REPORT OF THE PANAMA RAILROAD COMPANY. 25

To serve employees at places where there are no stores a mail-order
department is maintained at Cristobal. Customers forward their
coupon books, which are placed to their credit. Paid orders are
drawn against the mail-order department by the order clerk, who is a
bonded employee. One copy of this paid order is forwarded with the
goods to the customer in an envelope attached to the package; and
should an order be drawn for goods not in stock the storekeeper in
charge of the mail-order department places a credit note in an envel-
ope, which is attached to the package. In this way, the storekeeper
takes credit only for such part of the order as he is able to fill and
takes debit for the credit note issued to balance the credit he has been
allowed for the value of the paid order. The whole system is so
arranged as to reduce the method of purchase to the lowest mimimum
of trouble to the purchaser consistent with safe business methods.

Ice is sold in multiples of 10 pounds, at 40 cents per 100 pounds, the
minimum amount that will be delivered being 10 pounds. A deposit
to cover a month’s ice in advance is required, record of which is kept
by the order clerk. ©

Our sales to departments are based on requisitions furnished, and
shipments are made thereon from our wholesale departments only.
Invoices accompany the shipments and storekeepers take credit on
their daily balance sheets for the value of the goods shipped.

MANUFACTURING. —

Laundry.—The laundry is equipped with the latest modern machin-
ery, and a clothes pressing and cleaning department is operated
therein. 7 ; 7

Work for the laundry is collected at all points by the quartermaster
and shipped to Cristobal daily, all work reaching Cristobal Thursday
being returned within the same week received.

The storekeepers at various places act as agents for the laundry,
the latter transferring the value of the laundry work as a debit to
the storekeeper, the storekeeper receiving credit when he receives
coupons in payment for the work.

Where no stores are operated, district quartermasters deliver the
laundry and remit the coupons collected.

During the year 2,993,761 pieces were laundered; the average num-
' ber-of employees served monthly was 7,265; and the value of work
performed was $90,797.56.

Bakery.—Several varieties of bread, rolls, cake, and (up to the
- month of January) pie, were produced. The same method of distri-
bution is employed as is outlined above for the laundry. |

During the year the bakery used 15,631 barrels of flour and pro-
duced 4,892,401 loaves of bread; 504,003 rolls, 130,667 pounds of
cake, and 32,248 pies.

The making of pies was discontinued beginning the month of Jan-
uary, as it was found after about a year’s experience that it is almost
impossible to ship pies in this climate and deliver them to customers
in a fresh and ars condition.

The total value of the product of the bakery was $219,370.16.

During the year we installed a new blender and elevator to replace
one that was worn out and poorly arranged. This elevator is equipped
with automatic scale attachment and tempering device for water.