New-York tribune., 1922-09-29
Peace Overture
Is Reported in
Ocean Rate w al.
Reardon Smith Line Said To
Be Ready for Tariff Un-
derstanding; Has Raised
Charges on Several Items
Increases Now in Sight
Conference Control May Be
Restored if Feelers Are
Followed by Agreement

End of the rate war in the ContI-
mental and United Kingdom trade may
be brought about shortly by an under
standing between the conferences and
the United States Navigation Company,
agents for the Reardon Smith Line, ae-
cording to substantial reports in ship
ping circles yesterday. The first indi-
cation of this was given IL advances in
rates on several commodities.
Officials of the United States Navi-
CATION Company admitted that they
would welcome increases in tariffs and
said they did not desire 4 continuance
OF underwriting. They denied how
ever, that there have been any "nego-
tiations" with conference members.
The rate or provisions from New
York TO the United Kingdom has been
advanced by the United States Naviga-
sion Company from 40 to so cents the 100
pounds and will shortly be put up to 81
cents, it was said. The conference rate
Is go cents. 1t was intimated that mutu-
ally satisfactory arrangement between
the two interests is not improbable.
officials of the United States Naviga-
ton Company and the conference lines
are known to be "fed up" on rate
cutting.
Conditions Point to Increase
An official of the United States Navi-
cation Company said yesterday that he
chopped the rate advances would be fol-
lowed by the conferences" Among the
conditions pointing to an increase IN
rates are the fact that the seasonal
movement of crops to. Europe is now at
hand; shipments of cotton and other
agricultural products from the Gulf to
the Continent are gaining; the Mont
real season is drawing to close, which
will result in the diversion of freight
to North Atlantic ports; many passen-
ger vessels, which obtain a large pro-
portion Of the valuable express freight,
will shortly be taken off their runs dur
ing the winter.
1t is reported that the United States
Navigation Company feels it is futile to
fight against the United States Treas
ury, as exemplifed in the Shipping
Board lines plying to Europe, and that
with sufficient freight in sight to prom
Use fair cargoes to all lines an agree
ment would be desirable. Advances in
rates to Hamburg are said to be con-
templated by this company.
Competitive Offer Reported
Against these optimistic reports yes
terday was another that the United
State Navigation Company had offered
to take lubrcating oil to the United
Kingdom at 50 cents, against the confer
ence rate Of 81, but this was conces-
sion on the part Of the company, which
previous to Inauguration of the rate
war insisted that it was justified, be-
cause of slower service and higher in
surance charges, to maintain differ
ential of 10 per cent below the confer
ence.
Automobile shippers have benefited
most by the rate war this summer.
Ordinarily autos take q higher tariff
than general cargo, which is 40 cents q
cubic foot of rs cents the 100 pounds, but
during the extreme competitive condi-
tions recently autos have been accepted
as low as 10 to 20 cents foot.
The rate war began early last spring
when efforts on the part of the United
Kingdom and Continental conferences
70 persuade the United States Naviga-
tion Company to join proved futile
PERMISSION was then given to the con
terence members to meet competition
on the most important commodities
with the result that the tariffs dropped
well below the cost of operation.