Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-25
-
OCEAN FREIGHT RATES
BLOW TO u. S. TRADE

| Continued from Page Ono
, steamship owners on the one hand and
! by what the traffic can stand on the
| other.
THE Government has no power to con-
| troll or regulate ocean freight rates, nor
! can 1t, under existing law, protect our
/ foreign trade against the extortionate and
! hurtful charges. The steamship owners
can increase rates without notice and
upon the instant, and our business men
! are helpless The steamship companies
| are their own masters and do as they
! please with the transportation of our eX-
| ports. AS already shown, they are SER
! iously checking our foreign trade and In
some cases, such as lumber and COAL are
| stopping it altogether"
| The report today was supplemental to
the statement made on December 26 last,
and was made in response to the resolu-
ton passed December IS, calling for in
formation regarding the ocean freight
rate situation.
Some of the striking Increases which
were reported to the departments by
American business men and shippers.
are:
From New York to Rotterdam on grain
300 per cent; and on flour, 800 per cent.
From New York to Liverpool the rates
on the same commodities have increased
from 300 to 500 per cent.
From Baltimore to European ports lex
cept Germany on grain, 800 per cent. on
| flour 1854 per cent. on cotton, GA per cent
From Norfolk to Liverpool-Grain, from
157 to 200 per cent; cotton, 1856 per cent.
From Norfolk to Rotterdam-Cotton, All
per cent; to Bremen, on cotton, HOO
per cent, or from SLIPS per bale to $l5
per bale.
From Galveston to Liverpool-Grain, 174
per cent; cotton, 361 per cent
The report finds these ocean freight
charges, arbitrarily imposed upon our
farmers and business men," meant an in
crease for the month of December alone
of S1S,0lS,700, and If the exports continue
at this rate, 1t Is estimated that the
ship owners, principally foreign, will col
lect for the year 1915 increased freight
charges above the normal rates of s2l6,-
224, 400.
RESULT OF INCREASES.
High rates are not only restricting
the general volume of our export trade"
says tho report, "but are actually stop
ping expectations in some lines Ship
owners in some instances are taking only
those goods or commodities which will
pay the highest rates of freight and are
easily unloaded, and are declining to ac-
cept shipments of other commodities,
such, for instance, as lumber, because
the character of the shipment and rates
obtainable thereon make il more to the
interest of the steamship owner TO ac-
cept one class of goods than another,
These determinations against different
classes of American products and against
certain lines of American business are
both arbitrary and hurtful."
The report calls attention to a letter re-
ceived January 10, 1915. from the Panama
Railroad Company, showing the inability
to get coal to the canal zone for the use
OF the Panama Canal and adds:
'The direct charge is that the Holland
America Line has Tepudiated written
calls with American shippers and has in
creased freight charges without regard to
their rights"
BUSINESS MEN PROTEST.
Many of the letters from business men
and exporters, on which the report is
based, are attached to it, and they show
clearly the difficulties under which the
foreign trade is conducted at present.
A big commission house in San Fran
cisco wrote that 500 tons OF dried fruit
shipped through the Panama Canal to
New York for export to Holland via Seam
dlnavian ports were held up long time
in New York because no ships were avail
able. The rates on this product increased
800 per cent, following the war. up 10 the
first of the year, and 100 per cent has been
added since then.
New York manufactures OF Portland
cement reported that before the war ship
ments OF this commodity We're possible to
Argentina and Uruguay at s2.45 per ton,
and to Brazil at $3.50 a ton, Early in
August these rates were boosted 50 per
cent and further raised since September
until now they are So per ton to Rio ia
Metro by some lines and $3.50 a ton by
others. and IS TO Argentina