The Chronicle LEVIN. WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 1916. OVERSEAS FREIGHTS.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 24 May 1916, Page 2

The Chronicle LEVIN. WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 1916. OVERSEAS FREIGHTS.

The difficulties tha.t stdli boset the mor chants and retailers throughout .he empire are shown in a Freight Note Circular .issued by Messrs \Y. A. Spar row and Co., for a copy of which, we are indebted to Mr A. Sims. Prices for 'manufactures still are rising. Corrugated iron (Blackwall brandl), which before the war was sold in New Zealard at £18 pei" ton now is listed at £38 •wholesale; English ingots of tin now soil at £'201 per ton Cnai increase of eome hundreds per cent); bar iron i.s £14 10s to £16 12s per ton; copper £148 per,ton. Regarding freight* to New Zealand the circular remarks that "most of the direct cargo steamers from London intended to get n wi v with in a fortnight of one another, but having to sail when they can, havo managed to practically fill. Shippers' tasks, however, |TjV j more and more onerous in getting cargo to thom. ior the Government needs for transport, are so heavy, that it is well nigh -'mpossible, except for a day or two to get the railway authorities to take ordinary commercial traffic. Then, again, the position is not much better with goods intended for delivery by vain, it being quite a common thing for carts to be turned back three , or four times over, owing to congestion at the docks, with occasionally a two-mile queue of vene waiting. Added to this there is the eve r-apparent paucity and inefficiency of laibour employed and the needi of shipping men to be lawyers if they are to steer tfatr of the pitfells dug for them by our

grandmotherly rulers. Matters have j not been improved by the withdrawal from the London berth ot the Rua.pehu intended for March 4th despatch, and the frantic rush to get into the Rangatira, which should have left about Tobniiary 22nd, but did not do so until March 7th, she being the last nt the old rates of frienglit. Uninrtunatelty a cablegram from Capetown j reports that she is ashore at Robben , Islaind, and. that, although it is hoped to save the cai;go the ship hersolf may ' be lost. In connection -with .the ser-! vice from the west coast, there was no despatch from Liverpool, tha final port, between the Otaiki of Januiiry "22nd, olid the Middlesex of Mardh 25th, owing to three steamers intended to take the .berth having been requisition by the Government, but' there aire low both the Ruapehu and the Mamaiii loadiing there for despatch as soon as the fates will permit. Oil top of this there is the Durham fixed for April despatch. The congestion and difficulties are still rife despite the best wiV in the world to "overcome them, 'or matters' alter almost hourly. Ml kinds of devices and experiments, rre used! with a view of surmounting troubles, both Brstol and Manchester being given the go-by with some of the boats. With steamers intended to sail from the United Kingdom after March lr-t rates of freight were advanced 'Os per toil, so that the basis figures by "he direct steamers from London to ma.ll. ports of call are. now naked, weights 60s per ton, .packed weights 70s per ton, rough (measurement 815s per ton, fine measurement 102s 6d per ton. Although these seem inflated the freights from New York are consTderaibty higiior and we should think tonnage scarcer, which remarks aipply equally to Australia. Despite the new campaign of enemy suibmarines our Government Insurance Office has not advanced is •war risk premium of one guinea uor cent. "Lloyds' Underwriters are getting from -10s per cent to 80s per cent, according to tho route, which'moving ns: are also ibeimg chargedl by the instirnnce companies."