Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-01-11

Houston Line was in any agreement re-
garding freight or passenger traffic be-
tween the United States and the Plata
Rates for this trade. the witness said.
were made in New York at conferences
between representatives of the various
steamship lines. although no written
agreements were entered into. The con-
ferenees, he said, We're held once week
on tn floor of the Stock Exchange, or
wherever the representatives happened to
get together. In fixing rates, the witness
added, an effort was made to keep them
on q parity with rates from Germany and
England
Mr.. Hahn declared that his company
had not given rebates on outgoing car
goes from the United States for many
years.
Il know nothing about rebates on car
goes from Argentine to the United
States, said the witness but | know
from correspondence that rebate arrange
ments exist
Representative Humphreys wanted to
known whethere there We're any agree
ments between railroads and steamship
companies as to through rates. Mr. Hahn
said that as far as he knew no such
agreements ever were entered into
Asked if any particular lines in the
south American trade did not participate
iTtiie rate conference. the witness named
the Norton Line.
Experience has shown" declared
Mr.. Hahn, that there is only one way
OF getting service, and that is through
rebate and pooling arrangements.
These methods are recognized as law
fui by the governments of England
and Germany"
Pooling arrangements We're neces-
sary, ne said, because no one ship own
ef could operate a sufficient number of
steamers 10 keep up a continuous ser
vice between New York and South
Africa. Rebates he continued, were
given TO hold the business of shippers
and prevent them from taking cargo
space in any tramp steamer that hap
pened to come into port
Your only reason for not giving re-
bates on cargoes out of New York is
that you think ii would conflict with
the antiatruts law?" asked Rep. Hardy.
That is true" replied the witness. Ex-
planning why his company had never es-
tablished lines between Gulf ports and
south America, Mr.. Hahn said lumber
the chief commodity shipped south from
the Gulf, usual went in full cargo lots
and that shippers could themselves char
ter vessels as cheaply as the steamship
lines. The real reason why trade between
the United States and South America had
not developed more rapidly he insisted,
was the natural tendency of Germans,
Spaniards and Englishment, located in
South America, to trade with their home
countries.
Would a subsidy to American ship
owners overcome this tendency?' asked
Representative Hardy. absolutely it
would not" the witness replied
Paul Gottheil, president of Funeh,
Edeye & CO., firm acting as freight
agent for a number of large steamship
lines including the Hamburg-Amercan
Line, the Observation-Disclosures Line
and the United States Shipping Co, told
the committee that Mr.. Gerhard had
mare a, substantially accurate statement
of conditions in the trade between Brazil
and the United States.
Mr.. Gottheil declared that the Pan
American steamship Co. was a failure,
not because of efforts on the part Of COM
ranies in the rate agreements to throttle
it, but because the people behind the new
enterprise did not "know their business
and paid a profit of 80 per cert. to ship
owners for the vessels they chartered
Questioned by Chairman Alexander, tho
witness said rate agreements on trade
| between the United States and Australie
We're maintained by the American-A Aus