Honolulu Republican, Volume IV, Number 499, 17 January 1902 — THE ISTHMIAN CANAL. [ARTICLE]

THE ISTHMIAN CANAL.

A detailed study of the foreign commerce of the United States for the year ending June 30. 1899. and of the commerce of Europe with the western part of the American continents during the calendar year 1899. has been made to ascertain the ton nage of the vessels that might have passed through an isthmian canal had one been in existence. The cargo tonnage was found to amount to 8.702.541. This total does not include the comparatively small amount of freight that pas- 1 b> water between the Atanti< and Pacific seaboards -of the United Stales, the statistics of which are not obtainable. it comprises 277,840 tons for the fnmmt’ri e between the Eastern seaIntard of the United States and western South and Central America. Hawaii. and British Colombia: 1.528.880 tons for the commerce of our Eastern seaboard with Australasia. Oceanica. Japan China, and Siberia; 1.829.387 tons for the trade between the West coast of the United States and Europe and 3.288.834 tons for the commerce between Europe and western South and Central America, western Mexico. Hawaii, and British Columbia. It does not include any of Europe's trade with other parts of the Pacific. The entrances and clearances for the commerce of the Eastern seaboard of the United States with Pacific America and with Australia. Oceania. the Philippines. Japan. China, and Siberia, and the vessel movements betw,H*n the western coasts of the American continents and the North Atlantic American and European ports were found to amount to 4.074.852 vessel-ton* net register, including 338.998 tuns for the commerce now crossing the isthmus of Panama Thu total was compared with the results of a traffic investigation made by the New Panama Canal Company. The records of vessels movements kept by that company show a traffic for the calendar year 1899 of 2.848.377 tons net register for the commerce between Europe and the western coast of the American continent, between the Atlantic seaboard of America and trans pacific countries, and between the two American sea

boards The total obtained from the records k“pt by the Panama Company doe* not include any vessel tonnage for the commerce now crossing the Isthmus. The addition of that tonnage. 336.99 S tens, raises the total to 4.1*5,575 tons. In addition to this tonnage, which comprises only traffic originating or terminating in America, there should he included mo-t of the commerce of a- rfhwestern Europe with New Zealand and the other islands of the Pacific ea«* of Australia. New Zealand will be L 583 miles nearer Liverpool by the isthmian canal than via the Suer route, and 2.405 miles nearer than byway of the Cape of Good Hope. The distances to Liverpool from the important groups of South Pacific island- north of New- Zealand will be from 500 to 5.500 mile® less via the isthmian -anal than byway of Suet. The entrances and clearances of New Zealand's trade with northwest ern Europe amounted to 451.178 tons n»-t register in 1899. and the European commerce of the other islands east of Australia to 181.743 tons. Of this total traffic of 662.921 tons. 500.000 might have advantageously used the isthmian < anal, and this amount should be added to the canal tonnage originating or terminating in America. This makes the total obtained by the Commission’s investigation of the tonnage that might have used an isthmian canal in 1899. 4.574,852 tons net register; and the total obtained by adopting the New Panama Canal Company's figures for the traffic originating or terminating in America. 4,685.575 tons.