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Experts in This Country and Abroad has consolidated with F. D. Dimmick & Co., Inc. The Brooks Steamship Co., which is to run the wood- -- en and steel boats purchased from the government by the Nacirema Steamship Co., has started opera- tions. This line has secured a pier at Philadelphia and a pier at Port Richmond, N. Y., and appointed Megee, Steer & Co. its Philadelphia agents. The Mallory line has determined to re-establish its full service between Mobile, Ala., and New York. The past month has, nevertheless, been pro- ductive. of a rumor' that a sale' of the hig coasting fleet of the Atlantic, Gulf and West Indies steamship lines is pending. 'The report has associated this deal with the International Mercantile Marine, tant development in the American merchant marine. Its consummation is not entirely unlooked for and by many shipping men such a move would be con- sidered an important step toward placing the Amer- ican flag upon the high seas. Frank Waterhouse & Co. is reported to be plan- ning to follow the lead of Robert Dollar and invade the Atlantic field. Waterhouse expects to operate a line from Seattle and San Francisco to English and European ports. As agents for Suzuki & Co., Waterhouse promises to be a factor in the Atlantic trade. The Suzuki company has been loading ships at New York for Europe. Shippers have experienced some diff- culty in getting European shipments Rates through. But little commercial space A to Liverpool has been available and ne the decline in the exchange value of Declining the franc has made it difficult to ship to Havre and Bordeaux. Private op- erators have been considerably dis- turbed over the slashing of rates by the shipping board. As a consequence, the rate to Antwerp has been reduced to $28 per long ton on steel cargoes. Ships loading for Swedish and North sea ports found it impossible to continue their rate of $60 and were, compelled to drop to $30. The Caravel lines loaded grain for Ge- noa at $30 and another ship ac- cepted cargo for Helsingfors, Finland, on the Toedc With Siberia BOUT 1,000,000 tons of goods are between Vladivostok and Irkutsk waiting for the reopening basis of: $50. of the Transsiberian railway for Requests for commercial purposes, according to bottoms with C. F. Just, a member of the Cana- dian trade commission to Siberia. "As soon as this freight can be moved to a shipping point," he said recently, "goods will begin to move into Siberia. At the present time -- the situation looks hopeful. There are three major factors holding up the organization and development of Siberia and holding back the im- mense trade that is to come. They are the unsettled political situation, the general financial situation and the railroad situation; the latter be- ing perhaps the most important." which to carry cotton to Span- ish and certain other foreign persistent, with little available tonnage to of- fer. On the oth- er hand, con- cerns exporting American com- modities to Po- land, via Dan- zig, have been in the market TRADE BETTER With the Gradual Increase of Ocean Tonnage Offshore Ship- ments in all Directions Speed Up ports have been | for cargoes. Both steamers and sailers have been in demand by the shipping agents, for which the highest market price has been offered. On the net form, the rates offering were $30 for prompt loading from New York to French Atlantic ports, with $27.50 for May and $25 for June. From the gulf there were orders in circulation for July loading at $40 to Marseilles and West Italy; and $46 to Naples. Chartering has been done on a limited scale, a good demand prevailing for both steam and sail tonnage at unchanged rates. South American ship- ments have been going forward with a trifle more speed, owing to the better conditions of the labor market. To South America shipping board rates in general have prevailed, and vessels have been secur- ing return cargoes in practically every instance. European exports have been keeping up, shippers finding the required cargo space after diligent search. A numberof vessels have been constantly on berth for Scandinavian ports. With the gradual increase in ocean tonnage there has been naturally a better movement in the offshore shipments in all directions. As a rule, exporters are not disposed to complain with the way conditions are shaping, and by July it is anticipated that there will be sufficient ships for all, purposes. There have been a large number of steamers, rang- ing from 6500 to 9500 tons, mostly of the war class, fixed homeward from Australia to England and Italy at 105 and 125 shillings per ton respectively for May, June and July loading. Several vessels were taken for sugar from Mauritius to London at 120 shillings for May and June loading. From the Mediterranean ports there has been a better sup- ply of tonnage, and the tendency was fairly easy, although owners were still inclined to ask higher Tales. ; The leading British lines have discon- tinued the practice of assessing a 5 War per cent premium on freight charges Chacae collected at destination. The ship- ping lines, however, are not disposed Removed to encourage the collection of the charges at destination, whereas the shippers prefer this. The exchange and other difficulties encountered during the war made it necessary for the steamship lines to discoun- tenance the preference of the shippers. That is a sit- uation no longer existing and the action of the British companies is another indication of the res- toration of normality. Jonas Lied, organizer of the Kara sea _ route, upon his arrival in New York announced that 15 steamships of 3500 tons each may leave New York in mid-July to attempt for the first time in the his- 0 319