All extras are over the basic rate for the higher priced port and on the entire cargo unless otherwise stated.

Issued by: The Tramp Shipping Administrator Committee, Chamber of Shipping of the United Kingdom, 24-28 St. Mary Axe, London, E. C. 3. October 14, 1937.

St. Lawrence and Northern Range, U. S. A. (Eastward) --Minimum freight rates and conditions.-The following scheme of minimum freight rates for grain and soya beans from the St. Lawrence, Halifax, or St. John, N. B., also all U. S. A. northern range Atlantic ports (including Albany) has been made by the Tramp Shipping Administrative Committee, and will remain in operation for all charters and liner bookings until otherwise determined.

Form of charterparty.-For full cargoes of grain and/or soya beans, Baltimore berth grain charterparty, form C, adopted 1913, shall be used and adhered to with only the customary alterations already in current use at 1st January, 1935, as set out on page 4. Whenever vessels are fixed on time charter or any other form of charter with trading limits which include these trades, shipowners shall stipulate for the following clause:

"Charterers undertake to comply with all the provisions of the St. Lawrence and northern range, U. S. A. (eastward) minimum freight rates scheme, dated 14-10-37, and any amendments thereof in force on the date the time charter or other form of charter is made."

Despatch money must not be allowed at loading or discharging ports, either by charter or by a subsequent letter.

In the event of a shipowner contracting for a series of voyages in these trades the terms of the minimum freight rates scheme in force at the time the contract is made shall apply to all such voyages. No fall clause may be agreed.

Vessels proceeding in ballast.-No vessel may proceed in ballast from any port to the St. Lawrence to load grain and/or soya beans under the scheme unless the vessel has been chartered or berthed before sailing.

Shipowners shall supply to the committee copies of all charters or contracts as soon as made and any letters and documents embodying arrangements made subsequent to the original chartering. The committee shall deal with such documents under conditions of strict secrecy.

St. Lawrence, Halifar, St. John, N. B., Northern Range, U. S. A. Atlantio Ports (including Albany), irrespective of size-Minimum rates of freight.--Two shillings 9 pence per quarter of 480 pounds heavy grain picked ports, United Kingdom or continent (London, Hull, Antwerp, Rotterdam, Cardiff, Barry, or Swansea), inclusive of the extra 1% pence per quarter hitherto applying in respect of winter warranty B. N. A. insurance. For two ports St. Lawrence, £75 extra.

Barley 2 pence per quarter of 400 pounds, oats 4 pence per quarter of 320 pounds-less than the above-mentioned heavy grain rates.

"Feed" wheat, if shipped, to be at not less than the above-mentioned barley rate per quarter of 400 pounds.

Soya beans may be carried at 1 pence per quarter of 480 pounds over the above-mentioned heavy grain rate, or in owner's option at 2 pence per quarter of 400 pounds less than the above-mentioned heavy grain rate.

Parcels of soya beans in bags loaded by a vessel on the berth to be carried on the basis of 400 pounds per quarter and at not less freight than the abovementioned minimum freight rate for barley.

Options over the above basic rate per quarter:

In

One pence extra Leith, Avonmouth, or Dunston, but lines running to the Tyne may accept cargo for Newcastle at the Dunston rate. Two pence extra Manchester, Liverpool, Birkenhead, or Glasgow; 3 pence extra Newcastle-onTyne or other United Kingdom or Irish ports than those above mentioned (excluding slow Irish); 4 pence extra slow Irish; 3 pence extra AntwerpHamburg range (excluding Weser); 4 pence extra Weser; 3 pence extra Antwerp and Rotterdam; 3 pence extra on whole cargo over the basic rate for the higher-priced port for two ports discharge same coast and country; any two ports between London and Bristol Channel, both inclusive, may be considered as one coast. Three pence extra on the whole cargo over the basic rate for the higher-priced port for any two ports Ireland, rotation at owners' option. special cases such as Liverpool and Birkenhead or two Bristol channel ports discretion down to 11⁄2 pence per quarter is permissible; 6 pence extra Spanish Atlantic or Portuguese ports c. p. d. (11⁄2 pence per quarter extra each additional port same country); pence extra Havre-Dunkirk range; 9 pence extra other French Atlantic ports; 4% pence extra Marseilles, Genoa, Naples, or Leghorn; 6 pence extra Mediterranean n. e. w. c. Italy including Sicily but excluding Spain, Spanish islands, and North Africa; 71⁄2 pence extra Spanish Mediterranean, Spanish islands, North Africa, not east of Tunis, Malta; 9 pence extra Adriatic or eastern Mediterranean; 11⁄2 pence per quarter extra freight on the entire cargo over the basic rate for the highest priced discharging port

for each additional port same sea and country in the Mediterranean, Adriatic, or Greece. Three pence per quarter extra if different countries.

Other discharging port options at discretion of shipowners.

Freight for continental and Mediterranean ports shall be paid in London in sterling concurrently with discharge. If the vessel is ordered to a German, Spanish, or Italian port to discharge, the charterers shall pay the freight in cash in London, for and on behalf of the holders of the bills of lading, and on their instructions subject to the terms of the charter. In consideration of the foregoing provision the shipowner shall accept orders for discharging port from the charterers only.

Fixtures shall be on the sterling basis whenever possible. If, however, shipowners are compelled on occasion to fix on the cent basis per 100 pounds, the rate of freight shall be at not less than the equivalent of the above sterling rates at the exchange ruling at the time the offer is made, except for Antwerp or Rotterdam for which the minimum rate shall be 14 cents, Hamburg 154 cents, Bremen 154 cents. In all cases the rate for barley, or for soya beans if carried on the barley basis, to be 1 cent per 100 pounds extra and for oats 2 cents per 100 pounds extra over the basic rates.

For all bookings on the berth whether for liners or tramps from St. Lawrence, Halifax, or St. John, N. B., U. S. A. Northern Range (including Albany), the above minimum rates also apply.

No rebates to be given.

BALTIMORE FORM "C" ADOPTED 1913

Alterations and additions customary on January 1, 1935:

Preamble. After the words "signing bills of lading," add "or by wireless off Queenstown"; after the words "captain to call at charterers," add "or their agents"; delete "Stevedore employed by vessel to be approved by charterers" and substitute "Owners' stevedore to be employed at loading port.”

Clause 2.-After "York/Antwerp Rules," add "1924."

Clause 4.-Substitute the following clause: "At Antwerp, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Bremen, Emden, Marseilles, Genoa, Leghorn, and/or Naples, cargo to be received at destination as fast as vessel can deliver during ordinary working hours, any custom of the port to the contrary notwithstanding, but elsewhere cargo to be received as fast as vessel can deliver during ordinary working hours according to the custom of the port. Receivers of the cargo are in no case obliged to take delivery at night without their consent, and in any event the steamer must bear all extra expenses incurred by working at night, if ordered by owners."

If required, shipowners may agree Bristol discharge clause (Bristol, Avonmouth, Portishead, and Sharpness); also the Irish discharge clause, as set out in the "Centrocon" charter.

Clause 6.-The commission of 22 percent is due on "shipment of cargo" instead of "signing of this charterparty." "Owners' agents" instead of "whose agents."

Additional Clauses

(a) Less a deduction for draftage of 2 pounds per 2,000 pounds of grain discharged at a port in Great Britain or Ireland if weighed at the time of discharge by approved hopper scale in drafts of 2,000 pounds or over.

(b) If required by charterers, vessel to discharge at receiver's berth, provided same is accessible and available on arrival or time to count. When discharging at such receiver's wharf or berth, if required, receiver's stevedore to be employed at the current rate of the port at the time of commencement of discharge. This clause applies only to ports in the United Kingdom where receivers own their own discharging berths.

(c) Chamber of Shipping River Plate Charterparty, 1914, homeward (“Centrocon"), strike, and arbitration clauses.

Issued by: The Tramp Shipping Administrative Committee, Chamber of Shipping of the United Kingdom, 24-28 St. Mary Axe, London, E. C. 3. October 14, 1937.

UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA

Conferences prevail generally in South African trades. They employ contracts to retain patronage inasmuch as rebates are subject

to restrictive legislation. The Government itself is a party to contracts in the European and African trades; moreover, it exercises general supervision over rates through the medium of the Shipping Board.

SOUTH AFRICAN SHIPPING BOARD

Prior to the passage of the act establishing the Shipping Board, the Minister of Railways and Harbors explained that it was not the intention to coerce the shipping companies, but to consult them freely and frankly on the principle of friendly representation. The act establishing the Shipping Board follows:

ACT-TO PROVIDE FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A BOARD TO ADVISE THE GOVERNMENT ON MATTERS AFFECTING OCEAN TRANSPORT

Be it enacted by the King's Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate and the House of Assembly of the Union of South Africa, as follows:

1. Establishment of Shipping Board.—(a) There shall be established as from a date to be fixed by the Governor-General by proclamation in the Gazette a Board to be known as the South African Shipping Board (hereinafter referred to as the Board).

(b) The Board shall consist of six members to be appointed by the GovernorGeneral. Three of such members shall be nominated by the Governor-General, who shall not be members of the public service or of the railways and harbors services, and of the remaining three one shall be nominated by the Association of Chambers of Commerce, one by the Federated Chamber of Industries, and one by the South African Agricultural Union: Provided, that no person who is in the employ of or holds any office or share or interest in any shipping company shall be nominated by any such body, and that in the event of any such body failing or refusing to make a nomination or nominating a disqualified person, the nomination of the member shall be made by the Governor-General. (c) The Governor-General shall designate one of the members as chairman who shall have a deliberative vote, and in the event of an equality of votes, a casting vote.

(d) The Governor-General may appoint as additional members of the Board, but without voting powers, not more than three persons in the employ of the Government or the Railways and Harbors Administration.

(e) The chairman and other members of the Board shall be appointed for such periods and upon such conditions as the Governor-General may from time to time determine.

2. Function and duty of Board.-It shall be the function and duty of the Board, subject to the provisions of this act and any regulations made thereunder, to investigate and report to the minister upon any matters relating to ocean transport to, from, or between Union ports, including more particularly any question

(a) as to whether the rate of freight charged by any shipowner on any particular commodity exported from the Union is prejudicial to Union exporters as compared with their overseas competitors;

(b) as to whether the rate of freight charged by any shipowner on any particular commodity imported is unreasonably high having regard to the rate of freight for that particular commodity operating on other ocean routes; (e) as to failure on the part of a shipowner to give reasonable notice of changes in freight classifications or rates:

(d) as to the levying by any shipowner of differential freight or other charges as between one shipper and another in respect of the ocean conveyance of goods to, from, or between Union ports:

(e) as to differential or unfair treatment by any shipowner of any shipper in respect of the allocation of space accommodation or any other matter. Such reports shall at the request of the Board and with the approval of the minister he laid upon the table of both Houses of Parliament.

3. Regulations as to meetings and powers of Board.-The Governor-General may make regulations not inconsistent with this act

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(a) as to the manner in which the meetings of the Board shall be convened, when and where meetings shall be held, and the notice to be given convening such meetings;

(b) as to the quorum necessary to constitute a meeting, the procedure at meetings, the manner in which minutes of meetings and other records shall be kept and the manner in which the results of the Board's deliberations shall be conveyed to the Minister;

(c) as to the powers which shall be vested in the Board to enable it to obtain such information and to perform such acts as may be necessary for the determination of any matter under consideration or for the due and proper fulfilment of the duties and functions assigned to it;

(d) prescribing the information which shall be made or furnished by shipcwners trading to, from, or between Union ports and the time when and the manner in which such information shall be furnished;

(e) prescribing penalties which shall not exceed a fine of £100 for any contravention or failure to comply with any such regulation;

(f) generally for the better carrying out of the objects and purposes of this act.

4. Interpretation of terms.-In this act

"Minister" means the Minister of Railways and Harbors or any minister of state acting for him;

"Union" includes the Mandated Territory of South West Africa;

"Shipowner" means any person owning or for the time being having any control over or in respect of any ship engaged in the ocean transport of goods or passengers to, from, or between any ports of the Union, or having the control or disposal of space on any such ship.

5. Short title. This act may be cited as the Shipping Board Act, 1929.

OBJECTIVES OF SHIPPING board

The first meeting of the Shipping Board took place at Johannesburg on July 18, 1929. Mr. J. C. Le Roux, presiding, reviewed the purposes for which the board had been organized and answered the criticism from members of the South African Trade Association at London. He said that it had long been felt by a responsible section of commercial people in South Africa that their interests were not suitably or sufficiently represented in shipping and ocean freight matters by the commission of merchants at London; and, too, it was felt by the Government that an independent and representative board should be formed for the investigation of shipping questions. Mr. Le Roux referred to the existence of the important contracts between the Government and certain shipping lines, such as the ocean mail contract and the ocean freights contract which should be considered from time to time by an expert body.

Further, Mr. Le Roux explained that, broadly speaking, it was the intention of the act "to transfer from overseas to South Africa the center of gravity in South African freight matters." This transfer was to be accomplished through the medium of the Shipping Board. It was pointed out by another member of the board, Mr. J. W. Mushet, that the conference lines carried most of the shipments to the Union of South Africa and that consequently they were in a very strong position. "The time had passed," said Mr. Mushet, "when individuals, so to say, could deal with the conference lines on terms favorable to individuals, and a sort of clearing house was necessary. Such a clearing house for freight purposes the Shipping Board could

be."

REGULATIONS

In pursuance of the provisions of its enabling act, the Shipping Board issued the following regulations which the Governor General approved on August 16, 1929.

BOARD PROCEDURE

1. In these regulations "the act" means the Shipping Board Act, 1929 (Act No. 20 of 1929), and any amendment thereof, and any expression to which a meaning is assigned in the act shall, when used in these regulations, bear that meaning.

2. The meetings of the board shall be held at such places and intervals, on such days and at such hours as the chairman may determine, having regard to the nature and the urgency of the business to be dealt with. The chairman shall also convene a meeting at any time on receipt of a request to do so signed by two or more members of the beard, the nature of the business to be transacted at such meeting to be stated in the letter of request.

3. As long notice as circumstances permit shall be given to members of every meeting of the board, but the nonreceipt of notice by any member shall not invalidate the proceedings at any board meeting.

4. All matters to be dealt with at any meeting shall be described on an agenda paper to be forwarded to each member together with the notice convening the meeting. Any matter of urgency brought forward by any member at any meeting of the board may nevertheless be dealt with by the board.

5. At every meeting of the board the presence of three members, appointed under section 1 (b) of the act, shall constitute a quorum. Should there be no quorum within 15 minutes from the time appointed for a meeting to be held, such meeting shall stand adjourned to any other date, time, and place as the chairman may decide. Notice of any such adjournment shall be sent to members in accordance with the provisions of regulation No. 3.

6. In the absence of the chairman at any meeting of the board, the members present shall elect a chairman from among themselves to preside at such meeting only.

7. Minutes shall be made and recorded in appropriate books of (a) the names of all members present at each board meeting, and (b) all proceedings and resolutions of the board.

8. At every meeting of the board the minutes of the preceding meeting shall be read and, if correct, shall be signed by the chairman.

9. At meetings of the board all questions shall be determined by a majority of the votes of the members present and every member present shall record his vote.

10. Any member of the board when in the minority may have recorded in the minutes the fact of his dissent from any resolution and briefly the reasons for such dissent.

11. All reports and resolutions of the board shall be transmitted to the Minister by the chairman, or by the secretary on his behalf.

12. An annual report of its activities shall be rendered by the board to the Minister.

REGULATIONS AFFECTING SHIPOWNERS

13. Every shipowner shall, at the request of the board, furnish the board with a complete and accurate list of all rates of freight and fares at which goods and passengers are being carried from, or to, or between Union ports, in ships belonging to or chartered by him. The aforesaid list must include any special rate of freight which is being charged in respect of any contract or arrangement, together with particulars of such contract or arrangement.

14. Any shipowner who has furnished the board with the aforesaid list of rates and fares under regulation No. 13 shall notify the board of any additions thereto or changes therein which it is proposed to make, and save with the previous consent of the board, such notification shall reach the board at least 21 days before any such addition or change is intended to operate.

15. Every shipowner shall, when requested by the board so to do, furnish the board with any other information at his disposal which the board may from time to time consider necessary for the due and proper discharge of its functions and duties under the act.

16. When the principal office of any shipowner is outside the Union the representative, agent, or agents in the Union shall be the shipowner for the purposes of these regulations.

17. (a) Any shipowner who fails to comply with the provisions of regulations Nos. 13, 14, and 15, or who furnishes the board with incorrect information shall be guilty of an offense and liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding £100.