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Intercoastal Shipping Inquiry To Be Continued At the direction of the shipping board bureau a very thorough in- quiry into the practices of the inter- coastal trade was held in New York by the board’s examiner, M. G. De Quevedo, Meetings were held prac- tically continuously from Feb. 26 to March 10. At the end of the inquiry, which brought out an unusually thorough discussion of the operating practices of both conference and non-confer- ence lines in the intercoastal trade, the examiner was universally ac- claimed for the fairness of the in- vestigation, It was also felt that he had shown a thorough grasp of the complicated matters involved. It is believed that much good will come from this investigation which is to be continued on the West coast and at New Orleans, for the Gulf lines in this trade. The inquiry did bring out that the conference sysiem of operating has been of great benefit in stabilizing rates and practices. ‘Both shippers and carriers would undoubtedly be better off if every line in each trade co-operated in maintaining a correct standard of rates and _ practices. There is a considerable opinion that under the law the shipping board bureau has authority to properly su- pervise conferences and agreements between lines. This much can be definitely stated, that when the present investigation is completed in the thorough man- ner in which it has been carried on so far the board will have the nec- essary facts to base action for the kind of control which will eliminate many of the present difficulties of the trade. The second hearing in the investi- gation of rates, fares, charges, and practices of ocean carriers operating between Atlantic and Gulf ports and the Pacific coast via the Panama can- al has been set for 10 a.m., April 2, in the Merchants Exchange building, San Francisco, according to an an- nouncement made March 23 by H. H. Heimann, director of the shipping board bureau, department of com- merce. A third hearing in this investiga- tion, the purpose of which is to de- velop facts regarding actual condi- tions and promote greater stability in the intercoastal trade, will be held in the St. Charles hotel, New Orleans, during the week of April 16. To Hold Hearings The national recovery administra- tion March 20 gave notice through the office of Deputy Administrator J. B. Weaver, that public hearings will be conducted, beginning at 10:00 a.m., April 3, 1934, at the Hotel Willard, Washington, D. C., on a code of fair competition for the in- Iand water carrier trade in the west- ern division of the United States Co- lumbia river district. The proposed code has been sub- mitted by the boat operators of the Columbia river district, who claim to represent 90 per cent of the trade. The labor provisions of the pro- posed code will be the subject of sep- arate public hearings to be held on the Pacific coast, the dates of which will be announced later. Foreign Trade Practices The first hearing in the foreign trade shipping inquiry authorized by the secretary of commerce on March 9, under section 19 of the merchant marine act of 1920, will be held in the Merchants Exchange building, San Francisco, beginning at 10 a.m. on April 9, according to an announcement made March 24 by H. H. Heimann, director of the ship- ping board bureau. Subsequent hear- ings will be held in New York and New Orleans, the date in each case to be announced later. Complaints of rate-cutting and other alleged unfair practices on the part of non-conference steamship lines and tramp ships have prompted the department to undertake the in- quiry. Under section 19 of the mer- chant marine act of 1920 the depart- ment is authorized and directed to make rules and regulations designed to correct conditions unfavorable to shipping in the foreign trade, when these conditions are the result of competitive methods employed by owners or operators of foreign flag vessels. The advisability of recom- mending the promulgation of correc- tive rules and regulations will be de- termined from the facts developed at the hearings. A copy of the secretary’s order au- thorizing the inquiry was sent to approximately 375 carriers known to be operating in the foreign trade of the United States. Sales Representative J. S. Carswell, well known in ma- rine circles for some years past as manager of the marine division of Lidgerwood Mfg. Co., has opened his own office at 15 Park Row, New York city, as marine sales representative. He will act as eastern representa- tive for the Colby Steel & Engineer- ing Co., Seattle, Wash., engineers and manufacturers of Barlow marine elevators, Colby cranes, lumber grabs, ete. He will also act as ma- rine sales representative of the Mc- Kiernan-Terry Corp., builder of winches, cargo hoists, steering gears, windlasses, capstans, and conveying machinery, Because of his long fa- miliarity with the field, it is Mr. Carswell’s intention to specialize, as much as possible, in marine auxiliary and cargo handling equipment. MARINE REview—April, 1934 Board Takes Over Control of Export Line A reorganization of the Export Steamship Corp., operating a large fleet of American passenger and cargo vessels between New York and Mediterranean and Black Sea ports, has been worked out by the ship- ping board bureau’s director Henry H. Heimann and the directors of the line, headed by C. L. Bardo, presi- dent of the New York Shipbuilding Co., which has equities in the line on account of the new vessels built for the line, Outside of the govern- ment the shipbuilding company is said to be the largest creditor. Under this arrangement, W. H. Coverdale, president of the Canada Steamship Lines Ltd., and a member of the firm of Coverdale and Colpitts, efficiency engineers, New York, be- comes the new president of the line and a director, succeeding Henry H. Herbermann, who also resigned as di- rector, but who will continue as a vice president. H. E. Frick, vice president and general manager of the Export line also resigned from the board of directors and was succeeded by J. BE. Slater of the firm of Cover- dale and Colpitts. Mr. Frick will continue as vice president. In addition to Messrs. Coverdale and Slater, the other directors of the line as reorganized will be C. L. Bardo, president of the New York Shipbuilding Co.; Arthur L. Foran, representing the Philadelphia Na- tional bank; and Theodore L, Smith, of. the Central Hanover Bank & Trust Co, It is understood that outside of the changes mentioned, heads of the de- partments of the company will con- tinue in their usual duties. Regular schedules in the passenger and freight services will be maintained as heretofore to the Mediterannean and the Black Sea. Mr. Herbermann has long been a prominent factor in the operation of American vessels in the foreign serv- ice, After a period of operating ship- ping board vessels from New York to the Mediterranean he purchased some 18 shipping board vessels, This was in August, 1925, long before the Jones-White law went into effect. When this law was passed his line received a mail contract and he was one of the first operators to place orders for new vessels under this law. These vessels, the ExcAmMprton, Hx- OCHORDA, EXETER, and HxXCALIBUR, fine combination passenger and cargo vessels, were completed at the New York Shipbuilding Co., Camden, N. J;, late in: 1930 and: 1931. These vessels proved popular and did an excellent business until the depres- sion seriously affected the trade they are engaged in. Offices of Lloyd’s Register of Ship. ping at Philadelphia will, from April 3 on, be located at 1600 Arch street. 47