The Washington times., 1915-12-08
WAR BRINGS GOLD
TO SHIPPING MEN
Great Fortunes Being Made BY
Craft OwneTs-ve Vessel Earns
100000 One Voyage.

NEW YORK. Dec. s.--The shipping
boom resulting from the decrease In
the worlds tonnage and the consequent
increase in tho demand for ocean car
riers has brought Unprecedented pros
perity to steamship companies oper-
ating vessels out Of this port.
The manifestations Of this boom are
seen I'm the swollen profits OF the Cum
ard Steamship Company, tine Hollard-
American line, the Norwcafnn-A:neri-
can line, and In the returns Ia ship
ping agents. whcse business he's liz
some cases been gu.ntHplcd by :he war.
The International Mercantile Marine,
as a result of the profits accriiing from
the war. is said to bo almost liz posi-
tion to end It's recoivership and declare
itself solvent. II Is asserted the COM
pany awaits only the completion Of TIE
preferred stockholders audit 20 take
this step.
Fruit Company Breaks Record.
An Indirect result of the wer Is the
augmented profits OF the United Fruit
Company, whose excess of income over
outgo was greater than ever before in
the company's history. The profits Of
! the best previous year the company
ever had arc exceeded by S1,5O0.O0.. This
is equal to 1G per cent on the stock.
The financial status u the Cunard
Steamship Company is known to Sur
pass that OF the United Fruit Company
Although no figures on the profits OF
the CunarG company are available, it
Is said 1t is planning a dividend Of
Is per cent, as we'll as a bonus among
its shareholders. In its last 'disburee-
mcnt this company awarded a ;. per
cent dividend and a ~ per cent bonus
The Cunard company has added
twentv-four chartered steamerSr to its
fleet to meet the demand for tonnage
and has established a service between
Boston and London. The company as
serts 1t cannot get enough vessels to
meet its need. and that, IL it had
enough vessels the facilities OF the
port would not enable It to handle the
business it could get.
The same is true for the Norwegian-
| American line. whose freight business
has increased 400 per cent This con-
| cern is handling freight for Norway
alone. Although thus restricted, the
company has chartered eight additional
steamers. The company has been com
pelled to refuse shipments OF hundreds
| Of tons.
100000 From One Voyage.
1
war. Wall Street has been only a little
more prolific than the ocean. A big
munition carrier plying between this
port and Liverpool is reported to have
| cleared 100000 in one trip. Nor
wegian company owning an iron four
masted bark paid a dividend Of 10 per
cent last year. 80 per cent In January,
and 60 per cent last June 'M5ny stiniisr
instances which would, have been i'm
possible before the war are known to
the shippinE world 49,
Prosperity is by no means limited
to vessels plying. to Europe. South
| American trade is coming in for its
| share. ReDorts from Brazil indicate
that the LLOYD Brazileiro. which is
| owned by the Brazilian government, is
| career.
This enterprise was up for sale by III,
government in December, 1873, and
again in June. 1914. without any offers
being made the first time while the one
made ultimately was rejected. Owing tc
the rise in freights due to the war. the
earnings OF the company PhaVe been sc
satisfactory that the Brazilian govern.
service 80
Spanish maritine, enterprises also have
reaped harvest ItTwas asserted here
! bv persons in close, touch with Spanish
de Havieros OF Bilboa notified the Span.
ish government that twenty-three com.
! panies belonging to the association wePO
prepared to forego their rights. as from
! September IL last. to the navigation
bcunties to which they are entitled un.
der the Spanish shipping law OF 1909.
: In general way the war created
fairly favorable conditions for the
J Italian mercantile marine. and the Navl.
gaSione General Italiana is able TO de-
clare divided of per cent for the
! business year ending in June last.
Figures furnished by Danish ship
ping concern in this city show thai
=, ono steamship company OF Denmark
shows an increase OF 25 points in it,
quotation for shares compared with the
Z quotation in July. 1914. A striking eX.
I ample of the boom for Danish com,
!. panies is shown by the fact that aver
age increase in quotations for shares fol
!, eighteen concerns last August compaEeC
= with August, 1914. was lOS points.
i Greek Marine Grows.
The surprising development Of the
merchant marine OF Greece is due. tc
shipping profits resulting from the war
II In the period from July 1. 1913 to the
II end of 1914. no fewer than eighty-!lve
vessels representing ,altogether Sly, i5C
tons. were added to the Greek register
III bringing 1t up to a total of 800, ~ tona
III The bulk of the tonnage in this period
was constructed after the start OF th'
The American steamer s. V. Luckep'
bach was bought by. Barber & Co. from
the Luckenbach Steamship Company
II for s2S5OOO. The steamer is Of 2.279 tons
II net register. She was renamed th'
Omega. and has recently completed hel
III first voyage under that name between
New York and Archangel
u is reported the Omega carried aGou
II 500 tons of cargo for the RuoslIi
III White Sea port and an average OF ''
ii a ton was secured as freight oN ~
II aEent-owners. giving them anproN.
II mately $3.50 600 for the single trip.