New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-14

Rate Issue Up
Again To-day
iweniy-one American and
Foreign Lines to Partici-
pate in Conference for
Adjustment of Sea Tariffs
Grain a Big Question
Steamship Men Say They
Can't Compete Against
Canadian and Gulf Ports

Resumption Of the North Atlantic
Continental Conference on Transact
lantic Freight Rates will take place
to-day at the United States Shipping
Board Offices, 45 Broadway Twenty
one American and foreign lines hav.
signifed their intention to be repre-
scented at the meeting.
No advance information could he oh
tanned yesterday on Shipping Row re-
gnrding the reductions or increases
that will be advocated over prevailing
rates, as the steamship operators say
they desire to 60 into the conference
with open minds, and to express pre-
liminary views on their respective
plans would only discount them at the
gathering
One of the most important items to
be taken up is that of the grain tariff.
1t was thoroughly discussed at the last
session, when it was shown that the
North Atlantic operators cannot com
pete under present conditions against
steamship lines operating from the
Gulf and Canadian ports.
Difference in Grain Rates
The present condition of grain ship
ments was made clear by c. J. Beck,
traffic manager of the United Ameri-
can Lines, yesterday in an interview
with a representative of The Tribune.
The solution of the movement of
grain from the West to North Atlantic
ports as against the Gulf can only be
reached by agreement between the rail
roads serving the respective territoriU i
on basis that will fairly divide the
business between the two gateways."
said Mr.. Beck, in his office at 80 Broad
way. AT the present time the rate
on grain from Montreal is 20 cents,
while from New York and other North
American ports, well as from the
Gulf ports it is % cents.
THE shipments from Montreal are
largely Of Canadian wheat. and are
sent by the water route through the St.
Lawrence River. The shipments from
the Gulf ports are from the wheat re
gions in Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas
and other grain-growing states in the
Middle West.
Eve cannot hope to compete against
the Canadian or the Gulf ports or ac-
count of the railroad rates now in
operation. On September 3 the East
cents hundred pounds on grain,
which was immediately followed by a
cut of cents a hundred pounds by
the railroads serving the Gulf ports.
Shorter Inland Haul
"The haul is shorter inland both for
the Canadian shipper and the Western
farmer, and even if the rate was re
duced to 20 cents for this port we
could not compete against the North
and the South because of the rairoa d
tariffs on the Eastern trunk lines.
at is, therefoEe, up to the Interstate
Commerce Commission to give the
North Atlantic ship operators relief
by making comparative rates. The
business done now in New York and
Boston on grain shipments has practi-
cally dried up. Baltimore and Phila-
delphia did a fair business. but the
bulk of the shipments are from Mon
treal and the Gulf ports"
W. j. Love, vice-president of the
Emergency Fleet Corporation. who
called the conferences, is in Washing
ton, and is not expected to attend the
meeting to-day. His place will be taken
by Shipping Board representative.