 1, Balboa, and Local Board No. missary annex, which better known as 2, Cri-^tobal, \v>re coisolidated last monlh Section "K" of the Storehouse Division, b\ aid the healqiiiirter.-; are i.\ Room 267 ot has been completely evacuated the latter section carried the .V'liiii ii.*tr.ilio:i Biiil li.iR. However, division. The principally registrations lor .\tl mtic side residents will electrical equipment, refrigerator parts, onli.uie to bz h.uidled i.i the Magistrate's and automobile parts and accessories. The to Section Office i.i the .Xdniinistration Building; in stock has been moved "B" in the Cristobal. The two Local Bo.irds will con- building adjacent to the Storehouse Divi- tinue to handle classificatio.i of registrants sion office in the Industrial area. as before. Mrs. Frances E. Hunniciit who \vas Fellow employees in the Balboa Storehouses employed in the Local Board Office in recently responded to a call for blood donors Cristobal has transferred to the position of at Gorgas Hospital for Roy R. Worrell, derk-ste lo-jrapher in the Police Division in local-rate storeman. Volunteers were Vincent the Ci\il Affairs Bnilding in .\nco.i. Sealey, Charles A. Alexander and Albert • • • Smith, of Section "B;" Morris L. Brewster, C. S. Riibinsoii, former Executive Planning of Section "C;" and Byron S. Prendergast, "£." Staff employee, is now employed as an elec- of Section • • • trical fore. nan with the Saudi Arabian f^overnment-owned railway which runs from Cotton bunting and auto compounds Kiaydlh. Capital of .Saudi Arabia. to Damnum. and liquids are no longer being stocked • • • by the Division of Storehouses, these items being handled exclusively by the Paul A. Bentz left July 12 for an official Commissaries. business assignment in Washington for a • * • period of about three tveeks. During his ActingGeneral absence, David J. Markunwas DAMEL .J. P.'iOLUCCI, above, is the new Moses L. Armstrong, one of the best Counsel. Training Officer for the Canal organization. He comes kncnvn employees in the Commissary Divi- • • • from Cornell University, from which he holds two sion, recently retired. He was employed in Maurice M. Morton who recently joined degrees and where he was a research associate. He the Wholesale .Shoe Section on bookkeeping has extensive teaching and practical e.xperience the staff of the General Counsel was admitted had and accounting work. He was born in training education, especially in the develop- to the bar of the United States District Court in and Jamaica and had been continuously em- managers. for the Canal Zone last month. ment of executives and ployed since January 7, 1016. The Central Labor Office Division has had a bus\' few weeks lately because of the Earl C. Tarr, Superintendent of the General Health Bureau Contractors Hill project. Between 3,000 Products Branch in the Commissary Division, and 4,000 applicants for local-rate jobs have will end many years of service with the Canal Clifford \V. Russell has been elected a already been .screened and referred to the organization in September when he retires Directors and Mrs. member of the Board of Tecnn Corporation. A total of 1,55 qualified from service. He plans to make his home in Secre- Mary K. Hitchcock has been elected applicants were sent to the contracting firm either California or Oregon and will leave at Corozal tary' of the CHEER CLUB for consideration for employment. .-Xbout in about ten days for the West Coast. C. Cole Hospital. They replace Robert 60 local-rate employees with special skills I. Brown, respectively, and Mrs. Elizabeth will be used. These include heavy truck other units. who have been transferred to operators, greasemen, drillers, powdermen, Marine Bureau in The CHEER CLUB, organized Decem- and a small number of watchmen, dumpmen, Corozal ber 195.^ is officially tcuown as the and flagmen. With the exception of drillers George T. FitzGerald has been reem- Employees Entertainment and Hospital and powdermen, at least two eligible appli- ployed as Chief Engineer of Towboats Club of Corozal Hospital. Its Recreation cants were referred to Tecon for each avail- in Balboa after a tour of active duty purpose is to improve employee relationships able position. with the Navy in the Pacific. He left the and stimulate interest and • • • at the hospital Canal service in March 1952 and served morale. Brodie Burnhani, who has been acting as as Chief Engineer on Navy transports • • • Training Officer for several months, attended and later as Repair Officer in the the Colon Hospital Dr.