AMERICAN-AUSTRALIAN TRADE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 210, 4 September 1900, Page 4

AMERICAN-AUSTRALIAN TRADE.

CONTROLLED BY A RING,.

CLAIM THAT COLONIAL IMPORTERS

ARE BEING SQUEEZED,

Proof of the high-haridetf manner in which the American-Australian .shipping ring mis squeezed money out of the importers ia the British colonies (says a New York paper) was contained in a letter received la this- city from Melbourne. :

The wiiter.d member of one of the largest firms in Melbourne, said that some timeago, when the fight between, the combine and the Tyser Line, the former having the assistance of the London group, was very, warm, the combine requested the firm to have all of its goods shipped by the vessels belonging to the ring. A threat was ruada that if the firm did not do so,when matters settled down and the Tyser' people forced to either become members of the combine or driven out of the Australian trade, the firm would not be forgotten. An agreement was finally signed, .with the unaeiv standing, however, that the firm was..not to pay more for freight than was charged by, the Tyser Line. Instructions were' then issued by the firm to . the merchants ia tliis country to ship all goods consigned to it by the sailing vessels and steamships loaded by the combine, and the request was carried out. , ' EXCESSIVE RATES CHARGED. V Some time after the agreement to patronise exclusively the vessels of the combine, was made the firm had occasion to | place an order in this country for a number of eases of hardware. These-were placed on board one of the steamships of the American ring.. A rate of 25/ per ton was charged on this shipment. Two days previously a prominent commission house here arranged for the 'shipment of several packages of merchandise to'the same firm and by the same steamship, and a rate of 20/ per ton was' charged. The rate charged by the opposition to the combine, the Tyser Line, however, for shipments to the same parties on a steamship leaving thiy port at the sfinie time as the one taking the goods above referred to was only 12/6. When this was discovered the firm very promptly withdrew its. support from the combine and since has had all its goods sent by the Tyser Line. The above, it is said, is only one of many instances, that could be cited where tha ring after forcing merchants in the.British colonies by threats of- wreaking vengeance when the opposition of the Tyser Line ceased, to patronise the vessels of the coin- ; bine, not only violated all agreements but squeezed all the money possible out of tbV importers. Accompanying the letter from which the foregoing has been taken are three bills of lading bearing. on the case referred to above* and which substantiates every state-' nient made. • COMBINE .LOSING STRENGTH. ' The Australian shipping combine, .hoirever, is not as powerful to-day as it fas. a few months ago. The firms of R. W. Cameron and Co., Henry ■W. Pea body and Co., Arkell and Douglas, and Mailler and Qiiereau, which formed the American end of the combine, and Bucknall Bros., Houlder Bros, and Co., and the Federal Steam Navigation Co., which composed the; European end, have had a disagreement, and a three-cornered fight for supremacy is now in progress. The participants are the American ring, the London ring, and the Tyser Line. It was stated that so far the Tyser Line, which fought the combine tooth and nail and which has the support of the principal Independent commission houses like Strongand Trowbridge and AY. H. Crossman find Bros, has the best of the argument. Notwithstanding the war that is being waged in the matter of securing business, the ratew have not as yet been disturbed, the prevailing quotations being 22/6 per ton. When tho London ring and the American; ring parted company the members of the latter announced that in the future they would confine themselves to the commission business only, and shippers were requested to send all goods to the colonies b? the United States and Australasia' Steamship Co. . At the'same time this steamship company announced the Inauguration of a. sailing vessel service to the British colonies. It is pointer! out. however, that theTTnited Stntes and Australasia. Steamship Co. is nothing more than a consolidated name for the American ring, as nil the stockholders and officials of the company are members of firms forming the New York combine. , , ■;