as securing space is concerned for ships booked to sail in the near future, it is out of the question. A few orders are being booked for four or five months ahead and it would appear that unless the exporter received anormous profits on commodities exported a year ago when ocean freight rates were comparatively normal, it is hard to see where he can get any profit now (even if he secures space) at the abnormally high rates. Yet they are all in the market for tonnage space, and as a consequence new shipping agencies are daily springing up; old lines are adding extra vessels; and contracts are being let for building new ships. Besides the Frank Waterhouse Co. and the H. F. Ostrander Co., who are both chartering a large number of vessels, Griffiths & Sons, old-time shippers, have chartered several tramp vessels and impressed them into the trade, and recently a local concern has received a contract to build immediately a million-dollar ship.

I am herewith inclosing the sheets filled out as fully as the figures can be obtained. I have also supplemented it by a statement showing the present rates that have been secured on tonnage from Seattle to Vladivostock, and I am also submitting a partial list of the parties interviewed in obtaining these rates.

Very truly, yours,

W. B. HENDERSON, Commercial Agent.

I interviewed the following concerns here re the ocean freight rates: Mr. B. J. Orvinsck, of W. R. Grace & Co., as to the import rates from Chilean points (Valparaiso, as specified in the report). He could only give me rates on copper.

Mr. Fawkner, of Fawkner-Currie & Co., who operate a steamship line between here and South America, as to import rates on nitrates from Valparaiso.

Mr. W. A. Mears, of the transportation bureau of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce, on rates generally. No particular information.

Mr. W. D. Benson, manager of the Pacific Coast-Oriental Tariff Bureau, who is also connected with Frank Waterhouse & Co., as to rates generally. He supplied me with the greater portion of the rates for 1914 and part of 1915, and furnished me with a number of schedules.

Mr. F. M. Studley, manager of the Nippon Yusen Kaisha, on rates generally to the Orient. He supplied me with rates on several commodities to Hongkong and Shanghai.

Mr. Manion, of the Blue Funnel Line, supplied me with rates to London.

Mr. D. W. Burchard, of the Hamburg-American Line. No information. His line is interned and out of business, and the documents were burned at a recent fire. Mr. T. Stuart, recently connected with Robinson & Morrison, furnished some information regarding import rates to Sydney.

Mr. Pettibone, formerly of the Canadian Trading Co., now of the American Trading Co., furnished me with rates on lumber to Hongkong and Shanghai. Mr. Hodge, of the Northwest Trading Co., furnished rates on flour, bar iron, sheet iron, wire, and some commodity rates to Shanghai and Hongkong.

Mr. Parrott, of the firm of Parrott & Co., brokers, furnished general information. Mr. Erickson, of the American Express Co., gave me considerable information regarding rates, especially on the old schedules of 1914.

Mr. W. S. Allen, assistant manager of the Fisher Flouring Mills, furnished me valua ble information regarding export rates to the Orient on flour.

Mr. Robert Hill, manager of the Merchants' Exchange, gave me valuable assistance regarding rates on flour and wheat to London.

Mr. H. F. Ostrander furnished valuable information as to rates on a number of commodities to Shanghai and Hongkong.

The following shipping agencies and exporters were visited in Tocoma, in connection with the investigation of ocean freight rates:

Mr. McKune, chairman transportation bureau, Tocoma Commercial Club and Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Giles Smith, acting secretary, Tacoma Commercial Club and Chamber of Com

merce.

Mr. Hans Heidner, importer and exporter.

Mr. J. B. Van Fossen, agent for Osaka Shosen Kaisha.

Mr. J. T. Steeb, customhouse broker.

Others interviewed in Seattle are as follows:

A representative of M. Furuya & Co.

Northwest Trading Co.

Mr. Pettibone, of the American Trading Co.

The agent of the Norwegian-American Line, for information re freight rates to Scandinavian ports.

A representative of W. R. Grace & Co., who are agents for the Johnson Line, regarding rates to Copenhagen.

The vice consul for Norway.

A representative of Fawkner-Currie Co., shipping agents.

The committee was unable to get full report of ocean freight rates from San Francisco for reasons stated by the commercial agent of the Department of Commerce in that city in the following communication:

Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce:

MARCH 11, 1916.

Referring to bureau letter of February 2, calling for data on ocean freight rates, and telegram of the 10th instant, stating that such data should be mailed to-day, there is inclosed such meager material as it has been possible to collect to date.

Partial information is given as to rates to Hongkong, Manila, and Shanghai, furnished by the Toyo Kisen Kaisha; to Sydney, Australia, furnished by the Union Steamship Co. of New Zealand (Ltd.); to Copenhagen, Denmark, furnished by the East Asiatic Co. (Ltd.).

There has been no particular disposition to withhold information, except in one case, where the company did not care to go on record at all, but there has been a disposition to promise and not fulfill; parties on whom I had particularly depended failed to supply the desired information, though personal calls were made in addition to written requests. Calls made yesterday, after receipt of telegram from the bureau, brought forth renewed promises of data within a day or so from some of the concerns, but in other cases I was informed that it was simply impossible to get out the information, the general excuse being that it required too much work for an overburdened staff. This is borne out by the fact that several steamship companies are working evenings. Mr. H. E. Moore, traffic manager of W. R. Grace & Co., advised me yesterday that he had been obliged to neglect the ordinary correspondence for the past two weeks because of the great number of telegrams, cables, and conferences claiming his attention.

I had been particularly depending on W. R. Grace & Co. for information as to rates to the west coast of South America. Mr. Moore stated that rates in that direction had not advanced to the extent that they had in other trade routes-that, for example, the old rate of $12 on general merchandise had risen to but $14 per ton.

The Toyo Kisen Kaisha is unable to raise its rates on boats subsidized by the Japanese Government, though seeking authority to do so; on its chartered boats, however, the rates are considerably higher and are quoted only from boat to boat. This applies to the Java-Pacific Line and casual sailings, rates running anywhere from $30 to $60 per ton.

The closing of the Panama Canal is to some extent responsible for the present high rates, as prior to its closing there were more ships available for the Oriental trade; the early opening of the canal will undoubtedly supply more carriers and place rates on a more stable basis, though they will probably remain high for some time to come. Mr. Otto Jelstrup, general agent of the East Asiatic Co. (Ltd.), advises that with the reopening of the canal a fleet of Danish motor ships will touch at San Francisco every three weeks westbound.

Mr. Back, of the Union Steam Ship Co. of New Zealand (Ltd.), in speaking of the difficulty of supplying data for this report, stated that they had offered $115,000 per month for the charter of one steamer and it had been refused, $140,000 being asked. Even at the lower rate it would be necessary for them to get $35 to $40 per ton for freight in order to make any profit.

If the data on charters and rates promised "as soon as we can get at it" and "in a day or so" is received shortly it will be forwarded, though it may be too late for any particular use of the bureau.

The various concerns from whom information is sought will, however, be visited again with hope of results.

E. G. BABBITT, Commercial Agent.

TRANSFER OF MERCHANT VESSELS FROM UNITED STATES TO FOREIGN

REGISTRY.

The bill provides that vessels purchased, chartered, or leased from the board may not, without the approval of the board, be transferred to foreign registry or flag, or sold. As these vessels will be purchased or constructed with funds furnished by the Government, with the view of increasing the facilities for the extension of our foreign commerce and to provide naval auxiliaries in time of war, they should be under the control of the board, as far as may be necessary to carry

out that object. The bill does not place any limitations on the right of the owners of other vessels under the American flag to dispose of them as they please in time of peace. The bill does provide, however, that transfer from American registry to foreign registry when the United States is at war, or during national emergency, shall not be made without the approval of the board.

In the 11 months prior to January 22, 1916, the leading maritime nations, possessing over three-fourths of the world's merchant shipping under foreign flags, have passed laws or issued decrees forbidding their citizens or subjects to sell and transfer to the flag of another nation any merchant ship under their respective flags except by a special permit from the Government. Great Britain enacted such a law on February 12, Austria-Hungary issued such a decree on August 27, Denmark on October 8, Germany enacted such a law on October 21, France on November 11, Norway issued a decree on December 6, Brazil on December 9, and Spain promulgated a law on January 9, 1916. The merchant shipping of these countries aggregates 33,900,000 gross tons, out of a total of 43,370,000 gross tons of all foreign nations. Other nations may promulgate similar laws or decrees for the duration of the war, and notice of such laws or decrees may not be received in this country until after they have taken effect.

The imperative need of the creation of a board vested with powers to regulate common carriers by water is given expression in the following letters from the Chamber of Commerce of Porto Rico:

[Camara de Comercio de Puerto Rico, fundada en 1875 y reformada en abril de 1899; San Juan, P. R.; presidente, Don Benito Zalduondo; vice presidentes, Don Eudosio de la Cuetara, Mr. John M. Turner; secretario-tesorero, Don Arturo Carreras.]

Hon. WILLIAM G. MCADOO,

Secretary of the Treasury, Washington, D. C.

DECEMBER 8, 1915.

SIR: We confirm the letter which we had the honor of addressing you on November 19 last, and now take the liberty of inclosing copy of a communication we wrote on the 3d idem to Gen. Frank McIntyre, Chief of the Bureau of Insular Affairs, Washington, D. C.

We are desirous that you become thoroughly cognizant of the serious injury which the steamship monopoly plying out of here is causing our commerce and the export trade of the United States proper, the last exemplification being an arbitrary increase of 150 per cent on Porto Rico sugar destined to the United States.

In addition to this the steamship companies, and more particularly the New York & Porto Rico Steamship Co., have announced publicly that, beginning with January 3, 1916, they purpose making changes in other freights between the United States and Porto Rico. They do not specify the tendency of such changes, but we have received information from private but reliable sources that the same will consist of an increase of 25 to 30 per cent over the already high rates charged.

The most adverse feature from the viewpoint of our trade interests is the fact that having developed a plan the outgrowth of one year's study and labor-to start our own steamship line at this time, the combine has threatened to wage a relentless and ruinous rate war if we venture to carry our plan into execution.

This is why we feel emboldened to crave the protection of the United States Government, so that our interests may not be left open to the attacks of the steamship monopoly, which, actuated by inordinate greed, seeks to sweep aside all attempts to establish reasonable freights, and why we respectfully petition that a recommendation be made to the Congress to enact legislation regulating the freight rates between Porto Rico and the United States under the supervision of the national Executive.

Such an act of Congress would be the gretatest boon that could be conferred upon the trade element and people of Porto Rico, and the chamber of commerce therefore prays that you will interpose your valuable influence to such end.

We ask you, Mr. McAdoo, kindly to pardon our insistence, but you will admit that in order to procure justice it must be sought through the proper channel. Please accept our thanks in advance for all that you may do in our behalf.

Respectfully,

SEAL.]

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF PORTO RICO,

By B. ZALDUONDO, President.