THE PANAMA CANAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2670, 17 January 1916, Page 7

THE PANAMA CANAL

INDEFINITE REOPENING DATE. Latest advices received in Australia from the.Panama Canal are to the effect that no definite date can yet be fixed for a reopening. It is possible tliat tbe canal authorities may allow to I pass within the next week or two, at 'their own risk, any vessels still waiting, but this is not likely to be taken advantage of by oversea tonnage, ow-' j ing to the risk of further slides. It may benefit the vessels of the screw schooner type, which, with a small bunker capacity, cannot face any other route. The Government Geologist, Mr. "Donald F. Macdonald, who has recently been on the ground; predicts that there will be no further slides of any consequence, _ and it must be remembered that this gentleman in 1912 ventured a similar opinion on the same district, where serious slides have occurred. It would appear that the pressure has so far relaxed that the canal bottom no longer bulges up, and a permanent channel is now available for the dredges. Annonneement is made in the "Canal RccoTd" that those vessels which, after entering the Panama Canal, turned back to the ocean from which they came, to seek some other route instead of waiting for the opening of the canal,_ are receiving refunds of the money paid for their tolls. Every ship entering the canal has an account with the Collector, against which are charged the tolls and any, other indebtedness to the canal which the ship may. incur, such as for fuel, supplies, towage, and when the ship leaves the canal the account is closed, whatever balance lies to Eer favour being refunded to her operators unless request has been made for the maintenance of an open account. In the case of the ships which have turned back on account of the slides the item of tolls is marked off of the account and the refund t-o the operator increased by so much.