SOME FREIGHT RECORDS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2652, 24 December 1915, Page 3

SOME FREIGHT RECORDS

SAILING VESSEL'S BIG KATES. For months pist high froufcr;. tare been reported and very big prices havo been continually paid tor tho charter of vessels to carry produce, wheat, coal, lumber, and general merchandise, the announcement of each freight always excelling the last one reported,, says an cxcliange. Freights have.now got to suoh a pitch that shipping men sometimes think for days whether it . would be expodient to pay such a figure for this oi- that; vessel. . They think that if they .charter a vessel at a certain rate circumstances may cause the freight market to fall, and then, where are thoy? If tho charter is missed, think of tho profits lort —profits that sometimes amount to a small fortune. In' thoso days it is delightful to he a shipowner, and know that you can practically command any freight, and that each freight offered to you is very profitable. Recently a tramp steamer left Sydney.for a foreign port.- Duringtho last nine months this vessel had made over £50,000 profit, and it is very probable that she will oven do better than this in the next twelve months. The small-American Schooner Zampa, 322 tons register, which also left- Sydney last week for Papeete to load copra for San Francisco, had a freight of £2140 for lier lumber cargo. The vessel only carries a crew of eight hands all told, and after paying expenses the captain cabled to his owners £1900. To give somo idea of tho high freights lately paid, the case may be quoted of the American steamer M. S. Dollar, which was» fixed to load on thfe Pacific Coast for tlio United Kingdom at 105s. per ton via Panama, or 117s. 6d. per ten via Magellan. The British barque Gwydyr Castle, which recently left New--1 castle for Callao with coal, had a 1 freight of 40s. -per ton, while the Annio M. Rcid, 2080 tons register, expected : at Newcastle, has been fixed to load for tho West Coast at 3Gs. per ton. __ The 'jig Norwegian four-masted barque Aleides, 2498 tens register, now at Newcastle discharging care-oil from Now ' York, has tho splendid freight of 375. 1 <3d. per ton to the West Coast. The sell-known four-masted barque Elginshire lias secured the top rate from Portland this season, viz., 100s.. per ton. As this clipper carries over 3300 tons, her freight will he about £16,500. Truly a line sum for a sailing vessel Ito earn. '