FREIGHT RATES.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15243, 3 April 1915, Page 3

FREIGHT RATES.

THE UECKNT ADVANCE

AUCKLAND OPINION

'! ("-KES-; ASSOCIATION TILIGKAU.) AUCKLAND, April 1 ; The recent advances in shipping freights wero discussed to-day by -*ir Robert Burns, president of the Chamber of Commerce. He dealt particularly with the criticisms of his former statements by Air .CM. Turrcll, of tho -New Zealand Shipping Company. Referring to tno suggestion mado by the representative of tno shipping company iv Wellington that his statements showed luck of information, Mr Burns said that the froight rates which ho quoted were supplied to him by the New Zealand Shipping Company. The company neglected to inform him that , prior to the outbreak of war, contracts had been made for tho carriago of > but. tor and frozen meat at tho old rates, and that tho su'rehargo of 25 per cent. was' not imposed oir this class of cargo. When his attention was drawn io, this fact, ho had mado" a correction of his original statement. ' "The inference is, however, obvious." Mr Burns remarked, ".that in the absence of these contracts tho shipping companies would havo levied the.—J per, cent, surcharge onbutter and meat. I am informed that the freight rates for shipments'of 6iich cargo from Australia, where similar .contracts have. not .been ._njade,- havo been materially increased." Objection had Keen-taken. Mr Burns continued, that it was unfair to estimate the earning capacity of steamers on the basis of a vessel capable of carrying 12,000'-tons of-cargo. Ho had therefore examined the actual case, of the steamer Anglo-Brazilian, a vessel of 4688 tons net register. Taking the last round trip of this steamer as an illustration of the results created by the increase in -freights,-a vessel >'. : that size should have a cargo capacity of 7000 tons. lie had not been alio to ascertain esactlv the quantity of cargo carried by the steamer on her last voyage, "as a portion of it bad been landed at Australian ports, and records of those consignments wero not available. -As tho steamer had .been fully leaded, her original cargo could not havo been less. than ' 6'ooo tons. Freight';from Montreal had advanced by "425, Gd on' the minimum, rate, and 57s • (>d,,. on the riiaxiiuum. Taking tho former figure as the "basis, ;it was apparent that on her last outward voyage the Anglo-Brazilian had earned „i 2,700 more than she would have dono on. the- July rates. Mr Bums said he had taken the figures given by the "New Zealand Trada Review" for the vessel's homeward, cargo, and having calculated tho freights as carefully as could be done without-.tho actual accounts, he had found that the value of the freight, was greater by -5500 than it would have been on tho rates in force before the war. Tlie earnings of the steamer for ihe round voyage, therefore, showed an aggregate in-crease-of £18,250. That figure, he contended, was entirely disproportionate to.the increase in -working expenses. The increase seemed startling on a vessel of the Anglo-Brazilian's size, and would work out at more per ton than the increase which he originally calculated for a steamer of 12,000 tons capacity. Mr Burns added "that his calculation bad been made on a most conservative basis, and his figures could be readily 'checked, as the steamer came to New Zealand * under consignment to the New- Zealand Shipping Company, and made the return voyage under charter to tho Shaw. Savill, and Albion Company. Kefon-ipo- to the question of working «—-enses. Mr Burns said he onnld not understand the statement by Mr Turrell that coal had doubled in price. lie was informed by the manager" for tho Westport Coal Company that th»" statement was. in fact, incorrect. No advance had been made in the price of bunker coal, ex collier, the only increase being 2s nor ton on coal ex hulk.