New-York tribune., 1921-02-09
Freiglnts
On acific TO
Avoid Rate ar
I,onference Operators Seek
70 Avert General Cut by
Other Lines Engaged in
,he lntercoastal Service
10 Companies in Trade
Shippirlg Board Allocates
Vessels TO Route Which
Is Already Oversonnaged

Is Already Overtonnaged
evidence of the difficult situation
,reyaiing in the intereoastal service
rom Atlantic TO Pacific ports is fur
.shed by reports from the Pacific
Gasst
Claiming that the continued slloca-
don Of Shipping Board vessels to this
reute has caused such surplus of
cargo space over the cargo available
that profitable operation is impossible,
the Hartman interests have threat
sned to withdraw from the intercoastal
ate conference unless the board re-
moves its tonnage. Withdrawal from
he conference of the American
gswaiian vessels, it has been pointed
Oht would probably be followed by q
esneral reduction in rates.
According to a statement by the
Seattle Chamber of Commerce, how
eser, forerunner of what may be a
,sneral reduction in intercoastal rates
10 sorestall rate cutting by non-con-
tsrence operators has been announced
bv the intercoastal operators confer
tnce. Grease wool rates have been
jropped from 81 TO 90 cents, with the
,sne reduction for pulled wool. Secured
vool, it was stated, would be carried
for 81 instead of $1.20, as heretofore,
and grease wool in bags was reduced
70 81 from s1l0. Shingles, green or
6ry under the new rate are quoted
at rs cents hundred, instead of 45
cents a bundle.
Likely to Readjust Rates
International conference members"
saws the Seattle Chamber of Com
merce, "state that it is their opinion
that there will not be q wholesale re-
0uction in rates Immediately, but that
II is likely that individual articles will
be subject to readjustment.
Operators are of the opinion that
a reduction in either the trans-Pacifc
or the intercoastal rates will have to
be made in view of the cut of 20 per
cent in freight rates on cargo moving
through the Far East to the Gulf and
Atlantic ports, as operators from the
Pacific Coast will be unable to COM
pete with the lines operating from
the Atlantic and Gulf. Local ship
Ping men claim that the increase in
railroad rates in America has been
one of the dominant factors in the
eurtailment Of trade between the Pa
ciic Coast and the Far East"
Bringing the number of intercoastal
steamship services making Seattle
port Of call to ten different lines, the
united States Transport Company,
New York and Philadelphia concern,
has inaugurated a service between Bos-
ton and the Pacific Coast with calls at
intermediate ports. The first sailing
ANNOUNCED was that of the steamer 9.
II. Livingstone from New York for San
Pedro, San Francisco, Vancouver, B. c.,
Canal. This vessel is to be followed
by the sailing from New York, on Feb
ruary II, of the steamer G. c. Morse.
Ten Intercoastal Lines
The nine other companies operating
in this eoast-to-eoast service are the
Ameriean-Hawaiian Line, operated by
the Hartman interests; the Lucken-
bach Lines, the Atlantic, Gulf and
Pacific, the Robert Dollar Company, the
North Atlantic and Western, the Paci-
|fc Caribbean and Gulf, the European
Pacific, the Williams Steamship Com
pany and the Isthmian Line. All ten
concerns have from four to ten vessels
in service and the slump in the carry
.ng trade has had general effect.
The Williams Steamship Company,
Of New York, is opening up new serv-
ice with the sailing Of the steamer
Willfaro from Seattle tomorrow for
New York This company is stated to
own seven 10,000-ton steam ships and
vii have two sailings month from
eeattle to ports on the Atlantic Coast.
Seeking to divert transcontinental
Freight carrying to Pacific Coast ship
ping, the General Steamship Corpora
ion, Seattle to the west coast Of
South America, will have it's vessels
sall at Central American ports in the
iature. The object is to encourage the
movement of coffee direct from Central
america to the Pacific Northwest,
,atherr than have it move from Central
america to New York and from there
overland to the Pacific Coast. The
@rporation's steamship Derblay, due
ssneattle the latter part of this month,
y expected to bring the first consign-
toute
MOtorship Fleet In Service
Additional efforts to secure Central
sad South American trade will be
made by the Pacific Motorship Com
aay, which will place feet of eight
.l9 agtor vessels in service on regular
&aeduie at once.
Inc largest and fastest Japanese
asSsnger liner in the Pacific trade,
se ex- German Cap Finisterre, will ar
ge at Seattle in April in the service
sne Y The Nippon Yusen Kaisha. She
@ sM be able to carry 1900 passengers
.s .ag to make the Yokohama run in ten
sa ss oge-half days, compared with thir-
SsF days, the time required by the
i"efS Of the Nippon Yusen Kaisha now
service. The vessel is said to be
sRots. 80 - '-- q S'A speeo u '"et'S
W.. sae same line will place four cargo
,sls on the Puget Sound-North
una route this spring.