PANAMA CANAL

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1598, 15 November 1912, Page 5

PANAMA CANAL

DUES FIXED. PROBABLE EFFECT ON NEW ZEALAND. AMERICAN REPORT. By Telegraph— Ppces Association— Oopyriffht (Rec. November H, 10.10 p.m.) Washington, November 14. Tho President, Mr. Taft, has issued a proclamation fixing the Panama Canal tolls for merchant and passenger vessels at 1 dollar 20 cents (55.) per ton net on tho actual carrying capacity, .with a reduction of forty per cent, on all ships in ballast. The tariff for naval ships, excepting ooliiers, transports, and hospital ships, is \ fixed at 50 cents (2s. Id.) per displacement ton, and tho exempted vessels at 1 dollar : 20 cents' per ton net. ' Tho proclamation doss not refer to tho I British protest against the exemption of American coastwise vessels from tho i Canal dufra [ The rates are- based on those likely to ba enforced on the Suez Canal in ■ 1919. , Professor Johnson's report on the ' Canal states that it will probably bo self' [ sustaining by 1913. He recommends that s tho rate per net ton should be reduced after a docado. He expects the Canal to ■ compete successfully for the New Zealand trade. The professor anticipates , that the \ foreign traffic during the. first two years is unlikely to exceed- nhie million tons, I but'there should be a GO per cent, 'inereaise during the first decade. It is not y expected that much Australian commerce will be diverted via Panama. , Mr. Taft espeets that £he economies which can be effected oil the voyage from the Eastern States , to Australia and New Zealand will attract all the traffic at pre-; I sent going round Cape Town, ■ ■