Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-25

President Roosevelt's fight against rail
road rate discrimination is being watched
with great interest in England because
the British government is about to en-
bark on an expedition to compel the great
shipping rings that control the British
transoceanic trade to stop their rate ia
voritism.
The steamship firms particularly those
engaged in the South African ard Austral-
ian trade, have British conSignors by the
throat and are shaking every possible
penny from the pockets of their unwilling
customers.
Certain goods are carried from New York
to Sydney, via Liverpool, for from los to
20s. per ton, including trans-shipment at
Liverpool, while the same goods would
be charged 30s. to AS Sd. if sent merely
from Liverpool to Sydney. Other goods
are carried from Hamburg to New Yea
land, via London. for 3lS., as against a
charge of Sos. that would be enforced If
they were made in Birmingham and sent
direct from this country. The great de-
Tense OF the South African shipping ring
is the allegation that the higher rates are
charged upon British shipments owing to
the dearth of return cargoes to this coun-
try. But where American goods are act
ually landed at a port in this country on
their way to the colonies it Is strange
that double freights have to be charged
on British goods sent from the same port.
A recent conference between the ship
ping lines and their customers on the
ring having come to nothing, the whole
question is thrown open TO be dealt with
by the government. Some of the South
African colonies at GRE time were cred
tied with half-formed intention to start
a line of steamships to bring the ring to
their senses. That expedient has been
tried by the government of Chile, and found
woefully wanting. Merchants of certain
classes of iron goods have for some time
been unabIe to snip to Chile from British
ports, owing to the high freghts charged,
and consequently their trade is now done
very largely through continental ports, and
the goods themselves therefore own con-
tinental rather than British origin.
British goods, however, being still in
demand, and the Chile government, dislik-
ing the rebate method of the shipowners,
and determined not to take it lying down,
started a competing line of government
ships TO ply between Liverpool and Chile.
But shippers dare not use them. Traders
and shipping agents have streams of goods
flowing to all quarters of the globe and
they could not stand against any repre-
sentation that, If they used the govern
ment lines for their Chile trade, the ship
owners. friends of the ousted shipowners,
would hamper them in their trade with
every other country. Such intimation
could be made without risk from the legal
point of view; the mere impression that
such discrimination was possible would
be fatal to the government line.
This scheme of the Chile government,
therefore came to nothing, and fhey have
on all ships an import tax equal to the de-
ferred rebate If any, granted by the ship
owners. 1t is difficult to see how this will
avail them The tax will not be paid out
of the rebate. e.. out of the pockets of
the consignors, but by the Chilean con-
sumer; and the Objectionable rebate will
remain real as ever, binding the con-
signor to use the one set of ships or risk
his accommodating rebates. The conference
on South African shipping freights, in ex-
recitation of arriving at no satisfactory ar
rangement with the shpowners, sNnt to
sion to and criticism by the board of trade
a draft bill to prohibit shipping rebates
saying that they proposed to recommend
st for adoption by the various states and
colonies of South Africa. The criticism
of the board of trade was favorable, and
Lord Elgin, the new colonial minister, hav-
ing no reason to suppose that any under
standing has been arrived at with the
shipping conference, has now intimated
that the question OF the proposed legisla-
ton must receive the careful consideration
of his majesty's government.
There are not few quaint and interest
Ing relics of the past to be seen at Bel
grave Square. where the Royal Art Society
has loan exhibition. which opened today
for certain benevolent objects. There Is,
for instance. tho kettle Napoleon used on
his retreat from Moscow, and the handsome
tea set captured among his baggage on that
memorable occasion. to say nothing OF a