Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-09-20
BOATHANDLES
HUGE CARCOES
FRUIT, TRUCK
New Line to South
American Ports Is
Establish ed Out of
New York

NEW YORK. Sept. 20-walter Van
Bckkelen, head Of the house Of L.
Van Bokkelen IN North America,
this week chartered the ocean-going
Italian steamer. Edda, which is a
full refrigerated boat. and viii use
IL between New York and the Ar
gentine republic. The Edda for the
past five years has been carrying
fruit from Pacific coast ports 70
England. She was built in 1924 and
is modern in every way. On October
! she will make her first trip un-
der Mr.. Van Bokkelen's manage
ment with a cargo Of approximately
$4,000 barrels of Virginia apples and
her unloading port viii be Buenos
Aires.
This new departure has caused
quite a stir in steamship circles, es-
pecially among lines which ply be
tween North American ports and
Brazil and the Argentine.
There is quite an interesting story
behind the new deal. Mr.. Van Box
kelen has always shipped via the
Lamport a Holt steamers, which are
the boats generally used by fruit
exporters TO South America. The
Lamport & Holt management, ac-
cording 10 Mr.. Van Bokkelen, tried
70 put his firm out Of the export
business.
The Van Rokkelen firm Is a very
large shipper Of p~erishahles 10 the
Argentine republic. Heretofore IL
has used boats out Of Atlantic coast
ports, but this year Mr.. Van Box
kelen rs shipping his boxed annles
direct from the Pacific coast to
South America He has space char
tered On the Blue Sta Line boats.
sailing from San Fra cisco Septem-
per ~ and October Is for 300,0O
boxes.
When he applied to Lamport &
HOLT here Tor space for his barrel
truit he was told point blank that
they had no space and that perhaps
ne could get i on the Pacific coast
from the Blaze Star people. This
developed quite n serious situation.
because 1t meant that Mr.. Van Box
kelen's export business would be-
come n thing of the past. In a let
ter addressed 70 the Lamport &
Holt people, Mr.. Van Bokkclen de-
scribed the situation and they re-
piled saying that they could allow
him 5000 to 10000 feet Of space
on each steamer. This would mean
space for only zoo TO 1,400 barrels
Of apples. Mr.. Van BokkeIen ac-
cused the steamship people of rank
discrimination and plainly says that
this amount Of space was offered
him merely to keep within the law.
Indications are that the firm will
put on three or four more refrig-
orator boats between New York and
Buenos Aires. Mr.. Van Bokkelen,
besides being a heavy exporter of
apples, shipped $4,000 cases Of eggs
to South America last year and will
ship 10000 the coming year. He
also is a heavy importer Of grapes,
peaches, honey dews and other fruit
from the South American republic.
At the present time the firm
operates a line Of boats under the
name Of the American Republic Line
from New York. Boston and Phila-
delphia, to South America, and also
a line from New Orleans to South
America. These boats, however,
have no refrigeration service and
carry dry freight altogether. The
firm is South American agents for
a number Of large manufacturers in
the United States. The steamship
Edda is now in a Pennsylvania rail-
road slip, Jersey City. which the
freight department arranged for
Mr.. Van Bokkelen.