Vol. 7, No. 10 BALflOA HEIGHTS, tANAL ZONE, MAY 3, 1957 5 cents

Gift ofthe Panama ^ CanalMuseum Once through the turbines, the water is spilled. Since water passing through the Madden Hydroelectric station goes into the Chagres River and then to Gatun Lake, where it can be used to lock ships through the Canal, the water used there was not lost. But at Gatun the water which generates electric power is spilled to sea and is of no further use. During the rainy season and during a

normal dry season there is rainfall enough to supply the water consumed from Mad- den and Gatun Lakes for power genera- tion. This year, however, the area above Madden Dam was the driest since the Dam was built during the mid-1930's. March and the first two weeks of April were practically rainless, except for a few scattered showers. Of 13 rainfall stations reporting, nine received no measui'able rain in March. This meant that the amount left over for electric generation, after the record number of ships had been locked up and down, was lower than at any time since 1948 when there was also a protracted dry season, but without this year's heavy lockage load. The only answer to the water problem Protracted drought and heavy lockages were a drain on Canal Zone water supply was to stop hydroelectric generation but there was still plenty of water for young Isthmians, and older ones, as well. where large amounts of water are used; that meant that the Gatun plant would Zone Use Of Water Soars practically stop its operations. For sev- eral weeks it has generated only a little 60-cycle power during the daytime hours As Lockages Set Records and, for the first time in its history, has not operated between 10 p. m. and 6 a. m. Paucity and plenty have hit the Canal sea level to sea level, or enough to supply The difference in the electric power needs Zone simultaneously within the past few- the needs of the Canal Zone towns and has been supplied by the Diesel genera- weeks, to result in a situation unparal- Panama terminal cities for almost 12 days. tors a so-called "standby" system which leled in local history for the past decade. J. Hartley Smith, who heads the Elec- has been in existence many years. The paucity was water, brought about trical Division, and W. H. Esslinger, the Although the water shortage has by the driest dry season since 1948 and Panama Canal Company's Chief Hydrog- been acute from the point of view of the tremendous amount of water con- rapher, explained what has happened in power generation and lockages it has sumed by an unprecedented number of the last few weeks, this way: not been necessary to tell Zonians to lockages through the Panama Canal. WTien there is plenty of water, electric stop watering their lawns and cut The plenty was ships, which totaled power is generated by the Gatun and down on their shower baths. Munici- more in March than in any previous Madden Dam hydroelectric stations. pal use of water is, almost literally, a month since the Canal was opened to Water, on the old mill-wheel principle, drop in the bucket compared to the commerce. flows through great turbines which turn water used for lockages and power gen- Ordinarily water in the Canal Zone the generators to make electric power. eration. is used to generate electricity as well to float ships from ocean to ocean. as Branch chiefs L. B. Sartain, left, and J. R. Hammond, Jr., go over some work water is scarce, lockages have When with their boss. Designing Engineer J. M. Cooke. Mr. Sartain heads the new 60- first call. cycle Design Branch and Mr. Hammond Is Electrical-Mechanical Branch chief. So when rainfall continued to be prac- tically nonexistent and daily lockages averaged 24.5, the stand-by Diesel elec- tric power plants at Cocoli and Miraflores were called on to assume a portion of the Canal Zone's electric power generation. Much more water is used to lock one ship through the Panama Canal than is used in one day for municipal purposes in the entire Canal Zone plus the cities of Panama and Colon. The use of the Diesel stations for the past few weeks has saved an average of 592,416,000 gallons each day- -enough to lock 11 ships from

ON THE COVER Midshipmen from the Spanish training ship, "Juan Sebastian de Elcano," lined the rigging (or this month's cover picture as the four-master moved up through Mir- aflores Locks. The training ship was en route from San Diego to Jacksonville v^hen she transited the Canal April 14. Her inbound trip was marked by the res- cue of the crew of the British freighter "Hoperange" which caught fire at sea, about 16 miles from the Pacific end of the Canal. The picture was set up for photographer C. S. LaClair by the train- ing ship's master. Commander Don Jose Ramon Gonzalez Lopez. THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW May 3, 1957 1 - qq, 0.0 -(3 Ad Hoc Committee Makes Initial Review,

Of Capacity Problems Of Panama Canal

An initial rovic'w of the t-apacity handle the increasing volume of traf- locks during the early part of the problem of the Panama Canal was fic and to recommend any improve- coming calendar year. completed last month by the Ad Hoc - ments that may be necessary to meet Prior to the April meetings, the or, special- Committee appointed re- capacity requirements. local Working Committee had pre- cently by the authority of the Panama This committee is headed by Gov- pared a mass of information, including Canal Company Board of Directors. ernor Potter, and has as its members a projection of traffic for the next 25 Maj. Gen. Julien L. Schley, former At the conclusion of its meetings years; an analysis of the expected Governor of the Canal Zone and one- here, the Committee instructed the traffic by types and numbers; and a time Chief of the Corps of Engineers, Working Committee on Canal Capac- forecast of the number—which is and Ralph L. Tudor, consulting engi- ity, headed by Lt. Gov. H. W. Schull, steadily increasing -of ships which neer from San Francisco. Both Gen- Jr., to proceed with the preparation require clear-Cut transits. Clear-Cut eral Schley and Mr. Tudor are mem- of a program aimed at eliminating de- ships are those, like super tankers, bers of the Canal Company's Board lays to the Canal's continually in- which are so large or unwieldy or of Directors. creasing traffic. carry such hazardous cargo that they The three-man committee spent The program will be considered are not permitted to meet or pass three days of April in meetings here, by the Budget and Finance Commit- other ships in Gaillard Cut. All clear- most of their sessions being held jointly tee of the Board of Directors at its Cut ships must have daylight transit. with the local Working Committee. regular meeting in the Canal Zone They reviewed previous Canal im- The movements of the commodities the end of June and by the full provement plans, using as part of this which make up 75 percent of the cargo Board at its July meeting. study the sea-level and third-lock passing through the Canal were stud- Generally, the program will consider models at Diablo Heights. ied for their past, present, and ex- improvements which may be needed They also considered such special pected performance. Officers of over during the next decade to provide for problems as water supply and flood two dozen shipping companies, banks, efficient and safe transits. control, cost estimates, and funding industries, and foreign trade associa- The Ad Hoc Committee is a special procedures. Part of one day was tions were questioned to obtain this group whose duties are to determine spent at the Pacific Locks, discuss- information and their reports corre- the adequacy of the Panama Canal to ing the overhaul scheduled for these lated with past Canal movements.

Members of the Ad Hoc Committee look over the situation at Pedro Miguel Locks. Committee members are Ralph A.Tudor, inthedarksuit, Maj. Gen. Julien Schley, wearing a hat, and Governor Poster. The group met here last month, ^M^

May 18 Is Moving Day For Commissary Headquarters

The transfer of the General Manager's November 13; the merger of Wholesale the former Mechanical Division office Office of the Commissary Division to the Housewares with the Balboa retail house- building now occupied by the Storehouse is as this issue of Pacific side scheduled, wares section on February 17; and the Division, is being prepared for the con- goes to press, for May 18. The Review transfer of Mount Hope cold storage solidated office. The transfer is the last of the major warehousing operations to Balboa, effect- Integration of the office functions of moves for the current fiscal year and will ive March 8. the three supply activities will result in complete the adjustment of supply func- The move of the Commissary office to reduction of force for approximately 20 tions to the reduced volume resulting Balboa will make possible a merger of U. S.-rate and 16 local-rate employees of from implementation of the 1955 Treaty. the combined operation. Vacancies in The change will involve the physical the administrative, budget and fiscal, and other Company activities have made it move of 22 U. S. and 15 local-rate em- procurement operations of the Commis- ployees. They will become Pacific siders saries, Storehouses, and the Service Cen- possible for most of those receiving re- gradually, as quarters become available. ters into one closely integrated operation. duction-in-force notices to be offered Previous moves in the consolidation of The entire lower floor of Building 28, other employment. supply functions include the transfer of Wholesale Shoes and its merger with the retail section at Balboa, completed last May 3,1957 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW —

Price Indexes

What They Are What They Mean

Residents of the Canal Zone, especially This is the average Canal Family of (our persons. those who handle the expenditures of their households, now have two statistical One measures price changes in Panama employees of the Company-Government measures by which they can compare Canal Commissaries, Service Centers, and organization from the Company-Govern- price changes in the Canal Zone and can sernce units and is informally known as ment Commissaries, Service Centers, and also compare Canal Zone costs with aver- a time-to-time index. More formally, it is other units which supply such services as age costs in the United States. referred to as the "Canal Zone Consumer medical care, housing, utilities, and auto- Last month The Review reported that Price Index." mobile repairs. these statistical measures, known as price The second index, which is for food It is simply a measure of price changes. indexes, were being prepared. They have prices only, compares prices in the Canal It does not reflect the changes in the price now been completed and will be issued Zone with those compiled monthly by the of goods or services procured from other monthly. Department of Labor for food prices in sources. The amount which Joe Zonian This "month The Review tells its read- 46 cities and towns in the United States. spends in the commissaries for food will ers exactly what these indexes are and This index is known as a place-to-place be included in this index; so will the rent how they were prepared and presents the index and is referred to in formal reports which is deducted from his paycheck. list of 225 items on which the time-to-time as the "Comparative Food Price Index." But the cost of any vegetables which index is based. Consumer Price Index Mrs. Zonian buys from a Chinese garden Two price inde.xes ha\^e been prepared The time-to-time, or Consumer Price or the amount the family spends for by the Executive Planning Staff of the Index, records the average change in the mo\ie tickets at a Panama theater will Office of the Governor-President. prices of goods and services purchased by not appear in this index. Items Priced for the Modified Consumer Price

Relative Fruits and vegetables—Cont. Nonalcoholic beverages: 1.52 Item importance 1-06 Grapefruit .03 Coffee ALL ITEMS $100.00 Apples .27 Tea .13 Cola drinks -ii FOOD 36.06 Bananas 14 Peaches -42 Fats and oils: -84 Cereals and bakery products 3.70 Grapes 13 Margarine -16 Cereals: 1.23 Strawberries 01 Lard -15 Flour, wheat .29 Watermelons .02 X'egetable shortening -22 Biscuit mix .23 Fresh vegetables: 1.62 Salad dressing .l?i Corn flakes .23 Potatoes 44 Peanut butter .08 2-12 Rolled oats .09 Sweet potatoes .01 Sugar and sweets: Corn meal .05 Green beans .01 Sugar, white -52 Rice .34 Cabbage -06 Corn syrup .14 Bakery products: 2.47 Carrots .12 Grape jelly .14 Bread, white 1.66 Onions .10 Chocolate bar 1.32 1.20 Soda crackers .33 Tomatoes -33 Eggs X'anilla cookies .48 Celery 16 Miscellaneous foods: Flavored gelatin dessert .61 Meats, poultry, and fish 6.58 Lettuce -39 Beef: 2.07 Canned fruit: -85 Food away from home 6.56 Round steak .90 Orange juice, canned .39 Restaurant meals: Rib roast .17 Peaches, canned -21 Luncheons 6.56 Chuck roast .51 Pineapple, sliced, canned .13 33.93 Hamburger .49 Fruit cocktail, canned .12 HOUSING X'eal cutlets .10 Canned vegetables: 115 Residential rents 20.50 Pork: 1.67 Corn, canned -23 Electricity 3.17 Pork chops .45 -30 Peas, canned House furnishings 10.26 Smoked ham .70 canned .35 Tomatoes, Textile furnishings: .73 Bacon .52 Strained food .27 baby Sheets .22 Lamb, leg .23 30 Frozen fruits: Blankets -09 Other meats: .95 concentrate, froz._ .24 Orange juice, Bedspreads, cotton -04 Frankfurters .66 Strawberries, frozen .06 Towels .14 luncheon meat .29 Canned vegetables : .33 Frozen Tablecloths, cotton .08 Poultry—frying chickens dressed Peas, frozen .20 Drapery fabrics, cotton .12 and ready-to-cook 1.04 frozen .13 Green beans, Curtains, cotton and rayon. .04 Fish and seafood: .52 vegetables: .18 Dried fruits and Floor coverings: .05 Fresh and frozen fin fish .24 prunes 07 Dried Rugs, cotton, scatter .05 Canned salmon. .10 - 11 Navy beans Furniture: .80 Canned tuna fish .18 Bedsprings, coil .27 Dairy Products: 5.65 Other food bought, to be pre- 8.01 .Mattresses, innerspring con- Butter .53 pared at home 81 struction .53 Cheese, .American process .54 Partially prepared foods: -- -40 Major household appliances: .94 Milk, fresh (grocery) 2.69 Tomato soup -41 Refrigerators, electric .77 Milk, evaporated 1.33 Beans with pork sauces: -91 Vacuum cleaners, electric- _ .17 Ice cream .56 Condiments and ^'' Small household appliances: _ .89 Fruits and vegetables: 5.56 Sweet gherkins - -

. -58 Toasters, electric .89 Fresh fruit: 1.13 Tomato catsup Oranges .10 Lemons .01 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW May 3, 1957 Specifically, the index figure for a given COMPARISON OF THE MOVEMENT OF date shows the pereent change in the average cost of a list of goods and services CONSUMER PRICES ON CANAL ZONE in comparison to the base period of the INDEX NUMBER AND IN UNITED STATES index which is the calendar year 1956. (1956 = 100) This base period is always equal to 100.0. In April 1957, the index number of the Consumer Price Index was 101.3. This means that these goods and services cost 1.3 percent more than they did in 1956. The base period 100.0 provides a uniform reference point. The percent change measures the difference between one time and another in average prices for the same quantities of goods and serv- ices of the same qualities. The time-to-time index is figured on the prices of 225 different goods and services. These 225 items make up a 100. "market basket" which is the pattern of consumer purchases. The market basket is based on detailed information as to the kinds, qualities, and quantities of goods and services bought by the employees and how much they spent for them. It is a more comprehensive "market basket'' 98. than that used here for the past few years. Comparative Food Price Index This index, the second of the two, 97.0 measures only the difference between re- tail food prices in the Panama Canal Company Commissaries and the average 96.0 prices for comparable items in the United States. Quantity and quality is fixed. The Canal Zone price of a can of tomatoes is This shows comparative movements of consumer prices in the C. Z. and in the U.S. not compared with the U. S. price of The heavy line is food price movements, the light line movement of all items.* merely another can of tomatoes; it is compared with the price of a can of toma- the United States than in the Panama employee would have cost him 4.2 less toes of comparable size and quality. Canal Company Commissaries. in the Canal Zone than it would have Like the Consumer Price Index, the For example: The February 15, 1957 cost him had he done his buying in the Comparative Food Price Index is ex- Comparative Food Price Index was 95. S. United States. pressed in percentage terms which indi- Since the United States is the base and is, The comparison is based on a market cate how much more or less it costs to therefore, always 100.0, the typical food basket of 80 separate food items. They buy the equivalent list of food items in market basket purchased by the average were selected to assiu-e (See paye 19) Index, and their Relative Importance.

Relative Skirts .23 Freight rate 2.85 importance Item Blouses, rayon .25 MEDICAL CARE 3.28 House furnishings—Cent. Slacks and shorts .07 Ph\sician: .56 Housewares: 1..^5 Sweaters, wool .10 Dinnerware, 53-piece set .20 Slips_ .37 Office visit .25 Saucepans, aluminum .74 Panties, rayon .16 Home visit .25 care Brooms .41 Girdles .11 Obstetrical .06 Miscellaneous: 1.19 Brassieres .50 Surgeon: .Appendectomy .32 Toilet tissue 1.01 Nightgowns, rayon and cotton .08 Specialist: Tonsillectomy .17 .25 Electric light bulbs .18 Stockings, nylon .19 Dentist: Household operation: 4.31 Gloves, cotton and leather .04 Filling .20 Laundry soap and detergents 1.59 Handbags, fabric .15 Extraction -^-. .05 Dry cleaning .46 Miscellaneous: .32 Optometrist: Eyeglasses, complete .22 Laundry services .30 Belts and billfolds .14 Hospital rates: .41 Telephone rates 1.17 Handkerchiefs and scarves .13 Men's pay ward .13 ...28 Postage .71 I'nibrellas .05 Private room a 1'.35 Ice .08 Girls' apparel: .62 Prescriptions and drugs Coats .01 Prescriptions, narcotic .16 APPAREL 8.94 Dresses, cotton .26 Prescriptions, non-narcotic .32 .13 Men's and boys' apparel: 1.89 Skirts, cotton .01 Penicillin tablets Multiple vitamin concentrates _ .33 Men 's apparel : 1.30 Sweaters, cardigan, wool .01 Suits .15 .An klets .04 Asoirin .31 Slacks .37 Pedal pushers .02 Milk of magnesia .10 Shirts .40 Blouses .07 PERSONAL CARE 2.21 Shorts, cotton .11 Slips and panties .09 Toilet soap .38 L'ndershirts, knit .07 Raincoats .11 Cleansing tissue .25 Pajamas .02 Footwear: 1.86 Toothpaste .38 Socks .04 Men's: .71 Shampoo, liquid .20 Hats, straw .02 Oxfords .47 Shaving cream .11 .04 .24 Handkerchiefs Work shoes Home permanent refill .07 Belts .02 Women's: .63 Face powder .23 Ties .06 Oxfords and pumps, street .45 Face cream . - .23 Boys' apparel: .59 Play shoes .18 Razor blades .25 Jackets, rayon .06 Children's oxfords .52 Sanitary napkins - .11 Slacks .10 Other apparel: 1.02 5.25 Dungarees, blue jeans .19 Diapers .24 READING AND RECREATION .- .33 Shirts, sport, woven .12 Yard goods: .50 Radio, t ible model — 1.96 Undershirts, knit .04 Cotton .39 Motio.i picture admissions; 1.57 Miscellaneous: .08 Rayon .11 Adult - .39 Pajamas .02 Miscellaneous .28 Child - Toys 1.71 Socks . .03 TRANSPORTATION .. 7.69 1.25 Trunks, swim .03 .\utomobile 4.84 Magazines Women's and girls' apparel 4.17 Tires 1.32 OTHER GOODS AND SERVICES 2.64 Women's apparel 3.55 Gasoline 3.08 Cigarettes 1.43 Coats .10 Motor oil .17 Cigars .25 Dresses .88 License fee Beer .96

May 3,1957 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW FOR YOUR INTEREST AND GUIDANCE IN^ACCIDENT PREVENTION Showing Off Can And Does Cause Accidents

Kids like to show off. It is part of minded parent, who is also a motorist, growing up, but when you are old enough teaches his children the dangers con- to drive a car you are no longer a kid. nected with streets and that they are no Most parents thought it was cute when place in which to play. Also, to preserve you were a kid, learning to ride a bicycle the lives of himself and family he shows and rode by shouting: "Mom look, no his skill as a motorist by driving care- hands!" ^\1lat parent would now think fully, with consideration, and with cour- it cute for you to show off from behind tesy of the road for others at all time,

the wheel of a car like that on a busy no matter how much his patience is tried. street or at 80 miles per hour on a coun- He tries his best always not to become a try road? No! Kid stuff is not cute. 1957 traffic accident statistic. You must now take your place among the sober and thoughtful drivers. Failure to do so is almost sure death. Such a sober and thoughtful driver does not cut in and out of traffic just to get some place BETS in a hurry to loaf. He does not express SAFE Te

DIVISION Si hours worked. TERMINALS DIVISION MARCH 1957 HOSPITALS AND CLINICS BUREAU MAINTENANCE DIVISION HOUSING AND GROUNDS DIVISION Engineering and Construclion Bureau DREDGING DIVISION INDUSTRIAL DIVISION Health Bureau ELECTRICAL DIVISION MOTOR TRANSPORTATION DIVISION Civil Affairs Bureau POLICE DIVISION Supply and Employee Service Bureau FIRE DIVISION AIDS TO NAVIGATION Transporlalion and Terminals Bureau SANITATION DIVISION

AWARDS THIS CALENDAR YEAR C. Z. Govt. -Panama Canal Co. iThis Month) Aids to Navigation -.. _ 3

Electrical . . _ _ 3 Marine Bureau Fire 3 Housing and Grounds 3 Industrial... 3 5 10 15 Motor Transportation 3 Sanitation. 3 Number of Disabling Injuries 8 Employee-hours worked 2,179,323 Commissary and Service Center 2 LEGEND Dredging 2 Hospitals and Clinics 2 Frequency Rale this month I Locks 2 Maintenance 2 \i<-'i'.'.\\\','-l Accumulative Frequency Rale this Calendar Year Police 2 Railroad 2 I 1 1954-1955-1956 Calendar Year Average Storehouses 2

Navigation 1 Terminals 1 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW May 3, 1957 OF CURRENT AND FUTURE INTEREST

A new traffic control system will be in- stalled before long on the Tivoli Avenue-J Street corner near the former Ancon Post Office, a comer which has been called the worst traffic trouble-spot on the Pacific side. Specifications for the work are now being prepared by the Engineering Division and bids probably will be solicited sometime during May. The plans being drawn up include the installation of traffic lights on all four cor- ners of the intersection, the widening of Fourth of July Avenue from J to H Streets, the construction of three concrete refuge- islands, and the installation of new street lighting.

Dirt —3,085 cubic yards of it —was de- livered during the dry season by the Hous- ing and Grounds Division to occupants of 897 houses in U. S. and Latin American communities on both sides of the Isthmus. The deli\eries were made free of charge in response to advance orders made by Canal Zone residents who had made plans for im- proving their gardens before the rains begin this month. Housing and Grounds officials reported that all advance orders were filled, and that plans have been made to repeat the top soil delivery service next year.

The annual Inter-Scholastic Swim Meets of the Canal Zone schools will be held dur- the month of May. Competing will be ing The Steady flow of shipping up and down through Miraflores Locks the swim teams of the Balboa and Cristobal amazed famed songstress Ella high schools and the Canal Zone Junior Fitzgerald when she visited the Isthmus for a few days in April College. A meet was to be held yesterday at the the United States, recently received the Balboa Swimming Pool, and others are to latest editions from 41 cities all over the be held Friday, May lo, at the Gatun Swim- country, in addition to the Manhattan and CIVIL DEFENSE ming Pool and Friday, May 17, at the Fort Greater New York Area directories for the Gulick Swimming Pool. years 1956 and 1957. The selection also in- NEWS cludes a number of Classified directories. Most of the ® books have been purchased by A. E. Osborne, Supervisor of Instruction the Library although a few have been in the Latin American elementary schools, donated. Sgt. Paul R. Walker, of Cristobal, and spent four weeks in late March and April Ralph Edwards, of Balboa, will conduct the on a vacation trip to the United States. Civil Defense Volunteer Corps townsite After visiting in New York City, Philadel- meetings beginning in May. Sergeant Two doctors from the Gorgas Hospital phia, and Chicago, Mr. Osborne returned Walker and Mr. Edwards are with the Staff are due to leave the Isthmus soon on to the Isthmus for the opening of the Latin Fire Division and are Civil Defense first completion of their tour of duty here. American schools the first of May. aid instructors. First to go will be Maj. Carlos G. Llanes, Assistant Chief of Radiology, who is end- Under the supervision of Coach Paul ing his tour of active military service. He will be succeeded Moser, Physical Education Teacher, special by Capt. Gordon L. Civil Defense first aid teams from Santa Verity, gymnastic exhibitions were given on May i, who is coming from Battle Creek, Cruz walked off with two prizes in the com- in observance of Child Health Day, at the Mich. This change will be effective this petition held during the Atlantic Safety week. Atlantic side elementary schools. Field Day Program. The girls' team from About June i. Col. Edward A. Cleve, Santa Cruz won first place, while the boys' Chief of the Gorgas Hospital Medical Serv- team from the same town was awarded Want to make a phone call to the United ice, will leave for his new post at the Army second place. Paraiso's number i team States or find the address of an old school- Hospital, Fort Dix. He will be reUeved by placed third. friend who lives somewhere in San Fran- Col. Vivas, Joseph R. who is coming here These teams were assisted in their cisco? The Canal Zone Main Library's ref- train- from Madigan Army Hospital in Tacoma, ing by W. H. Gordon, Civil erence section can furnish all the answers Defense first Wash. aid instructor from Paraiso. as part of its regular library ser\'ice. The library, which keeps a selection of telephone directories of the major cities in A number of Company-Government em- ployees were off the Isthmus last month for refresher courses in their specialties. The Canal Zone's Civil Defense Chief, Early in April. Joseph M. Cooke, Design- Philip L. Dade, got his name in the papers recently, ing Engineer, and P. Alton White, Chief of but not in connection with Civil

. ^ Defense. Sp^ .g{!

-^vvv-;

^?»

They're Off To See Colon On Transcontinental Trip

Waiting at Balboa Heights for the 7:1 5. Once upon a time, in the year 1957 and in the month of April, a little girl, named Charlene, took a train trip all the way across the continent and returned the same day. She wanted to see the country from the train window, drink the water that is always better on the train, go through the tunnel, and see the big watch which the conductor carries. Her mother wanted to shop. The little girl, a third generation Zonian, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Bowen, of Diablo Heights, and the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Bowen and Mr. and Mrs. Donald Hendrick. Her father is a wireman with the Electrical Division. Her grandfather Bowen was employed with the old Mechanical Division, and Mr. Hendi'ick was Manager of the Tivoli Hotel.

The train which crosses the continent in 1 2 hours is the Panama Railroad.

Train stops, another drink of water and a look out the.' back door.

May 3, 1957 May 3, 1957 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2010 with funding from Lyrasis IVIembers ^nd Sloan Foundation

http://www.archive.org/details/panamacanalr71019573pana [Fourth in a Series of Five Articles on Canal Capacity] Third Set Of Locks Or Terminal Lake Appraised In Canal Capacity Studies

Plans for increasing the capacity of the during dry seasons with heavy traffic. vided for a dam and large lake near the provements, the Canal channel would rapidly-ex- The use of tie-up stations in Gaillard Cut Panama Canal to meet the Pacific entrance with one set of locks at be enlarged to a depth of 55 feet and panding needs of interocoanic commerce was suggested as an expediency until Pedro Miguel above the lake and two a 500-foot width at the 40-foot depth, costing electronic navigational aids could de- range from minor modifications be sets at the Pacific end near Balboa. with improvement of the present align- a few hundred thousand dollars up to veloped to assure safe movement of ship- When this was abandoned in 1907, it ment in Gaillard Cut. conversion of the waterway to sea level ping during the frequent heavy fogs in was decided to move the two sets of locks Under this plan, the locks would be at an estimated cost of more than 3.6 that area during early morning hours. to Mirafiores and work was begun there. designed originally to eliminate outages liillion dollars. It was estimated that this plan would Additional subsurface investigations indi- for periodic overhauls with maintenance Many proposals have been advanced increase the dependable capacity of the cated that all three locks might be located on a continuing basis and only brief in- for improving the existing Canal with the Canal to 70 ships a day, a figure higher at Mirafiores with a terminal lake above terruptions in the lock service. continued use of a lock system. These than the peak-period traffic requirements the locks, but the design and other work Several advantages of this plan over may be grouped, generally, into three projected through the present century. was already so well advanced that no the Third Locks Project were enumerated main categories as follows: The report recognized the fact that even change was made. in the report. Among these: A decrease 1. Minor modifications. with all these improvements, the limita- in the cost of Those well acquainted with the naviga- operation and maintenance 2. Third Locks. tion on size of vessels using the Canal and in accidents at the locks; tional features of the Canal today readily a 15-minute .'i. Terminal Lake Plan. would remain the same because of the decrease in transit time; agree that traffic could be greatly accel- provision of an Since the lati'st cost estimates on most dimensions of the Locks. anchorage basin on the Pacific side erated by having all Pacific locks together above of projiicts in the the locks; and these were prepared The increase in the size of ships and and a lake or mooring basin above them. elimination of the need for Studies of a surge course of the Isthmian Canal the number requiring clear-Cut transits As presently situated, Pedro Miguel basin north of Pedro Miguel 1947, these figures will be used for com- Locks. in the Canal since 1950 has somewhat Locks constitute a bottleneck for traffic parative purposes unless otherwise spe- The third variation or ultimate devel- changed the concept of what is needed in Gaillard Cut. It is doubly troublesome cified. opment of this plan would in the minor modification plan. It is when there are southbound clear-Cut provide prin- cipally for the addition of protective Cacti of tliesc plans tias proponents now recognized that more width is re- ships since northbound traffic must halt features. wtio sincerely liclicve that ttie plan quired in the Gaillard Cut section for big in Mirafiores Lake until the clear-Cut It was estimated that the they advocate is the fifth t answer to ore carriers and supertankers. This is one ship has cleared Pedro Miguel. initial de- the prohlem wtiich has hecome more of the pressing problems in today's oper- velopment of this plan could be complet- The grouping of all Pacific locks in one acute in the postwar period with in- ation of the waterway and it is expected ed within ten years at a cost of $1,126,- flight would offer additional advantages creasing traffic and biftfter ships using to increase in severity over the next few 000,000. The second stage development in speeding up traffic, since much time is the Canal. Certainly, tlie proponents decades. would require an expenditure of $506,- lost in the approach and clearance of ves- of any one can agree that the otlier 000,000. The total estimate cost of the A potent argument in favor of the sels at the locks. in plan with the protective features two tiave points their favor. Each minor modification is recom- plan the purely There are two main variations in the mended would bring the total plan also has some serious drawltacks, economic aspect. If all the improve- of $2,- Terminal Lake Plan. The most eco- approximately particularly when picturing what inter- ments contemplated under this plan 308,000,000, $175,000,000 nomical of the two would be to build oceanic shipping may require even 50 could be made at a cost not exceeding less than the estimated cost of convert- an additional flight of locks above the years from now. $200,000,000, this amount might be ing the Canal to sea level. existing Mirafiores Locks, raise the level The 1947 study included an appraisal added to the capital investment with- It was estimated that the transit time of Miraflores Lake to that of Gatun cut minutes. of relatively inexpensive changes in the out serious consequences to the tolls would be 45 The transit Upper left: The hole dug for the new Gatun Locks looked like this In 1 942 be- Lake, and eliminate Pedro Miguel present Canal to meet future require- structure, providing traffic continues capacity was estimated at 131 ships a fore it was flooded. The soft Gatun rock formation shows outline of the locks. Locks. This plan was studied in some ments of commerce. This resulted in a at the present uptrend during the re- day with the use of the new and existing Upper right: Extensive detail after suspension of work on the locks together plan which, with some modifications, is mainder of this century. model testing was done on the Third Locks project. This and at a maximum of 118 Third Locks Project. already model shows flow of ships a day with only two sets of new being made effective. Beyond this point, the cost of pro- water through "rollaway " gate in the lock chamber at right. Three variations of this general plan locks. There are many variations in both jected improvement plans mount astro- Lower left: This is a 400,000 pound universal testing machine used In testing were investigated during the Isthmian The cost estimates prepared included methods and costs of plans nomically to increase and the interest burden becomes soils, concrete, steel, wood, and various materials for the Third Lock project. Canal Studies of 1947. Two were actually several features which today would be the Canal's capacity without the so-called prohibitive. Last fiscal year, the Panama Lower right: A scale model of a cargo vessel in a model of the lock chamber was refinements of the least expensive. eliminated. These include the power major changes. The plan de\eloped in Canal Company paid some $8,590,000 in used during the hydraulic tests, an important phase of the Third Locks conversion program and construction of the 1947 Studies called U\r niodilication interest to the United States Government. project. The plan described in the report sub- mitted a tunnel under the Canal. of the locks; deepening the channel live With $200,000,000 added to the capital to Congress envisioned the com- pletion of a third set of The 1947 report stated unequivocally feet; electronic navigational aids; three investment, the interest burden would in- locks but elimi- that minor modifications at a relatively tie-up stations in Gaillard Cut; construc- crease by about a nated the flight at Pedro Miguel. The $5,000,000; however, a by single bomb burst. The plan also the project with no change in the size low cost could be made to the Canal tion of a surge basin north of Pedro Mi- billion-dollar improvement excavation already completed for the new project would provided for limited protection against of the locks would be $435,000,000. which would meet trafiic requirements guel Locks; and minor improvements in bring the interest figure Gatun and Mii-aflores Locks would be to well above weapons then regarded as the most pow- The cost, with the size of locks in- for this century except for the limitation channel alignment. $30,000,000 a year, almost as erful that used for two fiights of locks with cham- much as would be used in attack. creased to 200 feet in width and 1,500 bers on size of ships. With respect to the The plan also annual collections in commercial tolls 1,500 feet long, 200 feet wide, and included replacement of at The chambers of feet in length, be $1,143,000,000. the Third Locks were would Terminal Plan, it stated present. 50 feet deep. An additional chamber Lake that it the towing locomotives, rehabilitation of to Cost estimates be 140 feet wide and 1,200 feet long, prepared today would would provide ample capacity to meet the would then be added at Mirafiores Locks locks electrical systems, and conver- When it was conceived, and even when with a navigable probably increase these depth of 45 feet. An figures by one- the needs of future interoceanic commerce sion and Pedro Miguel Locks would be aban- of the power system to 60 cycle. it was initiated in 1939, the Third Locks expenditure and-a-half to of $277,000,000 was author- two times. and would have definite operational ad- All of these projects are Project doned. now being ac- seemed to offer the finest possible ized. Of this, about $75,000,000 was ac- It is interesting to note also that there vantages in comparison with the present complished or have been authorized. solution to the Isthmian The second stage development of this Canal problem. tually spent in excavation of the new are already afloat both U. S. Navy and plan could be accomplished Canal. The estimated cost of this At that time, there were no World War II whenever it plan was Mirafiores and Gatun Locks. The Third commercial While agreeing that the various vessels too large to be accom- became desirable to provide plans $130,000,000. block-buster conventional bombs, no a- Locks Project two lanes of was abandoned early in modated by the 200-foot locks for a lock canal meet the requirements projected large locks at Gatun and Miraflores The lock tomic and hydi-ogen bombs, and no 1942 after the United by modifications suggested in- States entered the just ten years ago. The aircraft carrier of interoceanic commerce, the report con- constructing a second set at some dis- cluded work similar guided missies with atomic warheads. war because of the r to that now being more pressing need Forrestal has a flight-deck too wide, and a cluded that none could meet the future tance from those built in the initial de- done to increase traffic during overhaul Simply stated, this project was to pro- of manpower, transportation, and mater- tanker now in service has a maximum velopment. needs of national defense—and legislation plus the vide a set ials elsewhere. purchase of new gate-leaves of locks big enough to accom- draft of 46 feet. required that both commerce and defense After completion of to eliminate modate all the second set outage time for either set but a very few vessels afloat The Third Locks be considered and said in part: Project was care- Like "minor modifications," the — of locks during or expected "Ter- of locks, the existing locks would be overhaul. Other changes to be built in the Twentieth fully reviewed in the Isthmian "Despite extensive protective meas- Canal minal Lake Plan" is a generic term. The at the locks would be Century, and to abandoned and the summit level of an extension of place the new locks at Studies of 1947 and new ures, the Canal could be closed to traflSc cost estimates Terminal Lake plan came close to reality the guide walls to some distance the Canal would be raised to 92 feet facilitate the hand- from the existing locks for were prepared. At for at least one to two years following that time, it was while the Canal was under construction. ling of vessels. protection against above sea level to provide additional destruction of all locks estimated that the cost of completing an intensive attack with conventional The original plans for a lock canal pro- water for lockages. With these im- The deepening of the channel was sug- weapons against the lock gates. An at- gested to meet potential water shortages 10 THE PANAIvlA CANAL REVIEW tack with two atomic bombs could render May 3, 1957 Ivlay 3, 1957 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW the Canal useless for four years oi' more." —

Scale Inspector

Joins Review

Singleton List

50 Years Ago sentatives voted, 298-98, to retain the Walter Guy Brown works quietly be- steamship line and the military transport hind the scenes but his work affects the Steamshovel men, making good their service, they were still not entirely san- lives of Canal employees on both sides threat of the previous month, went on guine as to what would happen to the of the Isthmus. strike in the Canal Zone 50 years ago bill in the Senate this month, tying up the Canal work As Inspector of Scales and Oil Meters most effectively. The strike started when Old of the turmoil sprang a new organi- and latest in The Review's singleton they learned that Secretary of War Wil- zation: The Canal Zone Women's League. series— his work touches the lives of all liam H. Taft had rejected their demands It was formed "to retain for Canal Zone for a pay raise. The engineers had wanted employees the rights granted in construction $90 more than the $210 per month they days and to further civic spirit." Over 100 were earning, the cranemen an additional women attended the first meeting at the $70, and the firemen were holding out for Balboa YMCA.

$22 more a month. Budget cuts, imposed by an economy-

As their crews took the first ships bound minded Congress, threatened to halt the for the States, all bid 13 of the 63 shovels Madden Dam project. Late in the month working on the Canal excavation stood however. Governor Burgess was author- silent. ized to use surplus Panama Railroad funds to supplement Madden Dam and The move met with little popular sym- other Canal appropriations during the pathy; the steamshovel workers were al- emergency. ready considered the best paid in the Zone. In an editorial, the Star & Herald Zonians also waited to see the final out- commented: "The labor question seems come of a bill which would make compulsory to furnish a difficulty greater than that the discharge of one of a working married- of Culebra or the Chagres in digging the couple.

Canal . . . Such occurrences as a strike The U. S. Postal Department an- of three-quarters of the steamshovel men nounced a new two-day air mail schedule with a consequent enforced idleness of the from New York to the Canal Zone. major part of the machinery and men This would cut 19 hours off the previous employed . . . must serve to convince time. WALTER GUY BROWN onlookers that the labor part of the busi-

ness is the part requiring ceaseless at^ "Without ceremony, just as the Colonel alance Is Hisnis DusinessBtj tention." would have preferred," a painting of George W. Goethals was hung in the rotunda In a circular dated May 9, Isthmian Balboa Heights Administration who shop at the commissary retail stores, Canal Commission Chairman George W. of the Building. The portrait, which was painted mail packages at the post offices, buy Goethals announced that "the Hon. Jos. by ex-Governor Chester Harding, was the gasoline at the service stations, or drop C. S. Blackburn is placed in charge of the gift of about 500 Canal oldtimers. pennies in public scales to check their Department of Civil Administration." dieting success. On May 21, with ex-Senator Blackburn 1 Years Ago When the commissary stores are closed as the main speaker, the Culebra Club- Zone news, 10 years ago this to customers, Walter Brown is often at hou.se opened its doors to its members. Canal the work inside, expertly dismantling, clean- The formal opening of the Gorgona Club- month, came mostly from United ing, and inspecting the scales. Using hou.se followed four days later and the States. small check-weights, replicas of a master inauguration of the clubhouse at Empire In Portland, Oreg., former Vice Pres- chrome-plated set kept at the Balboa In- took place May 28. The clubhouses were ident Henry Wallace lu-ged the interna- strument Repair Shop, he carefully checks built by the ICC and operated by the tionalization of the Panama Canal. Tes- and repairs each machine. YMCA. tifying before the Senate Civil Service Insects, which crawl inside the scales Another first session in May, 50 years Subcommittee, Gov. J. C. MehafTey said and are crushed by the mechanism, cause ago, was that of the Tivoli Club, which gave that there was "an astonishing record of the most trouble, according to Mr. Brown. its inaugural hall May 18. According to no attempt of any kind of sabotage or As one small insect can cause a variation a contemporary columnist, the Club was an disloyalty in the Canal Zone" during two of as much as one-fourth of a pound, in- offshoot of the "Various Soldiers of For- world wars. Also at Washington, Rep. secticide is liberally applied to the inside tune." Willis Bradley, of California, announced of each of the intricate computing scales that he opposed any enlargement of the Four men were killed and five others before it is reassembled. Canal at that time, and said that in any badly hurt when a dynamite charge ex- case he favored a lock- rather than a sea- With fishing as a hobby, he and several ploded prematurely near Pedro Miguel. level-canal. friends have spent their spare time, over Other Zoniana: A new baseball park the last seven months, constructing a 15- Because of the continued rise in lumber opened "between the Tivoli Hotel and the foot boat which they have just taken out costs, the Canal annotinced, several masonry Ancon Aqueduct;" George M. Shontz, for- for a successful test run. type quarters woidd be included in the fiscal merly Prosecuting Attorney in the Canal year's building program. Born in Ancon into a family long asso- Zone, was named Attorney on the Isthmus ciated with the Canal his father, the late for the Commission and the Panama Rail- The Canal organization imposed a sys- Walter Graham Brown, retired in 1945 road; visionary Islhmiuiis, discitssinij mad tem of price control on 16 basic food with 38 years of service— Mr. Brown construction, said: "Now we are looking items. Any price increases on these had completed his twenty-third year with the forward to the time when there will be a to be approved by the Executive Office. Canal organization last month. He nice highway from Panama to Colon;" started work when he was 15 years old, and Colonel Goethals forbade employees to One Year Ago as a machinist helper during his school va- carry on any business outside of their Zone Maj. Gen. William E. Potter was cations and began his continuous service jobs. sworn in as the twelfth Governor of the with an apprenticeship in the Industrial 25 Years Ago Canal Zone, succeeding Maj. Gen. John Division with which he has been con- S. Seybold. nected ever since. Although Zonians breathed a little easier about the fate of the Panama Railroad ships after the House of Repre- THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW May 3, 1957 , It I

HONOR ROLL

These are the nine men, still on the rolls, whose service began during the construc-

tion period. The names in capitals are those of the men with continuous service. The asterisks indicate holders of the Roosevelt Medal.

Can you match their early pictures with more recent ones?

1909 Adrien M. Bouche

1911 Bernard W. Mclntyre*

1912

Samuel J. Deavours

George Carter Orr ARTHUR MORGAN

1913

David W. Ellis

Edward p. Walsh EMMETT ZEMER William Brugge

(For answers see page 1

r.=

ANNIVERSARIES PROMOTIONS AND TRANSFERS

Adrien M. Bouche, whose 41 years of March 75 through April 75 service put him on top of the list of anni- s-ersaries in April, knows the Panama Canal, Employees who were promoted or trans- (X'ocational Subjects) to Training Instruc- from bottom to top. He was running er- ferred between March 15 and April 15 tor (Technical Training-General), Electrical rands, as a messenger during school vaca- are listed below. Within-grade promotions Division. tions, around Gatun when the Locks were are not reported. Willard E. Percy, from Teacher (Voca- great gaping holes and for the last 20 years CIVIL AFFAIRS BUREAU tional Subjects) to Training Instructor, he has bean opening gates and turning Electrical Division. R. Clerk valves from the control tower at Pedro Mrs. Annie Rathgeber, from Mrs. Mildred N. Morrill, from Clerk- (Typing) to Secretary (Typing), Office of Miguel Locks. He is now senior of any of Stenographer to Clerical Assistant (Steno- the Locks Division's control-house men. Director. graphy). Electrical Division. Victor H. Higgins, from LIsher, Diablo In his spare time he is an avid explorer Jr., Arnold A. Jackson, from Powerhouse Op- Theater, to Substitute of the Canal Zone and Panama and has Window Clerk, erator to Senior Powerhouse Operator, Elec- Postal Division. gone as far afield as Mexico and Brazil. trical Division. has Maurice W. Sherry, from Window Clerk He has turned up plants which he James J. O'Doimell, from Senior Power- to Transfer Clerk. Tocumen Airport LInit, passed on to pharmaceutical houses, min- house Operator to Powerhouse Operator- Postal Division. erals which may be of commercial value, Dispatcher, Electrical Division. C. Hogan, from Postal Clerk, and relics of the earlier peoples of the Isth- Richard Delivery L'nit to Clerk,' Post- HEALTH BUREAU mus which are of help in establishing its Mail Window Reginald M. Hayden, from Clerk to Ac- history. al Division. counts Maintenance Clerk, Gorgas Hospital. His Canal Zone service dates back to OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER George W. Fears, from Supervisory Stew- 1909; he is one of the nine American em- Joseph J. Saitta, from Accountant to ard, Service Center Division, to Executive ploN-ees who have construction-day service, Auditor. General Audit Division. Housekeeper, Gorgas Hospital. and is one of two still employed who hold Benjamin S. Chisholm, from Service Cen- the Roosevelt Medal. MARINE BUREAU ter Manager, Balboa, to Construction Cost Bouches lived for many years on a The Accountant, Plant Evaluation and Transfer Edward B. Frampton, from Locomotive in Pedro Miguel. After the town hillside Branch. Crane-Rigger Operator, Industrial Division, was practically depopulated, they moved to to Towing Locomotive Operator, Pacific Madden Dam but they are back again in ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION Locks. the Canal Zone, this time in Diablo Heights. BUREAU Lester H. Barrows, from Industrial Ship- 35 YEARS Mrs. 'Wanda N. Middleton, from Clerk- wright, Industrial Division, to Towing Lo- The ships which Mr. Bouche helps put Stenographer, Employment and Utilization comotive Operator, Pacific Locks. through the Panama Canal every day are Division, to Stenographer, Engineering Div- Thomas L. Gregg, from Guard, Locks old stuff to the two employees who com- ision. Security Branch to Towing Locomotive pleted 35 years of government service last Claud M. Kreger, Abe L. Lincoln, from Operator, Atlantic Locks. month. Rotary Drill Foreinan to Foreman, Dredg- Jack W. Rocker, from Marine Inspection Carlos E. Centella, senior of the pair by ing Di\'ision. .Assistant. Navigation Division, to Machin- a week, watches the ships ev-ery day as they Richard Swearingen, from Wireman, ist, Pacific Locks. at Cucaracha Signal Electrical Division, to Electrical Equipment pass his post the Sta- Dean L. Dodson, Edward J. Husted, tion, and Rexford T. Ray sees them as they Inspector, Power Conversion Project. Rexford T. Ray, from (iuard to Guard Sup- lock up or down at Gatun where he is a Philip T. Green, from Department Head ervisor. Locks Security Branch. sergeant in the Locks Security Force. John R. Bruland, Jr., from Boilermaker Mr. Centella has spent his entire adult to Lead Boilermaker Foreman, Industrial born in Ancon, is among those whose serv- career with the Canal organization. Born Division. ice is not continuous. He is George O. in Panama City, he went to work for the Earl Cassell, from General Foreman to Foreman, Refrigeration and -Air Panama Canal's Accounting Division on Tarflinger, Chief Foreman, Atlantic Locks. Conditioning, Maintenance Division. Other April 1, 1922. For the next 22 years, he are: Cliris C. Bennett, Inspec- SUPPLY AND EMPLOYEE SERVICE BUREAU served in the Payroll Section and the Claims 20-year men Cranes, Industrial Branch. In 1944 he transferred to the Mar- tor of Elevators and Elsie H. Smith, from Clerk-Txpist to Division, who is a native of Brooklyn, N. Y. ine Division as a signalman, a post he still Procurement Clerk (Typist), Division of McBride, Police Sergeant, Police holds. He was stationed for a time on Sosa 'Walter G. Storehouses. another who was born in Hill, overlooking Balboa Harbor and Pan- Division, New P. Byrne Hutchings, from Clerical Assist- Schmidt, of Bal- ama Bay but has now moved inland to the York City; Louis H. Jr., ant to Realty Assistant, Housing and Supervisor, station on the banks of Gaillard Cut. timore, Md., Commissary Com- Grounds Di-cision. Division; and Francis X. Moser, Mr. Ray, who comes from Graham, in missary Evelyn M. Molyneaux, from Clerk-Typ- the Piedmont section of North Carolina, of Cincinnati, Ohio, Machinist, Industrial ist to File Clerk (Typing), Division of had over a quarter of a century with the Division. Storehouses. 15 YEARS United States Army before he joined the Mrs. Ruby L. Willa, from Accounting have Canal organization as a lock guard nine Eight of the 15-year employees con- Clerk to Commissary Supervisor, Commis- S. Beds- years ago this month. Part of his military tinuous service. They are: James sary Division. City, N. service was at Fort Gulick with the 33d worth, of Morehead C, Window OTHER PROMOTIONS Postal Division; Wilson M. Cama- Infantry Regiment. He lives in Gatun Clerk, Promotions which did not involve change than, of Jefferson City, Ala., Lead Foreman, where he spends his off-duty time making in title, follow: Buildings and Equipment, Service Center color slides of the orchids and oriental and Dr. William E. Prier, Medical Officer, Division; L. Fischer, St. Joseph, Mo., other e.xotic plants he raises. John Orthopedics, (iorgas Hospital. Engineering Aid, Hydraulic, Meteorologi- 25 YEARS Mrs. Violette D. Allen, Clerk-Stenogra- Hydrographic Branch; Donovan I. Four Company-Government employees cal, and pher, Division of Storehouses. Reading, Pa., Engineer, Plant Main- went over the two-score-and-five mark of Geyer, Dr. Bernard L. 'WiUett, Medical Officer tenance, Maintenance Division; Emmet T. Government service last month, each rep- (.Surgery. General). Gorgas Hospital. Harper, Fondis, Colo., Towing Locomotive resenting a different Division in tlie organ- Fred W. Lawrence, Sanitary F^ngineer, Operator, Locks Division; Exier Jime Hop- ization. Water and Laboratories Branch. Nacogdoches, Tex., Supervisory Of the quartet, Cyril M. Richards, a kins, of Warren D. Marquard, Commissary Sup- Accounting Assistant, Gorgas Hospital; Signalman in the Navigation Section, is the ervisor, Commissary Division. Patrick F. McDonnell, a native of Swoyar- only one with unbroken Canal service. He Martin S. Sawyer, Marine Traffic Con- villa. Pa., Policeman and Detective, Police was born in the old construction-day town troller, Navigation Division. Charles M. Nelson, Grays, Ky., of Gorgona in the days when it was a bust- Division; Super\isor, ling center for shops and railroads. Commissary Commissary Div- Morrison, El Paso, The other three are, alphabetically: Mrs. ision; Johii M. Tex. (Lock Machinist), Locks Division; Elvira L. Byrne, a native of .St. Paul, Minn., Operator Hutchinson, Kan., Police- now a head nurse at Gorgas Hospital where Esten J. Scott, MAY SAILINGS Di\ision; Seidman, she has been throughout her local nursing man, Police Reuben Electrical career; Alcide R. Hauser, a born New New '\'ork, N. Y., Wireman, Div- ision; and Alice E. Suisman, Philadelphia, FROM CRISTOBAL Yorker, who is a Policeman in the Cristobal Machine Transcriber, District; and Anthony G. Lynn, once of Pa., Dictating Health A neon May 4 Bureau, Gorgas Hospital. Passaic, N. J., Plant Maintenance Lead Cristobal May IS broken service are: Oscar O. Foreman for the Industrial Division. Those with A neon May 22 Tampa Fla., Marine Traffic 20 YEARS Brown, Jr., Controller, Navigation Division; Anna E. FROM NEW YORK It was "men only" in the 20-year group Calvit, who was born in Colon Hospital, this month with four of the nine employees Cristobal - May 7 is Supervisory Accounting Clerk in having unbroken service. They are: Thomas and a A neon May 14 "Transportation Division; Dun- V. Kelly, Orlando, W. Va., Locomotive En- the Motor Cristobal... May 24 Glasgow, Scotland, Boatbuilder, gineer, Railroad Division; Frank McGuin- can Laird, Ancon May 31 InduMri.il Division; Dr. Robert G. Mathe- ness, Aitisterdam, N. Y., Train Dispatcher, Southbound ships which leave New York Friday Philadelphia, Pa., Chief of the \'eter- Railroad Division; Harvey D. Smith, Mar- ney, arc in Haiti the following Tuesday. Tliose wliich Medicine Division; Rocker, sail from York Tuesday spend ,s itui.tiv in Il.iili. ion, Kan., Lead Foreman, Building Main- inary Jack W. New - Nortlibound, the ships stop in H.iiii i >v " il i\ .iMrr Division; 'Wil- Ancon, C. Z., Machinist, Pacific Lock; and tenance, Maintenance and clearing Cristobal: Monday for thnsr uhh li - nl ii ijii Menzies W. Turner, Isafold. Manitoba, liam H. Will, a native Zonian born in Cristobal Saturday and Friday fut (li-r «l,i, ii , lr.,r Ancon, Brick and Stone Mason, Mainte- Canada, Operator, Towing Locomotive. Crisl..!),.! Wc.lni'Mhu . nance Division. Another native of the Canal Zone, also 14 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW May 3, 1957 school in the new high school building For which was opened last year. These Are Busy Days The Schools Santa Cruz: Kindergarten through grade 9 will be offered in Santa Cruz. May is no time to be a member of the staff of the Superintendent of the Canal Zone schools. Since the Latin American school year was changed to coincide with Chagres: There will be no school at that of the Republic of Panama, the i)reparations for the opening of these schools Chagres this year. Students will attend coincide with the multitudinou.s details which go along with the closing of the U. S. classes at Rainbow City. schools. Plans for graduations have to be completed at about the same time plans Rainbow City: Kindergartners through are being made for opening day. Below, The Review presents a round up of the sixth graders will attend school in the beginning of one school year and the end of the other. elementary school building and junior and senior high school students will have U. S. Schools Latin American Schools classes in the high school building. Ele- School ends next month for approxi- Canal Zone schools in Latin American mentary clas.ses and certain junior high mately 7,000 boys and girls in the Canal communities will open Monday, May 6, school classes will make joint use of the Zone United States schools. High school with an enrollment of approximately 3,900 new wing of the high school building and junior college commencement exer- students in Kindergarten through Grade which was built about three years ago. cises will be June 5, and the schools will 12. This will be the second year in which New books have been added to the close oflficially, Thursday, June 6, when the school schedule has coincided with that school libraries and a number of new pupils return for their report cards. of the Republic of Panama. Schools will textbooks in Spanish will be used this The Canal Zone Junior College will close February 5, 1958. year. These textbooks were published in graduate the third largest class in its his- School officials expect enrollments to be Mexico, Chile, Cuba, and Argentina; tory when 48 students receive their diplo- approximately the same as when schools Spanish dictionaries used by the schools mas at the Diablo Heights Theater the closed last year. Second-day enrollment were published in France. morning of June 5. Baccalaureate serv- last year was 3,912. There was a gain ices for the graduates will be held in the of 29 students during the year, resulting Courses of study in 34 subject areas same theater on June 2. in a total enrollment when the year closed have been completed and will be distrib- In the high schools, 177 students of 3,941. uted for instructional use during the will be graduated from Balboa and 61 High school principals have been on coming year. from Cristobal, with 28 honor students duty to accept registrations since April Temistocles Cespedes, who retired re- in the Balboa class and 10 among the 15, and elementary school principals cently as Chief of the Panama Schools' Cristobal graduates. began registration on April 29. School Technical Service Section, will continue Commencement exercises for Balboa busses will be provided on the same to serve as a consultant for the Canal High at the Balboa Theater, and Cristo- plan as last year. Zone's Latin Ameiican schools. High School Some changes have been made in the bal High at the Cristobal Some major physical changes in the will held June 5 at 8 m. locations where students will attend Auditorium, be p. school plant this year are a junior high for both graduat- classes. By communities, these changes Baccalaureate services shop and two academic classrooms be- scheduled for the afternoon and the facilities available to Latin Amer- ing classes are ing constructed at Santa Cruz, which of June 2; Balboa baccalaureate will be ican students are as follows: will permit the ninth grade to remain Diablo Heights Theater and Cris- La Boca: Grades 1 through 9 students at the there instead of going to Paraiso as in at the high school auditorium. will attend school in the high school build- tobal the past. The largest class in history, 330, will ing. The elementary school building was Major changes at Paraiso are the addi- participate in class day exercises at Bal- abandoned last year and the La Boca tion of an air-conditioned music room boa Junior High School. Balboa and Kindergarten has been dropped due to and the development of a new playground. Cristobal class day programs will take lack of enrollment. place June 3; Balboa exercises will be at Paraiso: Kindergarten through the Other changes in the physical plant the Balboa Theater and Cristobal activ- ninth grade will attend school in the include: demolition of the old Rainbow ities will be at the high school auditorium. junior high school building and high City junior high school building; drainage

(.Sec Many improvements in the physical school students, grades 10-12, will attend improvement at Rainbow . page 18 plant were made during the 1956-57 school year. A new stadium seating 1,500 was constructed at Balboa and the night lighting systems were reno- vated at both the Mount Hope and Balboa stadiums. Additional playground {See page is)

RETIREMENTS

Retirement certificates were presented at the end of April to the following employees who are listed alphabetically, together with the birthplaces, positions, length of Canal service, and future addresses. Loy E. Bates, Sr., Illinois; Chief Towboat Engineer, Dredging Division; IS years, 10 days; Fontana, Calif.

Mrs. Evelyn S. Endicott, Indiana ; Account- ing Clerk, Accounting Division; 8 years, 8 months, 27 days; Canal Zone. Capt. Henry G. Ferri, New York; Pilot, Navigation Division; 21 years, 11 months 3 days; San Francisco, Calif. James Horace Jones, Alabama; Carpen- ter Foreman, Locks Division; 20 years, 4 months, 6 days; Gadsden, Ala. Mary Grace McDonald, Minnesota; Teacher, Balboa Elementary School; 31 years, 7 months; New York. Edgar S. Momhiweg, New York; Guard Supervisor, Locks Security Force; 7 years, Activities at Atlantic Side Safety Field Day opened with Lt. Gov. H. W. Schull 1 month, 23 days; Denver, Colo. George L. Radel, Pennsylvania; Machin- cutting ribbon. Seen above, at the Camp Bierd Grounds are, left to right: Keith ist Foreman, Locks Division; 21 years, 26 Bowen, Safety Field Day Committee member; Rex Archibold, announcer; Dave days; Canal Zone. E. White, Chairman, Safety Field Day Committee; G. O. Kellar, Chief, Safety Charles F. Stevens, Oklahoma; Lieuten- City ant, Fire Division; 35 years, 6 months, 13 Branch; Lt. Gov. Schull; Owen B. Shirley, Principal, Rainbow High School- days; \'irginia Beach, Va. Stanley Spence, Charles Davis, and Kenneth Weeks, members of the Committee. Eva M. Talboy, Iowa; Clerk, Gorgas Hospital; 12 vears, 5 months, 10 days; Royal Oak, Mich. May 3,1957 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 15 Here is a group oF the men who have gone back to school, evenings. They are Night Schools Pacific siders who have just finished a union-sponsored air conditioning course.

sored and organized the programs pro- they will move on to Electricity and DC For Union Men posed by the Industrial Training Com- Circuits, and such other subjects as Mag- mittee and sometimes labor has operated netism and Electromagnetic Induction. On two successive evenings several independently, but with the blessings and Meanwhile the two electrical locals are weeks ago, 40 of the Canal Zone's skilled assistance of the Industrial Training Com- devoting the first 45 minutes of each craftsmen stood up one by one to receive mittee. The cooperation between labor union meeting to a course in Electrical certificates that they had completed a and the Committee, The Review was Testing and Troubleshooting. These special course in the Air Conditioning. told, has brought credit to all involved. meetings, of course, are open to union They came from the Canal organiza- The recently completed course in the members only. tion, the Army, and the Navy, and each Theory of Air Conditioning, taught by A course in the Corrosion of Metals has had spent some of his evenings for the Willard Percy, is the third of a series orig- been proposed by the Plumbers Local 606 previous two-and-a-half months in group inally proposed by the Industrial Train- and night classes in this subject will be study to bring themselves up to date in ing Committee and organized by Locals organized as soon as suitable material can work which they are now doing or which 811 and 699 of the International Associ- be collected and prepared. they will do when the entire Canal Zone ation of Machinists. The first course in Also coming, in the night-school line, has 60-cycle power. this series began in November 1955; since is a two-lecture series sponsored jointly The craftsmen who had spent their then 168 journeymen and engineers have by the Marine Engineers Beneficial Asso- evenings in this fashion were divided into completed more than 1,344 man-hours of ciation Local 96 and the Division of Store- two groups, one from the Pacific side and study. houses. These lectures, which will be the other from the Atlantic side of the While these courses were going on, given in June and July- -the exact dates Isthmus. At the Balboa class the cer- other unions were not idle. Locals 677 to be announced later- -will be devoted tificates were presented by Frank H. and 397 of the International Brother- to the designations and characteristics of Lerchen, Maintenance Engineer for the hood of Electrical Workers suggested a the lubricants to be stocked by the Divi- Panama Canal Company; Lt. R. N. series of courses in electrical subjects sion of Storehouses during the coming Saunders, Public Works Officer for the and these were endorsed by the Indus- fiscal year. 1.5th Naval District at Rodman; and Earl trial Training Committee. (Left to right, above: Fimt niw: Willard Percy, Instru- Best, Chief of the Electric Section of the A total of 87 men, from a number of tor; Henry Dunianoir, Air P'orce; James Boukalis, In- dustrial Division; M. F. Cowan, Army Engineers; W. Army Engineers at Corozal. different crafts, have enrolled in the first H. Critch, Army Engineers; Vincent Biava, Dredging Atlantic siders received their certifi- of this seven-course series. When they Division; E. A. Dyer, Navy Public Works, Second cates from M. B. Nickel, Production complete the present class on Mathemat- tow: J. H. Young, Ted Marti, Ray Hesch, all of the Superintendent of the Industrial Division, ics and Physics, taught by Industrial Locks Division; D. C. Kaan, Electrical Division; C. E. Dufiie, W. E. Pullen, N. H. Pedersen, Navy Public and Charles Slater of the Army Engin- Training Coordinator Philip H. Green, Works; Robert Thompson, Dredging Division.) eers. With each certificate went congrat- ulations from representatives of the or- Young Zonians Have Better Teeth ganization with which the craftsman is employed and, a more tangible recogni- The dental health of Canal Zone school children, which will be reflected in the tion of his accomplishments, letters re- children shows an improvement over last adults of later years, is the purpose of course have been in- garding their work year, according to a survey of children the program. All parents of pupils with each craftsman's personnel file. cluded in in the first, fourth, and seventh grades. dental defects are notified immediately idea of evening classes for While the The survey, which has become a perma- concerning the dental problems of their is here, the system craftsmen not new nent part of the school health program, children. under which such classes are promoted shows that 41.1 percent of the children An additional benefit is that informa- and operated has changed considerably examined have no dental defects or do tion is obtained concerning the success of during the past few years. not need immediate dental attention. the water fluoridation program. The de- 19.5.5, the In wh?n Apprentice Commit- Last year, only 33 percent were included cision to continue the present concentra- tee became the Industrial Training Com- in this category. tion of .7 parts per million was based on mittee, it was expanded to include a rep- The system of checking the first, fourth, the surveys conducted the last two years. resentative of organized labor. The labor and seventh grades is designed to insure Dr. Lewis E. Fontaine, Chief of Dental time representative since that has been three examinations for each student dur- Services, Gorgas Hospital and Ancon Hesch, of Local 811 of Ray a member the ing the time his teeth are developing. Of Dental Clinic, was in charge of the survey International Association of Machinists. these three grades, the fourth grade, in on the Pacific side of the Isthmus while as a clearing The committee acts house general, proved to have the best dental Dr. Willard French, C!hief of Dental Serv- for ideas on craft educational programs, health this year. ices, Coco Solo, conducted the program decides what programs are needed and Improved dental health for all school on the Atlantic side. how they can best be operated.

Sometimes organized labor has spon- 16 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW May 3, 1957 _

STATISTICS ON CANAL TRAFFIC For the purpose of comparison between pre-war and post-war traffic throufth the Panama Canal, statistics for the fiscal year 1938 are used in this section, as being more nearly normal for peace time than those for 1939.

Season's Last Trip Canal Traffic, Tolls,

Set All-Time Record

For Nine-Month Period

Hu.siiU's.s is hooming in the Panama Canal. For the finst nine months of the current fi,scal year, a period which ended March •31, a total of 6,2.54 ocean-going commer- cial vessels of .300 tons or over transited the Canal, paying tolls which were only a few thou.sand dollars short of $28,000,000.

In both transits and tolls, this is the biggest business done by the Canal in its history. This year's nine-month traffic total for commercial ships of ocean-going size ex- ceeded by 114 the total for the similar period during the preceding fiscal year, and by 732 the traffic for the first nine months of five years before. Taken by quarters this year, commer- cial shipping has shown a steady increase 1,968 large commercial ships for the first quarter, 2,104 for the second three- month period, and 2,182 for the trimester which ended March 31. But, by months, Transit of the Cunard Line's SS Caronia today puts an unofficial end to this year's the traffic trend has fluctuated with a cruise season. The picture was token during her 1953 transit of the Canal. number of ups and downs, reflecting ship- ping strikes and other factors. For six of the nine-month period, large TRAFFIC MOVEMENT OVER MAIN TRADE ROUTES commercial ships were numbered in the 600's; two other months saw more than The following table shows the number of transits of large commercial vessels (300 net craft transiting tons or over) segregated into eight main trade routes: 700 large commercial the Canal while in March commercial as well total shipping reached a high. Third Quarter, Fiscal Years- as new The figure for ocean-going commercial 1957 1956 1938 vessels (upon which most of the accom- statistics are based) United States Intercoastal 121 121 264 panying was 808, figure East Coast of U. S. and South America. . 498 562 145 the first time the 800 has been sur- East Coast of U. .S. and Central America 127 119 30 passed in the Canal's existence. East Coast of U. S. and Far East 373 303 142 As this issue of "The Review" went to Europe and Far East 69 17 8 Europe and West Coast of U. S.-Canada. 236 194 271 press, it seemed doubtful that another Europe and South America 215 198 l.U possible record was in sight. For the Europe and Australasia 147 97 first 23 days of April, a total of 583 other All routes 396 446 ocean-going commercial ships had the ocean-to-ocean transit, Total Traffic 1,386 made and traffic was averaging 25 ships per day. The biggest upswing in traffic in the MONTHLY COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC AND TOLLS past quarter, by trade routes, was for vessels running through the Panama Vessels of 300 tons net or over Canal from the U. S. east coast to the Far East. The trade route showed an By fiscal years increase of 70 ships, or over 18 percent from figures for the comparable period in Tolls Transits the past fiscal year. An even larger per- (In thousands of dollars) centage increase—although the number of 1957 1956 1957 1956 1938 ships was much smaller—appeared in the trade between Europe and the Far East July 669 727 457 $3,054 83,247 $2,030 via the Panama Canal. This percentage August 653 676 505 2,888 2,980 2,195 increase was a few points below 74 per- September. 646 686 444 2,861 3,053 1,9,56 October 699 709 461 3,083 3,065 1,981 cent. November. 654 627 435 2,876 2,705 1,893 Other trade routes showing increased

December , 751 658 439 3,420 2,944 1,845 business in the third quarter of this fiscal January 701 664 444 3,161 2,844 1,838 year, compared to the third quarter of February. 673 681 436 3,033 3,008 1,787 March 712 506 3,603 3,069 2,016 fiscal year 1956, were: the East Coast of April 692 487 3,021 1,961 the United States and Central America; iVIay 703 465 3,210 1,887 Europe to the U. S.-Canada West Coast; June 674 445 3,008 1,801 Europe to South America and Europe to

Totals for first 9 months Australia. of fiscal year 4,127 $27,979 $26,915 $17,521 Intercontinental trade remained exactly the same as for the third quarter of the Totals for fiscal year. 8,209 $27,979 $36,154 $23,170 past fiscal year and there was a decline in the U. S. East Coast-South American business. May 3, 1957 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 17 By nationalities, the (See page 19) These Are Busy Days S. Schools HONOR ROLL Canal Zone Library Seeks For U. (Continued from page lo) equipment waS Answer to pictures on page 13 Data On Those Interested provided for Gatun and Margarita and a (How'd you do?) concrete playing slab of 120 feet by 60 Bouche, top center In Blind Reading Material feet was constructed at the South Mar- Brugge, top right and left garita School. At Balboa, a covered pass- Information as to the number of blind Morgan, bottom center ageway and loading platform were pro- or partially blind persons living in the Walsh, bottom right and left vided for the Balboa Junior High School Canal Zone who would be interested in The other old and new pictures cor- and improvements were made in the girls' reading material transcribed in Braille or respond down the page in this order: dressing room at the Balboa swimming recorded "talking books" is now being pool. Public toilets were constructed at Mclntyre collected by the Canal Zone Library. Gaillard playground. Dressing rooms Orr If sufficient such persons are living were added at the Ancon gymnasium and Zemer here, the Canal Zone Library may be soundproofing was accomplished at the Ellis designated as a distribution point for Balboa Junior High School, Diablo Deavours such material from the Library of Con- Heights, and North Margarita element- gress. The Library of Congress requires Busy Days For Latin American Schools ary schools. that an area library, or distribution point Throughout the school year, there (Continued from page lo) City Elemen- for material for the blind, must serve no was increased emphasis on physical ed- tary School; the construction of covered less than 750 blind persons, but its offi- ucation activities in all the elementary passageways at the Santa Cruz and Rain- cials may be willing to make a special schools in line with the expanded phys- bow City schools; the addition of showers arrangement which will meet the Canal ical education program. and dressing rooms at Paraiso gymnasium Zone's needs. and the installation of a safety fence at Reading materials provided by the Li- During the vacation months of June, the Paraiso playground. brary of Congress for loan without charge July, and August, the Division of Schools This is the first year the Division of are available to those "whose central will conduct a playground program for Schools has not conducted a summer in- visual acuity is 20-200 or less in the better the benefit of those boys and girls who stitute after schools closed. Instead, eye with correcting glasses, or whose field will not be leaving the Isthmus during teachers were encouraged to attend the of vision at its widest diameter subtends the vacation months. Gymnasiums, swim- summer session at the University of Pan- angular distance no greater than 20 de- ming pools, and playgrounds will be open ama and approximately 35 did so. grees." A person with such vision can with supervised activities. Among the A number of teachers are on leave of read the top line on a standard eye chart, playground activities that will be avail- absence in the United States, where they while he is wearmg glasses. able are classes in beginners' swimming are pursuing further studies. Included Anyone knowing of persons who are for which registration will be held at the are Miss Mabel McLean of La Boca, Mrs. eligible and would be interested in the swimming pools between the hours of 2 Ena Ellis of Paraiso Elementary, and Library of Congress reading material and 4 p. m. from June 10 through June 21. Miss Carmen Dawkins and BjTon Mc- should write or telephone to Mrs. L. B. Schools will reopen on September 4, Dougall of Santa Cruz. Mrs. Sylvia Doig Burnham, Canal Zone Librarian at the 1957. Enrollments are expected to in- and Miss Malcolm of Paraiso High School Main Library in the Civil Affairs Building. crease the coming year. and Miss Leafy De Sousa of Rainbow Principal commodities shipped through the Canal City High School are also studying in the (All figures in long tons) United States. Those on the teaching staffs promoted ATLANTIC TO PACIFIC to new positions include Miss Ruby Thompson, promoted to Rainbow City Third Quarter, Fiscal Years- High School, Miss Maiziee Headley to Commodity 1957 1956 1938 Paraiso Junior High, Basil Cragwell to Junior High, Leslie Santa Cruz and Petroleum and products (excludes asphalt) 1,206, 1,274,686 236,644 Thomas to Rainbow City Junior High. Coal and coke 877, 740,552 27,862 Miss Nidia Avila and Aston Parchment I ron a nd steel manufactures 775, 520,526 362,008 scrap 507, 156,356 134,275 are expected to return to duty in August Metal, Phosphates 377, 334,270 67,518 studies in the United States. after Metals, various 174, 31,501 104,081 Three new elementary teachers will Soybeans 167, 165,998 493 join the teaching staff of the Latin Amer- Ores, various 160 70,585 7.800 117, 119,928 32,587 ican schools. They are: Mrs. Vilma Ri- Sugar Cotton 104 39,802 56,323 vera, who will teach the third grade at Paper and paper products 99 100,962 90,274 Paraiso; Miss Asuncion Atwell, who will Tinplate 95 75,135 56.451 take over the third grade at La Boca; Potash 9.V 26,042 6,485 90 85,960 40,735 and Miss Jilma Ayala, also assigned to Machinery Ammonium compounds 86 162,512 10,409 La Boca as fifth grade teacher. C. A. .Xll others 1,266, 1,272,320 815,709 Cragwell and Elliot Yearwood will join the Paraiso High School staff this year. Total 6,200,261 5,177,135 2,049,654

Canal Traffic, Tolls Set All-Time Record PACIFIC TO ATLANTIC {Continued from page 17) United States and Great Britain continued to hold the first Third Quarter, Fiscal Years- CommoditN' and second places, respectively, they 1957 1956 1938 have occupied for many years. The next five spots were occupied by: Norway, Ores, various 1,688,801 1,495,915 542,9.36 229; Germany, 172; Liberia, 168; Japan, Wheat -- 908,144 524,0.30 267,904 696,316 827,379 632,901 152; and Panama, 110. Lumber Sugar 414,299 284,532 299,404 Among the flags showing with more Canned food products. . 325,614 313,244 220,124 frequency in the Panama Canal during Bananas 246,484 257,619 23,411 the past quarter, as compared with the Food products in refrigeration (except fresh fruit) 240,838 186,736 106,820 third quarter of 1956, were those of Ger- Petroleum and products (excludes asphalt) 235,202 1.54,6,39 498,282 many, Japan, Liberia, and Great Britain. Metals, various 226,993 162,450 165.473 None of the declines, by nationalities, Nitrate of soda _ 222,499 375,560 5,30,861 were as marked, either by number or per- Barley 177,7,56 132,991 62,089 Wool 116,131 74,912 37,915 cent, as the increases. It is worthy of Coffee 90,729 87,0,39 53,179 ships note that Norwegian managed to Cotton, raw 85,847 78,639 37,801 remain in third place this quarter—iden- Copra 85,686 68,118 52,011 tical with its standing for the third quar- .'Ml others -. -- 1,000,822 870,030 782,012 ter of 1956—although the number of Nor- Total 6,762,161 5,893,8.33 wegian-flag ships declined from 255 in fiscal 1956 to 229 for the third quarter of the present fiscal year. 18 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW May 3, 1957 PRICE INDEXES CANAL TRANSITS — COMMERCIAL AND U. S. GOVERNMENT

-^ {Continued from paye J) comparable qual- Third Quarter, Fiscal Years- ity and quantity. 1957 1956 1938

Determininft The Market Valne .'\tlantic Pacific Th(> first sti'p in preparing these indexes 10 to Total Total Total Pacific Atlantic was to find out how the average employee other and his family spent their money; in Commercial Vessels: words, to determine what they bought 1,128 1,054 2,182 2,057 1,386

over a period of time. *SmalL . - 125 109 234 209 219 A four-week period, between September 1,253 1,163 2,416 2,266 1,605 11 and October S, 1955, was selected as a sample period for review. During this **U. S. Government vessels, ocean- period, a complete record was kept of all 38 47 85 63 *Small 49 71 120 Panama Canal Company consumer sales. 83 pattern of The commodity spending Total commercial and U. S. these employees was established by main- 1,340 1,281 2,621 2,412 issues of taining a complete record of all *\'essels under 300 net tons or 500 displacement tons. goods from the various warehouses to the **Vessels on which tolls are credited. Prior to July 1, 1951, Government-operated retail outlets. ships transited free. grouping every item under its proper By Canal Commercial Traffic by Nationality of Vessels category—flour under cereals, detergents under household operations, for instance, Third Quarter, Fiscal Years

it was possible to determine the relative

1957 1956 1 1938 importance of each item to the consumer. Xatioiiality These purchases were analyzed and Num- Num- Num- Tons Tons Tons The kinds of ber of ber of ber of averaged to determine: (1) of cargo of cargo of cargo transits transits transits goods and services purchased; (2) the the amount spent quantities bought and 1 566 for each article; and (3) the quality of 1 7,085 each article. 1 66 356 2,343,966 298 1,814,576 348 1 626 This market basket, or record of ex- 625 Chilean 17 104,067 19 120,168 3 10,012 following broad penditures, contains the Chinese 13 100,771 7 57,831 classifications of goods and services: Colombian . 50 68,238 58 75,391 Food, housuig, apparel, transportation, Costa Rican ,. . 12 85,465 8 47,738 2 medical care, personal care, reading and Danish 84 360,014 77 282,484 56 161,735 recreation, and other goods and services. Ecuadorean.. _ 14 29,414 17 24,493 Each of these categories is broken down Finnish 8 30,990 9 ,U,891 1 4,021 into several smaller groups. Food, for 20 105,395 26 167,574 26 138 30^ German 172 618,070 145 449,617 86 312,330 example, consists of: Cereals and bakery 35 323,289 28 259,957 19 96,467 poultry fish; dairy products; meats; and Honduran 108 .111,772 124 102,109 10 3,839 products; fruits and vegetables; other 1 10,350 food bought to be prepared at home; Italian 39 165,926 32 182,631 12 31,762 Japanese 152 1,115,768 115 905,050 food away from home. 77 495,136 1 all items are equally important to Not Liberian ,. . . 168 1,545,708 149 1,260,920 the average consumer, so each item and 2 1,650 3 10,429 group of items is given a weight which Netherlands 50 244,042 39 189,305 77 179,917 Nicaraguan _ 11 29,892 13 21,592 indicates its relative importance to the Norwegian 229 1,603,271 255 1,380,445 174 848,325 average householder is consumer. The Panamanian 110 495,424 100 425,983 44 56,087 apt to spend more money on bread dur- 10 50,148 8 35,488 3 4 008 ing a month than on rice; bread, there- Philippine 4 24,032 7 43,494 2 6 17,513 fore, carries a weight of 1.66 while rice Soviet 3 10,103 2 1,927 2 4,375 has a weight of only .34. 14 63,564 17 72,317 Selection Of Items Swedish 36 196,239 3i 175,163 28 187,191 1 1,180 be unnecessary and impossible It would United States 460 3,117,665 459 2,888,442 413 2,195,344 to price every item bought by an em- 1 3,924 ployee. Consequently, those who pre- Yugoslavian 1 8,642 1 9,161 2 7,300 pared the price index selected a repre- Total 2,182 12.962,422 2,057 11,070,963 1,386 6,362,777 sentative list of 225 it«ms. because of their They were chosen to purchase the same amount of floiu- he important and carry a heavier weight importance to the consumer and because, was able to buy for $1.23 during calendar with the Canal Zone family than they their price re- in combination, movements year 1956. would with its U. S. cotmterpart. present those of all goods and services. considerable reliance has been While The second difference is that the Zone Each item selected for pricing is so placed on the vast amount of material index takes into account only the Zone defined that the same item, or one of published by the Bureau of Labor Statis- consumer's expenditures in the Zone; the equal quality, will be priced each period. tics and while the indexes have been pat^ U. S. index covers all spending. The prices used are those in effect on the terned to a considerable extent along the In the third place, the Canal Zone fifteenth of each month. The items lines of the current U. S. Consumer Price index is based on the buying pattern of selected are exactly the same as those Index, there are several major differences both married and single employees; the used in compiling the U. S. Index. between the index for the United States U. S. index is based on families of two or Each month prices are compared with and that for the Canal Zone. more persons. the average prices during the base period The Canal Zone index is based on the These major differences are indicated —calendar year 1956, for the Consumer spending pattern of all U. S.-citizen em- to prevent any erroneous conclusions Price Index—or with published U. S. ployees and their dependents residing in should the Canal Zone and U. S. indexes prices for that month—for the Compar- the Canal Zone. Living habits are diff- be compared. ative Index. Percentage price changes erent here from those in the United States. *There is in are computed for each item and the rela- This has influenced, to a considerable ex- an ob\ioiis lag movements of food prices in the Canal Zone because of the tive importance of each item for that tent, the relative importance, or weights, time interval between purchase date and month is calculated. of certain items. final delivery to the C. Z. consumer. Because If flour, for instance, has increased 20 What a family buys in the way of food, of the distance from the market there will in undoubtedly be many months when the percent price over the previous month, clothing, and recreation materials are all commodity price movement here will be the weight given flour in the month's influenced this geographical difference by inconsistent with comparative price move- time-to-time index becomes 1.48 as com- and consequently certain items are more ments in the States. pared with the 1.23 in the base index. In other words, a buyer is spending $1.48 May 3, 1957 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW 19 UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

3 1262 08544 4858 AND SHIPPING

at the Panama Canal Yacht Club. The Atlantic side Utopia is a 65-foot schooner a\\-ned and operated by Fred J. Peterson, of Sturgeon Bay, Wis. The skipper and a crew of six brought the sailing vessel to Cristobal from Sturgeon Bay by way of Chicago, New Orleans, St. Petersburg, Fla., Havana, Cuba, and Ja- maica. When it sails from Cristobal and makes the Canal transit southbound, as it is scheduled to do soon, the Utopia will start on a round-the-world cruise with the Galapagos Islands as her first port of call.

Bunkering Brisk

March was the busiest month in ten years for the Marine Bunkering Section of the Terminals Division. During that period, figures show that the load in terms of barrels of petroleum products handled was the highest since the end of the last war. Division officials attributed the in- crease, in the most part, to the increase in the number of ships being diverted from the Suez to the Panama Canal, and The Ore Prince and her sister ship, the Ore Monarch, together have carried a to an increase in trade to and from the total of 1 89,661 tons of Peruvian iron ore on five trips through the Panama Canal Far East.

Lots of Cargo Record Breaker as the transport Monterey, was towed Cargo handling activities of the Term- through the Canal last April with the The record for the amount of ore hauled inal Division also reflected a considerable assistance of five Panama Canal tugs through the Panama Canal in a single increase over previous months on both working in relays. She will be represented shipment was broken again last month sides of Isthmus. increase in here by Norton, Lilly. the The when the 15,662-ton Ore Monarch of the March was more or less anticipated since Navion Corporation was northbound with Tropical Travellers at this time of the year large shipments 40,594 tons of ore aboard. This is not According to an estimate made by of cotton and coffee are received from only the largest cargo of ore but the Atlantic side shipping men, a total of Latin American countries for trans-ship- largest cargo of any kind ever carried 13,383 tourists disembarked in Cristobal ment to world markets. On the Pacific through the Canal by a smgle ship. from 28 ships and visited various points side the busy period was made ever busier The Ore Monarch made her record- of interest in Panama and the Canal Zone by the handling of 11,500 tons of scrap- breaking trip on April 15. Her load ex- during the official tourist season which iron and steel which was loaded aboard ceeded by 1,401 tons the previous record started in November. Of this number, the freighter Fukuzan carried aboard her sister ship. Ore Prince, 6,836 cruise passengers made a partial Japanese Man. on March 4. The Ore Monarch's cargo transit of the Panama Canal aboard the This was the largest single shipment of was out of San Juan, Peru, for Morris- excursion feiryboat Presidente Porras as scrap handled at a Canal Zone port. ville, Pa. part of their tour of the Isthmus. Japanese Fishers The two ships gross 15,662 tons each, The estimated number of tourists this Five Japanese whale catchers, part of have an overall length of 735 feet and a year did not include those passengers who the former Olympic whaling fleet sold last beam of 98 feet. They are registered arrived here aboard the Panama Line year by the Onassis Company to the under the Liberian flag, and are handled vessels and other ships regularly sched- Kyokuyo Hogei K. K., arrived in Balboa locally by Payne & Wardlaw. uled to call at Canal ports. from the South Pacific u'haling grounds New Look The Cunard Lme cruise ship Caronia brought several hundred more visitors to during April and took on bunkers here The Matson Line's 24,762-ton Mat- Balboa Thui'sday when she arrived here in preparation for the trip home to Japan. sonia, which was taken through the Canal after a 108-day round-the-world cruise. The whaling boats, now named the Otari last April as one of the largest "dead" The ship is due to make the Canal transit Maru Nos. 6, 7, 10, //, and 18, were under tows ever to make the transit, will return today, and will sail for New York at the Panama flag until June 1956. They to the Isthmus May 31 under her own 6 p. m. were handled here by C. Fernie and Com power with more than 700 cruise passen- pany. gers aboard. Utopia Right Here The 24-year-old vessel was recently E\-eryone dreams of Utt)pia but the Migration By Sea transformed into one of the most modern residents of Cristobal have it anchored A group of 358 Hungarian refugees en and up-to-date luxury liners afloat. The i-oute from Europe to Wellington, New work, done at a Newport News shipyard, Zealand, where they will make their new included air conditioning throughout, re- TRANSITS BY OCEAN-GOING VESSELS IN homes, made the trip through the Canal placement or overhaul of all engines, and MARCH 19-56 1957 during April aboard the Rotterdam Lloyd the complete redecoration of all public Commercial 712 808 salons and cabins. ship Sihajak. Sponsored by the Intergov- U. S. Government 32 v^2 Due in Cristobal May 31 from New ernmental Committee for European Mi- York via Haiti, Nassau, and other West Total _. 744 840 gration under the U. S. Escapee Program, * Indian ports, the vessel will make the TOLLS the refugees included men, women, and transit the same day and sail at 2 a. m., Commercial $3,073,307 $3,608,748 children. They are among the first Hun- U. S. Government- 198,079 110,103 June 1, for San Francisco via Acapuico, garian refugees to come through the After her coast-to-coast cruise, Mexico. Total $3,271,396 $3,718,851 Panama Canal. The ship here was hand- she will join the Matson Line fleet run- * Includes tolls on all vessels, ocean-going and small. died by C. B. Fenton & Company. ning between San Francisco and Hawaii. The Matsonia, operated during the war 20 THE PANAMA CANAL REVIEW May 3, 1957