THE PANAMA CANAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 311, 26 May 1911, Page 4

THE PANAMA CANAL.

WILL IT BENEFIT NEW ZEALAND. According to a navigator of high standing who was recently on a visit to Timaru, the popular opinion that New Zealand will benclit considerably by the opening of the Panojna Canal is quite erroneous. The opening of the canal, he asserts, will not reduce the ditlance between New Zealand and London by even one whole day, and taking into consideration the canal dues that will be imposed, he thinks it is highly improbable that the canal will be utilised by New Zealand home traders at all. Taking Cape Palliser as the centre of New Zealand, he gives the distances,, according to Mercator's Projection, as follows:—From five miles south of Cape Palliser to Nicaragua, 0334 miles; through the canal and lake, 170 miles; from Greytown to a point in Mona passage, 094 miles; from point in Mona passage to Eddystone lighthouse, 3645 miles; total 11,143 miles. Following the Great Circle Track, the distances would be:—From five miles south of Cape Palliser to Nicaragua, 0240 miles; through the canal and lake, 170 miles; from Greytown to a point in Mona passage, 094 miles; from point in Mona passage to Eddystone lighthouse, 3577 miles: total, 10,081 miles. This latter course, although mathematically the shortest possible, could not, however, be strictly adhered to owing to the obstruction of islands, etc., and necessary diversions to make for coaling ports, the former estimate (11,143 miles), therefore, is probably nearer the actual distance that would be covered-:by a steamer. When this distance is compared with that covered by a recent arrival by the beaten track around Cape Horn, viz., 11,036 miles, the actual difference in favour of the Panama route is only 493 miles, and against this must be debited the loss of time that would be occasioned by a vessel having to go through the canal at a very much reduced speed. This loss was estimate# at twenty-four hours for a steamer running on an average 300 miles per day. Thus the net gain by going through the canal would be apparently 193 miles, or less than two-thirds of a day's steaming, and to effect this the steamer would have to pay heavy dues, which would make such a proposition altogether out of the question. The navigator in question admitted the distance from Auckland to Panama is shorter than from Cape Palliser, but he says this does not affect the position to any appreciable extent, and he thinks the sooner New Zealanders realise that the canal is being constructed by the United Stateß for the purpose of its navy and the benefit of its east and west trade, and incidentally that of the west coast of South America, and not for the benefit of the South Sea Islands the better.

"In looking at an ordinary map of the world," concluded the navigator, "one is tempted to think that a straight line route, drawn from New Zealand to England across the American continent continent somewhere near Panama, would be the shortest. In reality, it is not so. As a matter of fact, were one able to disregard all obstacles to navigation which improvements to airships ' may in time accomplish, the shortest route to New Zealand from Eddystone lighthouse would be by steering north and passing within 160 miles of the North Pole, and then bearing away south to New Zealand, the distance being a little over 10,000 miles."