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World Charter MarketReviewed by TRADEIMPROVES Revival of Business at Different - Ports Brings Upturn in Shipping --Some Idle Tonnage Set to Work MPROVEMENT in the ocean shipping field is near. A change from the expensive slump has set in and a better understanding is being effected - between rival interests. American shipping has been awaiting impatiently the appointment of a new shipping board and the definition of the mart- time policies of the new administration. The hope _ is entertained in many quarters that ultimately the government will resort to a system of subsidies and an. abolition of government ownership. Primarily for this reason many of the private companies are holding on a little longer. In the meantime, peace has been made in the very expensive rate war in the French Atlantic and rates on those runs have been materially advanced. Attention is necessarily drawn to the abnormal amount of idle tonnage. But idle tonnage is not exclusive to the United States. One financial sur- vey reports that 822 American vessels, including 286 wood ships, dre tied up. This means that more than 30 per cent of the shipping board vessels are idle. British vessels are tied up in equal proportion, but in the case of the Norwegian tonnage the situa- tion appears to be even worse. <A total of 300 Nor- wegian ships are idle, according to report, represent- ing some 700,000 tons. But during March, the shipping board issued orders to withdraw 8 ships, representing some 82,000 deadweight tons, from tie-up and assigned them to operating companies. This fact alone would seem to indicate the turning of the tide.in the American market. © In the meantime, steamship operators have en- deavored to follow the lead of other nationals in reducing wages. A wage reduction of 20 per cent on New York towboats has precipitated a strike. Nevertheless it 1s now proposed to put in effect on May 1 a reduction of 1214 per cent in wages aboard ship. Both Atlantic and Pacific coast steamship companies will join in this movement and_ the _ shipping board has signified its willingness to abide by the result. | The shipping board has deter- mined to remove a few more op- Unite to erators from its lists. The assump- Desmote tion is that government vessels are U S74 to be allotted where greatest effi- os ade ciency can be obtained. A further concentration of the management Of the vessels will make for more effecting handling. In addition, the shipping board has opened a freight soliciting office in St. Louis. This is largely an experiment, yet tis hoped to result in diverting more cargoes to American ves- sels. If the scheme proves successful the plan will very naturally be extended. In co-operation with dispatched her to Hamburg. the department of commerce, the shipping board weal make another survey of trade routes, An evi- dent intent exists to co-ordinate all the Interests involved under the American flag to fight for the shipping business. April marked a _ historical de- velopment in the French Atlantic trade. At last the French and Belgian lines agreed to attend the trade conference and signed a new schedule of rates. That marked the end of the rate war which was precipitated. nearly a year ago and which has been very destructive to the steamship companies mm these itis. Coal to Harve last year brought $20, but due to the rate war this was reduced to $4. As the result of effecting peace, Freneh Ay lantic rates have been increased in some instances as much as 300 per cent. While it would appear that these increases are abnormal, they are still regarded as not in a safe proportion to the cost of doing business. American coastal vessels have effected a through arrangement with transpacific lines, making it now possible to ship direct from the Atlantic coast to the Orient on a_ through-bill-of-lading, transshipment being effected at Pacific coast ports. The Williams Steamship Co. has announced a number of reduc- tions in the intercoastal rates. Owing to the pro- hibitive transcontinental rail rates, California fruit is now coming to the east via the coastal lines. hird-class business is at pres- ent the most appealing to steam- Dione of ship companies despite the fact A that the United States is expected : to enact legislation to restrict im- Lines migration. The American line has reconditioned the freighter Mun- NEKADHA into a third-class boat and The Red Stay ge has placed the Samianp, another exclusively third- class boat, in the Philadelphia and Antwerp service. The Kerr Steamship Co. has inaugurated a reg- ular freight service from Hamburg to the River Plate, which parallels the service estab- lished by the United Ameri- ean line, [he Atlantic & Pa- cific Steamship | U. S. Ships in Orient | THE old Chinese port of Shanghai, where American clip- pers of years ago were seen in great numbers, the American met- Corp. (U.S. chant flag is again a common sight. line, owned by A representative of the Pacific Mail. W. -R. Grace Steamship Co., reports that in a re- & Co.) has cent month 49 of 124 foreign ves- abandoned its sels calling at Shanghai were Ameri- services to In- cans, leading all other nations. Amer- | dia. Shipping ican commercial houses are also de- veloping agencies in the Orient, the last five years having witnessed the growth of the American Chamber of board steamers have been used in this service. The shipping Commerce of China from 32 com- board has been pany memberships and 16 individual having some memberships to 91 companies, 122 problems with individuals and 100 nonresident firms. ms Services Banking branches of American finan- and agents. The American Ship- cial houses have also increased. a 230 ' | | :