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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
C.O.
Reference :-
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| COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NUT FUJ
17 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
India.
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The Ceylon Report refers to the Bombay Pool."
The only information as to rates between India, and the Colonies is in the South Australia Report. See letter from agent of
& Co.
"Our trade with India is mostly freighted with the British India and the Archibald Currie lines, which hold the business under the deferred rebate system.
"Freights from Japan and China are controlled by two British and one Japanese Company, who work together with a combination."
East.
The reports from Hong Kong and the Straits Settlements indicate the existence of an agreement which completely controls the trade to these and the chief Chinese ports.
The most important members are the P. & 0. and the N.D.L. The correspondence is dealt with through the P. & O. office.
A list of members is given in Appendix C.
That the Conference was in existence at least as early as 1884 is shown by the circular of May 10th 1889, issued by the P. & O., and mentioned in the "Mogul" case. The Conference is described in the Report of the Case (Law Reports, 21 Q.B.D. 544).
"The Conference is a syndicate of shipowners doing trade to the Far East which fixes freights to Europe." (Acting Governor, Straits Settlements.)
"This Conference is a combination of British and German steamship owners, the leading partners representing the Peninsular and Oriental Steamship Company and the Norddeutscher Lloyd." (Report by the Master Attendant enclosed in above.)
The "Straits Budget," of March 3rd 1900, refers to an attempt by Messrs. Huttenbach Brothers and Company to defy the Conference by chartering their own steamers.
"The following steamship companies (see Appendix C.) have for many years past formed members into a Conference which entirely controls the European Shipping Trade." (Governor of Hong Kong.)
The Conference is repeatedly referred to in the confidential report of the Committee appointed at Hong Kong in 1896.
Australasia.
The evidence is very conflicting, but appears to point to the existence of agreements, of which, however, persons outside the Conference are usually ignorant.
Victoria and Queensland report that nothing is known of such agreements. A shipping company exists, styled "The Anglo-American Continental Shipping Association of West Australia," the rules of which are stated to be purely constitutional.
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On the other hand, New South Wales says: "It "is generally recognised here that there is an agreement among shipbrokers in the United Kingdom whereby all the loading for Australasian ports is managed by a combination known as the Ring, having for its object the maintenance of freights on a uniform basis."
This comprehensive statement is corroborated by a letter from the agent of & Co. at Adelaide furnished by the Government of South Australia. which states:-
"From Great Britain to Australia freights are controlled by a combination of shipbrokers and shipowners.
It is practically impossible
to import goods outside of the combination except in the line of business coming under the line of full cargoes, when merchants are allowed to charter and load vessels on their own account, always providing such chartering does not interfere with the cargo berth vessels."
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"A combination of the same kind exists in connection with the importation of goods from Hamburg, Bremen, and from Antwerp, comprising the Norddeutscher Lloyd and Deutsche Australische Dampfschiffe Gesellschaft and sail vessels loaded by certain Continental shipping agents. This com- bination works more or less in unison with the English Association."
Line states that, while
But the agent of the
an agreement was in force in 1898, it was not (in 1899) in existence.
A report furnished by the New Zealand Govern- ment referred to an agreement between the New Zealand Shipping Company and the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company, in the hands of which freights between the United Kingdom and New Zealand are
to a large extent, and an agreement between these companies and the Shire and Tyser lines trading between the United Kingdom and Australia.
This report is attached in extenso (Appendix D.).
Mauritius and Ceylon.
Not much is known of any agreement between the five companies trading at Mauritius.
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The Acting Governor of Ceylon reports: "have ascertained that there is an agreement between all English companies as to passenger rates homeward, but none as to freights."
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Later he writes: "I understand that the Bombay "Pool as regards rates to the Far East governs the Peninsular and Oriental, Austro-Hungarian Lloyd, "and Nippon Yusen Kaisha lines, and that, as regards rates to Australia, there is an agreement to which the Peninsular and Oriental and Orient "lines are parties. The foreign lines are not parties to these agreements, but practically join by refusing to take at lower rates.'
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It is not clear whether the Acting Governor is referring to freight or to passenger rates or to both. If an agreement exists it would no doubt be subsidiary to Indian or China agreements.