Evening star., 1915-01-25
Bremen on cotton, 1,O61 to 1,150 per cent.
Total of Charges Estimated.

IOtal OF CnarSeS 6SC1mateO.
The report declares that in one year,
If American exports maintain the De-
cember, 1914, level the increased rates
will make a charge of s216.224. 400 on
American shippers. and that if the i'm
ports be included on the same basis of
calculation the amount would reach
s311.S64. 400, or 1916 per cent more than
the usual cost. If normal rates are taken
in conjunction with the abnormal on
the December basis, the freight charge
on both exports and imports IN year
would make the grand total of $685.
l11O.000
The report contains several score let
tiers from business men over the coun-
try declaring their inability to get bot
ltoms for their freight, and charging
discrimination by such carriers as are
lin business against freight that pays a
low rate and the breaking of contracts
by at least one of the big transatlantic
steamship companies. The charges are
Summarized as follows:
Ocean freight rates have been arbl-
trarily increased to an unparalleled
height without regard to the interests
Iof American trade.
High rates are not only restricting
the general volume of our export trade.
but are actually stopping expectations
in some lines. Some business plants
have been shut down as Il result OF the
eXorbitant rates.
ship owners in some instances are
which will pay the highest rates of
freight and are easily unloaded, and
are declining to accept shipments OF
other commodities (such, for instance.
as lumber), because the character OF
the shipments and the rates obtainable
thereon make it more to the interest
of the steamship owner to accept one
class of goods than another. II COM
mon carriers OH land were to practice
such determinations against shippers,
and adopt such arbitrary methods, they
would be subject to criminal prosecu
tion.
Higher Rates to South America.
Despite claims that there; is ample
tonnage for the South American trade,
there are letters to show that rates to
South America have been greatly in
creased, and there is a shortage of ton
mage both to and from South America.
The direct charge is made that the
Holland American line has repudiated
written contracts with American ship
pers, and has increased freight charges
without regard to their rights
The report contains also letter from
the Panama Railroad Company, which
says:
Our stock tof coaD has been reduced
from 10000 to 10000 tons, and both the
Earn line and our company are scour-
ing the charter market in the eHort 70
secure sufficient tonnage to carry 10
the isthmus the amount of coal 1t is
imperative we should keep there"
"It will be observed" says the report.
that the heaviest increase in rates ana
the heaviest tax has been made upon the
products in which the American farmer
is most concerned, namely, grain ana
cotton. Grain and cotton constitute the
great bulk Of our export trade, ana
have the largest influence in throwing
the balance of foreign. trade in favor
of this country.
This increase is particularly onerous
upon the cotton producers of the South,
because 1t comes at a time when the
effects of the war have greatly reduced
the value of cotton and when the
southern farmers are least able to bear
additional burdens.
Ocean freight rates are still rising
and are limited only by the greed of
the steamship owners on the one hand
and by what the traffic can stand on
the other.
'"The government has no power to
control or regulate ocean freight rates.
it cannot under existing Law protect
our foreign trade against these ex-
tortionate and hurtful charges. The
Steamship owners can increase rates
without notice and upon the instant,
and our business men are helpless.
They are seriously checking our for
eign trade, and in some cases. such as
lumber and coal, are stopping it al
together
The report concludes with an argu-
ment in favor of the ship-purchase