New-York tribune., 1920-10-29
Rapid Decline
I'm Ports Share
|OfOcean Trade
Falling OFF Follows Policy
of the Shipping Board to
Divert Tonnage to Other
Parts of United States
Drop in Exports Is Sharp
Nearly 20 Per Cent in Three
II Months: Gulf Coast
Points Show Increases

In two months the share cf tho Port
IL New YorA in the total foreign com
merce Of the United States has de-
,ressed nearly 10 per cent. In three
months the ports share of the export
trade OF me country has declined
nearly 20 per cent. These losses to the
business of the port are shown by an
suslvsis made by The Tribune OF the
department Of Commerce's returns of
me values Of American exports and
imports.
TO how great an extent the Shipping
Board IS responsible for this shifting
q; trade IS d question that is interest
,ng shipping men.
Admiral Benson, chairman of the
hoard. at luncheon given by the Ad-
yert.sing Agencies Corporation at the
wsldorf-Astoria on July Ii stated that
IN planning steamship service to carry
Americas fore gn trade the board
proposed to break up the monopoly
heretofore held by New York" He
said that one Influence which had op-
Grated against the development of
American shipping was that New York
Mad a monopoly BY scattering ship
ing, he aaued. d spirit OF competition
would be engendcred among the vari-
ous American ports and ocean com
merce would be benefited.
Attitude of Shipping Board
In reply 70 q declaration by the
Maritime Association of the Port Of
New York that 10 monopoly existed
admiral Benson stated that it was
need.ess 10 say that the board would
act in spirit of justice to all and
without any intent or purpose of doing
injury to ary particular locality.
For ine three months preceding July
there was A,t.e change IN the proper
Ton Of tie value o. foreign trade
handled ,aro9en New York In April
this por''s sasre WAS 4s.5 per cent, IN
May 4s- peg cont and in June 4S1
per cent ior the fiscal year ended
Jane so New NolA's proportion was
.7l per cent
In July. however. the proportion fell
% A. per cent and in August. the lat
sst mattH fQr which figures are avail
a.la 70 Ies cent.
Iat decline in exports carried
through tsr .or, has been much great
e. than - imports. I'm this connec-
Qn, sa-pQ rg meu say, it should be
lo'ed l'It, statistics recently issued
by the Shipping Board show that Of
as American shipping tonnage en-
r0yeC In foreign tlade during the
:cal year ended June 90 Shipping
board vessels carried SO per cent of
experts. as aralnst 81 per cent trans
ported ia privately owned American
'rs.
Beard Strong in IMPORT Trade
In imports. however, only 3S per
snt was in Shipping Board bottoms,
Is compared with g. per cent IN in
cepsnl-at American tonnage.
Comparison Of the percentages Of
'gaae e-.f.,a through the Por, oi N7w
!alk aro shown b.. tHg follow ng table
ior The last fiscal year, June and sub
ssquent months:
1920 Imports uxp.r,s Total
sss .g4' '''' 80 a. 80 AZ ! !
July ...-.... eo.p ii @
Als lsi .........-. ol i $40
From June to August. therefore, the
drop in imports was only 81 per cent,
Inmpared with {. decline Of l2.o per
]ent IN exports
In the same period the value OF i'm
1prts through New York decreased only
|SQ0o00o0, as compared with d fall Of
l@+,o0J0o0 in exports. For the entire
lmuntry, however. the decline in i'm
ports was only S29.OO00 900 and that of
|uports E1,oo0o0a
Other Atlantic Ports Gain
Vhiie New York has been losing
ground, however. other Atlantic coast
ports and (,uli poits have made sharp
Export gains On the Pacific Coast,
a0wever there has been somewhat of a
|eecllne in the period since June. The
INIT IN percentages Of the total export
ssde Of the country Is indicated by the
'll0wine table:
other