New-York tribune., 1922-02-22
arade Council
Approvesi1a;gyue
Shipping; e; Rules
Declares Principles of lnicr.
national Bill of Ladine
Will Assist American
Shippers in Export Lines
bill M Congress Soon
Cargo Mem Prepare Measure
TO LegaIize Rules Now in
Conflict Villa Eiar.er Net

adoption OF the Hague shipping
rules, establishing principles for in
ternational bills Of lading ON shipments
at sea, is urged upon steamship owners
hy the executive committee OF the Ma
tlonal Foreign Trade Council. In u let
ter sent TO eight hundred chambers Of
coh'mcice and commercial orgariza-
toNs throughout the country. . copy
o. winch was made public yesterday.
the committee states that the rulca
VIII greatly Improve tho status of saip-
perS. Enactment OF legislation by Con
g'esS TO permit steamship owners TO
pVt tue rules into effect is also rccoYn-
'ncndcd by the committee
he Hague rules define the rights
and liabilities OF shippers and ship
owners IN new form. The carriers
liability tor loss or damage ie increased
from around S100 TO 800, and the car
rler is not allowed to prorato losses.
tne time within which claims for loss
or carnage can be fled IS materially
heightened. In cases of loss thc burden
oi proof IS placed upon the carrier to
snow that the loss did not occur while
The goods we're in his charge.
Best Possible at Present"
In statement to members Of the Ma
tional Foreign Trade Council the COM
mlttee says that "thcse rules eInbody
as favorable readjuslment Of the dis
tribuSion Of liability between shipper
and carrier as can bc secured At pres
cnt."
It is declared that while the rules
do not meet tho full demands Of the
shippers, they represent step in the
right direction. 1t IS pointed out by
. mi TOO t,..t
ton IL an international business and
that American companies cannot com
pete with foreign rivals if additional
burdens are saddlcd upon them.
1t was learned yesterday that the
cargo underwriters are considering
drafting bill for Congress which
would amend the Harter act ana lcgxl %
ize bills of lading Incorporating The
principles Of the Hague rules. The
American steamship owners, who ap-
proved the rules at the international !
conference in London last November,
are ready TO adopt the prime Piles with
regard to shipments from the United
States, but their hands are now tied
by the Ilarter act
The Shipping Board. it is under
stood, will shortly send out a question
naire to owners and operators, asking
H cir ODlnlON Oh the rules aS & basis
for action. Last fall the board re-
jected the rules, hut after the general
Endorsement given them at London 1t
vas decided 20 recons ider.
British steamship lines within the
last few weeks have put The rules into
effect on westbound traffic. It is c1-
pected that similar action win be taken
by German companies.
Charles s. Haight. chairman OF tho
bill OF lading committee of the Inter-
national Chamber of Commerce. said
yesterday that more progress had been
made since last June on an intcrna-
tional agreement OF this nature than III
many years previous. D. Roger Englar,
attorney for cargo underwriters, has
also given his approval to the rules
Mr. Englar is expected to assist in
drafting the bill for Congress on this
s11hiccf