ment, which compensated British shipowners in the form of restricted charter hire and paid market rates only to uncontrolled neutral shipping. For the convenience of readers there is included, following this table, a summary review of rate control in the United States. Ocean Freight Rates From United States Atlantic Ports

NOTE. In reference to the rates on shipments from the United Kingdom to the United States, there must be taken into account the depreciation in the value of the British pound. In converting it into United States currency for the purpose of the above tables, the British pound has been valued at $4.68 for August 1939 and at $3.96 for February and March 1940.

The foregoing rates on imports are taken from a recent compilation by the U. S. Tariff Commission.

SUMMARY OF RATE CONTROL IN THE UNITED STATES

Although no special wartime measures have been taken in the United States, there is given below a brief review of the present situation. The following pertains to the transportation of property by common carriers by water in foreign commerce. By section 1 of the Shipping Act, 1916, this term does not include the cargo boat commonly called an ocean tramp.

1. Common carriers by water in foreign commerce are not required by any specific provision of law to file their rates with the Maritime Commission. However, by order in Docket No. 128 (1 U. S. S. B. B. 470) all common carriers by water in foreign commerce are required to file their export rates from the United States on all commodities except those carried in bulk, without mark or count, within a period of 30 days after they have become effective. By order in Docket No. 507 (2 U. S. M. C. 14) common carriers by water engaged in trade between Pacific Coast ports of the United States and the east coast of South America are required to file with the Commission both their export and import rates on all commodities except those carried in bulk, without mark or count. This filing is also required to be made within a period of 30 days after the rates have become effective.

No advance filing is required, nor does the Commission have the power to suspend the effective date of such rates. The rules and regulations requiring the filing of these rates were issued pursuant to section 19 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (U. S. C., Title 46, sec. 876-41 Stat. 995).

2. Common carriers by water in foreign commerce are forbidden— (a) To give any undue or unreasonable preference or advantage to any particular person, locality, or description of traffic;

(b) To subject any particular person, locality, or description of traffic to any undue or unreasonable prejudice or disadvantage;

(c) To allow any person to obtain transportation at less than the regular rates established and enforced on the line of such carrier by means of false billing, false classification, false weighing, or by other unjust or unfair devices (Shipping Act, 1916, sec. 16-U. S. C., Title 46, sec. 815-39 Stat. 734);

(d) To demand, charge, or collect any rate, fare, or charge which is unjustly discriminatory between shippers or ports;

(e) To demand, charge, or collect any rate, fare, or charge which is unjustly prejudicial to exporters of the United States as compared with their foreign competitors (Shipping Act, 1916, sec. 17-U. S. C., Title 46, sec. 816-39 Stat. 734);

(f) To pay a deferred rebate to any shipper;.

(g) To use a fighting ship;

(h) To retaliate against a shipper by refusing space accommodations when such are available or to resort to other discriminating or unfair methods because a shipper has patronized another carrier or has filed a complaint;

(i) To make any unfair or unjustly discriminatory contract with any shipper based on volume of freight offered;

(j) To treat unfairly or to discriminate unjustly against any shipper in the matter of cargo space accommodations or other facilities, the loading and landing of freight in proper condition, and the adjustment or settlement of claims (Shipping Act, 1916, sec. 14-U. S. C., Title 46, sec. 812-39 Stat. 733).

3. It is unlawful for any shipper, receiver, forwarder, broker, or other person, knowingly and willfully, to obtain or attempt to obtain transportation by water for property at less than the rates or charges which would otherwise be applicable, by means of false classification, false weighing, or by other unjust or unfair devices; this is correlated with the prohibition against a common carrier by water allowing a person to obtain transportation at less than the regular rates as set forth in item 2 (c) above (Shipping Act, 1916, sec. 16-U. S. C., Title 46, sec. 815-39 Stat. 734).

4. Common carriers by water in foreign commerce are permitted to enter into exclusive, preferential, or cooperative working arrangements, including "conference" or rate-fixing agreements, provided the agreements covering such arrangements are approved by the Maritime Commission. Any agreement, whether previously approved or not, may be disapproved, canceled, or modified by the Commission if the Commission finds it to be unjustly discriminatory or unfair as between carriers, shippers, or ports, or between exporters from the United States and their foreign competitors, or to operate to the detriment of the commerce of the United States, or to be in violation of the Shipping Act; the Maritime Commission is required by law to approve all agreements which do not fall within the foregoing categories (Shipping Act, 1916, sec. 15-U. S. C., Title 46, sec. 814-39 Stat. 733).

The foregoing provision gives to the Maritime Commission an added degree of control over the rates of common carriers in foreign commerce who are parties to a conference agreement. The maintenance of rates at an unreasonably high level would be clearly detrimental to the commerce of the United States, and, upon a showing that a conference in foreign commerce was indulging in such practice, the Commission could require the member lines to reduce such rates. to a proper level; the penalty for failure to heed such a direction would be disapproval of the conference agreement (Edmond Weil v. Italian Line "Italia," 1 U. S. S. B. B. 395). The Maritime Commission does. not have a similar control over the rates of carriers in foreign trade when they are not acting pursuant to a conference agreement.