PANAMA CANAL

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 5, 7 January 1930, Page 8

PANAMA CANAL

INCREASE IN TRAFFIC

GREAT WIDENING PLAN

Fifteen years after American engi« neers ,dug the big ditch through the Panama jungle, the Governor ■of the Canal Zone reports that preliminary, work has already been undertaken looking toward the first step in expanding the size of the interoeeanic canal, gays the "Christian Science Monitor." A record of constantly-increasing' traffic through the waterway is carried forward to new high levels in the year and gives emphasis to the need for looking ahead to the time when it will be necessary to make the canal bigger. Army engineers are already surveying a proposed route through Nicaragua in case a second ocean-to-ocean canal becomes necessary for the increasing commercial fleets of the world. Substantial work, Governor Burgess reports, has been taken in the year on preliminary, operations necessary to the first move for expanding the capacity of the Panama Canal. This is the construction of the Madden Dam at Alhajuels, for impounding additional water storage for; lockages, and tho maintenance of. tha summit level during dry seasons. ALL RECORDS BROKEN. The past year set now records forj the aggregate tonnage of vessels passing through, for tolls collected and tons of cargo carried. This bears out pre« vious forecasts made by army engineers^ that traffic through the Panama Canal will grow larger and larger, so that the canal itself must be made wider, and the facilities improved as the years pass and ultimately a new AtlanticPacific waterway seriously considered! Tolls amounted in 1929 to 27,128,889, dollars (£5,500,000), a new high record for all time, yet not large enough' to return the 4 per cent, on total investment which the Government sets as a minimum before reducing charges' on vessels seeking passage through. In the past year the once-distant Panama Canal Zone has been brought within a few days' journey of all parts of the United States by expanding air mail and air passenger routes with expectation of further extensions immediately, both to the north and to countries to the south. The canal zone is now a flourishing community of 30,300 people, or 2300 more than a year ago, and apparently well satisfied with conditions. ■ Although the volume of traffic is expanding, the time has not yet corn* when it will be advisable to establish continuous operations throughout 24 hours a day, or even extensive sight operation, the report explains. Fogi make night operation particularly difficult, it is explained. However, the report adds: "The continued growth of traffic has emphasised the importance of providing for a greater future traffic.'-'- ~