AMERICAN FREIGHTS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 7, 9 January 1915, Page 3

AMERICAN FREIGHTS.

Per Press Association, Auckland, January 8. A cablegram lias been received by Messrs John Burns and Co., Ltd., from America, stating that freight charges from ports of the United States have been substantially increased. ,TUe message that the freight per .ton . for minimum greatcase goods is now 555, and for maximum great-gaso goods 105 s. The. .freights ruling since November have beeil 325: Gd and 02s 6d respectively, and t]ie increase on freights charged before the war broke out is calculated to be 60 per cent, and 67i per cent. Mivßobei't Burns, managing director of the company, stated . to-day that the increase would have a serious , effect on wholesale and retail prices of American goods. The burden would, however, fall upon the buyers, who would have to pay higher prices for many necessary lines of hardware.

American Importations include woodware, lamp chimneys, candles, agricultural implements, carriage ware, glassware, wires, rods, Huppentine, nails, staples, etc. English manufacturers do not try to compete with Americans in most of these lines, and, moreover, they are so busy at the present time carrying out orders from the British .(government that they refuse to quote prices for lines such as nails and staples, and such quotations as are received for other lines are so much in advance of American prices that the importation of these goods, even with the advantage oi

cheaper freights, is impracticable so far as New .merchants arc concerned. *

“It is ridiculous,” said Mr Burns, “that these freights should be charged, and yet there is at present no apparent alternative for New Zealand merchants but to pay them. The Americans raised freight , charges by 25 per cent, in November, and now they have added 33 113 .per cent., and this does not include the usual 10 per cent, primage.” Tne increase in freights, Mr Burns considered, could he traced to the influence of German merchants. The < Americans have,for, ,sopie time chartered German ships, and depended solely on these for the conveyance of goods to the colonies. These ships were controlled by American-German companies. The effect of this was felt'at the beginning of the . war, "Wihen thesteamers Wildenfels and Stolzenfels, of the Soussa line, were interned at Sydney. Most of the cargo in these vessels was consigned to Auckland merchants, and at great expense to them it had to he transferred. “In my opinion,” concluded Mr Burns, “the whole matter must be attributed to German interests, which are trying to force the American ; Government to try to get interned German ships either sold or back into trade again.” The manager of the local branch of the New Zealand Shipping Company, which line, <j)f t jddps .fyom Montreal to New •Zealand,* states that no advice has been, received from Canada concerning an advance in freights.