New-York tribune., 1922-09-22
Hague Shipping g
Rules Opposed
|By ". s. Owners
American Interests Advise
Delegates TO Comile Mari
time i'm London System
Would Lower Standard
MISREPRESENTATION Urged
Board Asked to Name Com
mitiee to Draft Its Own
Idea of Bill of Lading

From The Tribuno's Washington bureau
WASHINGTON, Sept. 21.After n
two-d day session the discussion of tho
proposed rules for carriage of goods
by sea ended at the Shipping Board
Offices to-day. The discussion was for
, the purpose of acquainting the Ameri-
can delegates to the Comitc Maritime
at London October 9--1l with the views
Of leading ship owners, shippers, ma
rine underwriters, bankers and com
mercial organizations Of the United
States. The meeting, which was called
by invitation of Chairman Lasker of
the Shipping Board, resulted in n thor
! ough debate of the Hague rules Of
1921 and the amendments thereto, and
brought forth valuable suggestions as
to uniform international bill Of
lading.
,, Wade Robinson, of Robinson, San
ford g. Stoney, insurance, New York,
filed a statement with the board in
which he said that the Hague rules
would raise the standards in other sec
tions of the world, but would lower
them in the United States. He recon-
mended that the Shipping Board take
the initiative of appointing commit
tee representing ship owners, carriers
and insurance to draft reasonably
perfect American bill of lading. He
added that any modification of the
rules which subtracts from conditions
existing by virtue of the Harter act
would amount to a disadvantage to
American shippers.
Dual System Not Popular
Walter Berry, chairman of the bill
of lading committee of the Emergency
Fleet Corporation, said the dual system
OF bill Of lading did not have the sup
port of shipper, carrier or underwater
tie was anxious to ascertain the views
OF the gathering as TO whether Ameri-
can coastwise and the Great Lakes
trade should be included in the rules
The National Export Grain Associa-
ton, in a telegram, placed itself on
record as follows: Foreign grain trade
as represented by the London Grain
Trade Association, strongly opposed to
provisions of Hague rules, which fail
to protect merchandise to the injury
OF not only the grain dealer but the
farmer as we'll"
Charles S. Haieht chairman OF the
bill of lading committee of the Intc.
national Chamber Of Commerce, was
Haight made a " oogh ANALYST, avs Of
the Hague rules and amendments
thereto. He said his organization
viewed the situation from world
wide position; that present condttors
were chaotic, no two steamship com
panlcs using the same bill of lading.
he cited lnnumeldole cases of unGe.
! S'rabie clauses In this document. and
1pht 10, ~,
was to secure a t,fr adjustment ps-
tween the risk and liability of shipper
! and carrier.
Objects TO Special Agreements
Frank S. Gardner, representing the
New York Board of Trade and Trans
portation, objected chiefly to Article G.
which makes provisions for special
agreements. He contended that this
article would knock the rules into
cooked hat" He urged the striking out
or elimination of this article, or the
adoption of an amendment, if one could
be drawn that would cover the
situation.
Harvey N. Dickson, secretary of the
National Lumber Exporters Associa
tlon, SAID his organization, which COM
prlses the largest exporters of hard
woods In the United States, coverinpe
oil of the states east of the Mississippi
ana some of the states west, desired to
r'e protest against the adoption of
the Hague rules, and added that thev
were influenced by their affiliated
organizations in England, whose mem
oers were instructed not to accept bills
of lading
Charles E. Herrick, of Chicago, chair
man OF the traffic committee of the
institute of Meat Packers, again re-
lterated his recommendation that a de-
Vlatlon clause or amendment be made
whereby ship owner would be corr
PEELED to deliver a perishable cargo
according to advertised schedule. in.
stead Of being permitted to deyiate
Tor the purpose of taking up profitable
cargoes en- route to destination. He
cited case where the packers had lost
20 per cent of a shipment due to de-
Walton on the part of ship owner.