New-York tribune., 1921-04-03

Ships to Carry
Orient Freight
Transshipment Agreement
Made With Transpacific
Interests; Through Bill
of Lading for Shippers
Direct Lines Rates Met
Project for Extension of the
Service to East Coast Of
Canada Is Investigated

through arrangements put into effect
by the intercoastal shipping lines
goods can now be shipped by coastwise
vessels on through bills of lading to
the Orient, transshipment being af-
fected to transit Pacific steamers at Pa
cifc ports.
This move places the intercoasta
lines in competition with the com
panies giving direct service from
American ports to the Orient, either
through the Panama or Suez Canal,
the same rates being fixed for the new
transshipment service as for tho old
direct system
This move has been arranged BY on
agreement between the Inte-coaata,
and the Trans Pacific conferences the
trans-Pacihc interests concerned IN
Guiding tho Pacific Mail StetamsNip
Company, Struthers & Dixon, the Toyo
kisen Kaisha, the China Mail Com
pany, the Los Angeles and Pacific Nav
lgation Company, the Admiral Line and
the Columbia Pacific Company.
Coastal Lines in Agreement
The coastal interests include thc
North Atlantic and Western Company,
the United American Lines. the Luck
enbach Lines, the Pacific Mail Steam
ship Company, Swayne & Hoyt, The
Matson Navigation Company, the At
lantic, Gulf and Pacific Company, the
WILLIAMS Steamship Company and the
United States Transport Company
Shipping men do not expect large
movement of trans Pacific freight by
the coastal lines, but the through bill
of lading plan has been introduced as
convenience to shippers, especially
at ports from which there is no direct
shipping service to the Orient. Some
delay and added cost arc involved
through the necessity OF .-ansship-
ment, but the expense Of the extra han
ding is divided between the coastal
and transPacihc lines.
Somewhat improved conditions are
reported in the volume of general
cargo being moved by the coastal lines,
but the cargo space available is more
than ample to carry all offerings
Canadian Service Discovered
There have been reports recently
that some of the coastal lines intended
extending their services so as to carry
goods from the east to the west coast
Of Canada via the Panama Canal.
No such service has been instituted
yet, although an investigation Of the
possibilities has been made by some
coastal interests, with view to MAX
ing Montreal the eastern and Vaucou-
YER the western terminus. 1t is pointed
out, however, that the run to Montreal
would add hundreds of miles to the in
tercoastal run and that in the winter
season St. John would have to be sub
stituted for Montreal as port of call
There has been no service of this
kind, the shipping Services of the
Canadian Pacific Lines and the Cana
dian government merchant marines
sending their cargoes across Canada by
the Canadian Pacific and government,
railway lines. Some Of the coastal
ships under the American flag have
made Vancouver port of call at times,
but there has been no linking up of
this service with the eastern coast of
Canada. The general feeling among
American shipping men is that suffi-
clent volume cargo could not be oh
tanned under existing conditions to
make the extension of the intercoastal
service profitable.