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World Charter Market Reviewed TIE UP SHIPS Labor Disturbances Hamper Ves- sels and Cause Freight Congestion at Ports--Many Boats Are Shifted throughout the world has considerably delayed the natural readjustment in the maritime freight field. Recovery of rail traffic conditions in this country had no sooner become apparent than further trouble developed with longshoremen on the Atlantic coast and with the freight handlers and truckers. The port of New York is still in the throes of a disastrous tieup, causing the diversion of freight through other ports. Later the trouble with the longshoremen spread to Philadelphia. Vessels have, as a result, been tied up in the Delaware river as well as the port of New York. Abroad, the French have been having trouble, labor there definitely de- laying the great French liners for some time. The Holland-American boats have just broken a strike but the French passenger vessels were forced to meet the increased demand of their seamen. A some- what similar situation is developing in the Scandi- navian ports, and from Copenhagen comes the report that an effort is being made to recruit farmers to man the Danish ships. Labor troubles have not been confined entirely to New York and other large ports. Late last month, the Porto Rico line was compelled to suspend sail- ings temporarily on account of labor troubles at Porto Rican harbors. The Mallory line also stopped operations at Galveston due to the longshoremen's strike. Summer travel has prompted the Eastern Steamship lines to resume its service between Boston and St. 'John. ences of goods due to labor troubles Such delays to shipping, it is feared by steamship men, is confusing the Ship public as to the tonnage situation. Pe. On March 31 last, the British mer- : Y chant marine totaled 20,500,000 Is Low tons, an amount approximately equal to the prewar tonnage. The British yards will add approximately 1,000,- O00 tons to this fleet by the end of the current year. The American merchant marine is approximately 13,000,000 tons. If this vast fleet could be adequately and efficiently used there would be a sharp curtailment in the shortage of shipping space, but labor has not permitted the full use of the world's marine. It is chiefly on this account that freight rates have not declined more rapidly, since every tieup of shipping must be compensated for in some manner or the steam- ship companies would become insolvent. The men aboard ship are gradually showing a better appraisal of economic conditions, as attested to by the settlement made between seamen and Americon operators. For the next year no change will take place in the wage scale on American ships, but certain adjustments have been made in working rules, one cf which provides for increased subsistence allowance the men when not feeding on board in port i allowance of 75 cents per meal and 75 cents per ni ht for a room, as against 50 cents in each case previogge will be made. Marine cooks and stewards wil] hae an 8-hour day in all ports as well as the home a but a 10-hour day when at sea, without Overtime pa British shipowners have been compelled to merge the war bonus of £3 a month with the monthly wage oj English seamen. This makes the wage of a British able seaman $/0.44 a month as against the American wage of $85. While this decreases the differentia] between the American and the foreign wage scales, the British ship- owner, it is said, is to be subjected to an increase from 40 to 60 per cent in excess profits tax. British ship lines are opposing this move on the part of their government. On the other hand, the new Jones act relieves American steamship owners of all excess profits taxes provided such funds, matched by double the sum, are reinvested in new American ships. The trend during the past month has been to place Amer- ican shipping on a closer parity with foreign shipping, but at the same time all ocean shipping has been sub- jected to undué hardships, which can be compensated for only by the continuation for some time longer of high freight rates. A radical and sudden change was made recently in the allocation of a Take Over number of the ex-enemy passenger Pp vessels. Although the Munson line p ePeenect §=6lwas. allowed certain of the recondi- Vessels tioned ships with which to start the South American service, it is now announced that a new corporation will take over some of these. The Munson line, of course, will be allocated several of the new passenger vessels being constructed by the government, and these will replace the older vessels which started the service. The United States Mail Steamship Co., with the France & Canada Steamship Corp. as uncondi- tional = guaran- tor, 'has: been organized and it has signed a charter contract with the ship- ping board for the GEORGE W ASHINGTON, PocAHONTAS, MouNnr Ver NON, CALLAO, SUSQUEHANNA, PRESIDENT GRANT, ICA,. . PRINCESS MaATO1K 4A. AGAME M NON, ANTIGONE, AMPHION, FREE- DOM, and Map- AWASKA. The chartering com- pany pays the shipping board 362 AMER- ' Harriman Expands A*' A RESULT of an agree- ment made between W. A. Harriman & Co., Inc., and the Ham- burg - American Steamship Co. American merchant vessels flying the American flag will soon be operating in the old trade routes of the German shipping concern. Ac- cording to a recently -issued state- ment, it is explained that the new arrangement is between Harriman & Co.,° Chandler & Co. and the American Ship & Commerce Corp. of which W. A. Harriman recently was elected president to succeed Gen. George W. Goethals, resigned. Harriman & Co. draw attention to the fact that all the ships fly the American flag and that no Ger- man interests are involved. )