New-York tribune., 1922-01-05
famine Cargo
Rates Doubled.
Relief Men Saw
q. S. Ship Owners Accused
Of Getting Together and
Raising on Freight for
Grain Going to Russia
100 Vessels Required
Plea Will Be Made for Idle
Government Freighters
at Market Charter Levels

The Purchasing Commission for Rus
sian Relief, Of which Secretary o,
rommerce Hoover is a member, charged
,.st night that American steamship
owners have combined in Offering ves-
.els for the movement of grain to the
famine stricken regions at double the
yoing commercial rates. The commits
,;on announced that Governor Good
rich, ice-chairman, would sec the
Shipping Board in Washington TODAY
20 request the use o. vessels at pre-
yailing rates. Under the law pasesd bv
Congress last month, the commission is
required to charter Shipping Board or
private American steamers.
Sufficient American tonnage has hecr
obtained to carry $4,000 tons of corn.
the commission announced. 1t was said
that ships now offered by independent
American operators average about SO
Der cent higher than those ALREADY
taken. According to officials Of the
commission, it is expected that greater
charges will have to be paid on Ameri-
can vessels, as directed by Conpress
but that there is no Justification for N -
prices quoted.
Charge Rates Are Doubled
The following announcement ws.
TA4e at the Offices of the American ~
lei Administration, 42 Broa dwav.
The purchasing Commission for
Russian Relief stated that offera no,r
Ning made by independent Amer;can
ship operators are so per cent hipher
than charters already made bv tha
purchasing commission to indenen6en+
American ships. and they are loathe to
zee sniillons of dollars intended by Con
s'ss lor RUSSIAN relief expended in
a.a "hich are at least double the
gong commercial rates for this serv-
its
Our understanding is that the in
cepenaent operators have had a meet
ing ana advanced rates to prohibitive
y0nt'. and to expedite shipments the
smmlssion is requesting the Shippina
5osrd TO make available sufficient ton.
mage to carry relief purchases It the
going commercial rate.
Governor Goodrich, vice-chairma,
Of the commission. leaves for Washing
Ton tonight to care for this matter"
Ss6,000,000 Available
The commission has available a fund
g s36,000,000 to purchase corn, seed
grain and condensed milk for Russian
relief. Of this amount Congress has
appropriated s20,000,0OO, the Soviet
government 100000 in gold and S..
100000 has been obtained from other
sources. 1t is estimated that approx.
mately 10000 900 bushels of corn and
other supplies will be bought, and tha.
about one hundred American ships will
De required to transport the foodstuffs
While Secretary Hoover did not at
tend the meeting yesterday. at which
additional purchases of corn and the
chartering Of vessels were considered
I is understood that the commiss or
vas in touch with him in Washington
by phone before the statement was
ssued.
Members OF the commission were
still in session at late hour last
night, and announced that information
on the purchases of grain, and also the
names of the vessels already obtained
probably would be made public to-day
No information could be obtained
on The rates at which the commission
has chartered it's ships, or the prices
quoted by the steamship operators fol
otaer vessels.