The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-09-22

Galveston. Texas, September cl-The In
crease in ocean freight rates during the
last twenty days has been simply phenome-
nal. There have been 40 fluctuations; the
rise has been constant, and ship brokers
say the end Is not yet in sight.
on September /. Just three weeks ago.
cotton could be shipped to Liverpool for IL
cents per 100 pounds. Estimating 500
pounds to the bale, and the cost ut that
time for ocean transportation was only rs
cents a bale. a charge seemingly IN keep
ing with the low price of cotton BY Sep
tember 10 the rate to Liverpool had jumped
to 40 cents per 100. and today ship brokers
are making contracts at So cents per 100
pounds, or s275 bale. This is clear ad-
vance of So a bale in three weeks.
When asked the cause of this unparol-
lcled increase In export rates. the snip
brokers smile and give plausible explaua-
tions.
lens Mcller of the firm OF j. Moller &
Co. said: "Ships began coming here early
this year in expectation Of an early move
ment of cotton. AS the staple was consld-
eraby later than usual in reaching the
market the ships were lying idle and con-
sequently the rates were put down in order
to get business at any price. There was
surplus of tonnage and a scarcity of
freight. When the season did open up,
about September 10. the movement proved
to be exceptionally heavy. with plenty of
business for all steamship lines. ana the
rates advanced accordingly This c1ndi-
ton, added TO big coal strike In England,
Qs responsible for the increased ocean
rates.
When Daniel Ripley. general agent of the
Lone Star line. was asked the cause OF
the advance. he shrugged his shoulders aud
| replied: The high price OF steamers,
which makes 1t nearly impossible for us to
get ships
Brokers are a unit in declaring that the
| ship owners are to blame. There is now
lively demand for tonnage. not alone al
Galveston but at New Orleans, Savannah
| Mobile and all along the Atlantic coast
1t is quite impossible. the brokers say, to
charter a ship sixty days ahead. The own
ers refuse. fully believing the rates will ad-
| vance still higher
I The same conditions prevail in the ex-
port of wheat and corn as apply to cotton
on September the ocean rate on wheat to
Havre, Bremen, Hamburg, Rotterdam or
! Antwerp was between and cents o
| bushel. Today the rate is 10 cents a bushel
| with indications that 1t will advance
II the present high rates should be main
| tanned it is easy to understand that it will
cost the people OF Texas a pretty penny t"
market their Gotten. Estimating the eH-
port crop at 100000 bales. the increase
/ in rates since September | will amount to
! 81 900 600, a sum so large that IL distributed
among the producers OF the State It woul1
cause them 10 f set ab5ut the burdens Of
| the war revenue tax and other petty things
that harass them.
| While there has been such an enormous
| increase in export rates the Import rate.
have remained unchanged. The Post cor
respondent today called on one of the
/ largest import brokers in the city and wa:
told by him that freight rates had not in
| creased during the past year.
| The ship brokers have ceased TO max,
| quotations 10 the railroads as they w-r
wont to do. and the oo-tract Is SIMPLY
made on the spot without any GUARANTEES
OF what the rates will be ia the future
L