AMERICAN FREIGHTS RAISED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 181, 9 January 1915, Page 4

AMERICAN FREIGHTS RAISED.

GERMAN INFLUENCE AT WORK. B ; - Telegraph.—Per Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. A cablegram lias been received by .Messrs. lohn Burns and Co., Ltd., from America, stating that freight charges from ports of the United States have been substantially increased. The message slates that the freight per ton for minimum great-case goods is now 535, and • for maximum great-case goods 105s. The freights ruling since November have been S'is (id and C2s Cd respectively, and the increase on freights charged before the war broke out is calculated to be GO per cent, and 07 1 /; per cent. Mr. Robert Burns, managing director of the company, stated to-day that Cue 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, turpentine, 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 of ] cheaper freights, is impracticable so far as New Zealand merchants are 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 "3 1-3 per cent., and this docs not include, the usual 10 per cent, primage." The increase in freights, Mr. Burns considered, could be traced to the influence of Gcnran merchants. The Americans have for some 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. when the steamers Wihlcnfels and Stolzenfcß 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 ft had to be transferred. "In my opinion," coneluded 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 runs n line of ships from -Montreal to New Zealand, states that no advice has been received from Canada concerning an advance in freights,