The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-04-17
Some Vessels Get as High
as $500, 900 a Year at
the Present Time
WAR CAUSES JUMP
IN FREIGHT RATES

Immese Importations of Grain and
Coal-Boom Expected to Grow -
Shipbuilders All Busy.
A special correspondent, writing to The
London Observer says in part
The British shipowning industry Is to-
day prospecting as it has never done be
fore. In every direction rates OF freight
have reached level dreamed of only by
the most sanguine. At the outbreak of
the war the outlook was not propitious.
The feature of the boom which has set
in is the demand for grain and coal for
Italy To this may be directly traced the
rise in freights which has reached such
proportions today 1t is difficult to say
what it portends While hundreds of
thousands of quarters of wheat and oats
have been bought and shipped for the use
of the allies, the insistent demand for
steamers to convey these commodities TO
Italy has resulted in the forcing up Of
rates of freight from the IS Sd per quar-
ter to IS. sd. per quarter for France and
6s. Sd. per quarter TO the United King
dom For Italy the rates have risen from
IS, per quarter in October to S.. Cd. today
The significance of these figures to the
British shipowner may be grasped when
it is pointed out that a steamer with a
capacity of 5000 tons before the rise made
a gross freight of nearly $4,000 while
now she would earn over Ell 600 To
Italy she would make a gross amount of
nearly $4,000. Before the rise she
would be barely paying her expenses, but
with rates at their present level a 5000
tonner Is making profit for her owner of
Il, coo TO $4,000 on every transatlantic
voyage. Such a steamer can make about
five such voyages a year, so that at the
present rates the owner will be making
from E35 900 to f4O,000 per annum.
And the end of the boom is not yet
There is bound to be a huge demand for
steamers to carry cotton. 1t IS stated
that America is this year in possession
| of the largest cotton crop she has ever
grown, and already vessels are being char
tered at rates which greatly exceed any
/ previous records.
| The beginning of the season has not
seen a large number of steamers chartered
to Italy, but it is now stated that, il
addition to the enormous quantities which
are being imported from North America
the Italian government has purchased
! some 100000 tons of wheat and oats from
the Argentine Republic, for shipment
from the River Plate.
Still Higher Freights Coming.
This will require something ike 81
steamers to transport, and is bound to re
| suit In still higher freights for the ship
owners. The demand for steamers to fl
these additional requirements viii draw
vessels away from North America, which
will cause freights from that direction
also to rise Further vessels will be re
quired to carry Goals to the Mediterranean
and the competition of these other mar
l1ets will doubtless result in coal shipper
having to pay still larger rates of fregh
to attract steamers in their direction.
Another remarkable aspect of the pres
ent boom has been the demand on tn
part of italy for Goals She has not beel
content to import this commodity iron
: this country alone, but has drawn Target
upon North America She has had I
| compete with the enormous freight
which are being paid for grain; IS. 8 d. pc
, quarter for grain is equivalent to abou
Sos per ton. The rates paid for tn
Shipment of coal from North America t
Italy have risen from 13s in Septembe
to the equivalent Of 4Os per ton at tn
present time.
400 Per Cent Rise.
The most recent instance was the cas-
of steamer which has been chartere
at Dos per ton on the steamers deaC
> weight carrying capacity for the tri
across. This is known as time charter,
and is equivalent to the hiring Of a cab b
the hour The charterers pay the entir
i expenses of running the steamer, and ru
all the risk of any delay which may aris
in her loading and discharging The no
4 NAL rate for the chartering of steame
Y for such trip on this basis is rs. per to
! dead weight-a clear rise of 400 per cen
Coal rates from Cardiff to the Medite
ranean have risen from. about Is. cd [
les d. per ton freight An owner ca
I pay the expenses of his steamer in tn
I direction when he makes S. per ton. Fl
can thus afford to run his steamer OF
4 with cargo and back in ballast, and ;
E les. Sd. he will make about S. per tc
4 profit. The round voyage occupies abol
I Ia month. Thus the owner of 5000 TOT
: ner running in this trade can make som
: thing like 934 ,000 per annum profit.
Shipbuilders Busy, Too.
z The prosperity has created demand {,
Il more ships. The price of steamers is ii
/ ing daily, and shipbuilders are booking
i: many orders that their yards. will be FL
7 for some years to come. Many shipowne
are also selling off their old tonnage
prices which they never dreamed Of b
! fore the outbreak of the war
Investigation goes to show that Il