16 



The Florists^ Review 



January 23, 1919. 



NIEUW AMSTERDAM CLAIMS " 



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COMPROMISE EFFECTED. 



Favorable to the Consignees. 



The Nieuw Amsterdam claims have 

 been compromised; the insurance com- 

 pany pays fifty per cent, the exporters 

 twenty-five and the consignees twenty- 

 five per cent. 



Of all the. losses that have occurred 

 to importers since the war began, and 

 they are well known to have been many, 

 nothing hit the trade like the claims 

 growing out of the Nieuw Amsterdam. 



All branches of the trade were in- 

 volved, for the Nieuw Amsterdam, on 

 the famous trips it did not complete, 

 carried what probably was the largest 

 cargo of horticultural goods ever stored 

 in the hold of a steamer. It was con- 

 signed to florists, seedsmen and nursery- 

 men all over America. 



To Freshen Memory. 



Those of the hundreds directly con- 

 cerned will not require to have their 

 memories refreshed and readers of The 

 Eeview probably will recall the circum- 

 stances, but it may be noted that the 

 Nieuw Amsterdam, with many millions 

 of gladiolus bulbs, hundreds of cases of 

 boxwoods, scores of cases of dormant 

 roses and hundreds of cases of general 

 nursery stock on board, sailed for New 

 York late in January, 1917, and in the 

 course of a few days returned to Rotter- 

 dam. Report had it that the steamer 

 was recalled by wireless, but this now is 

 denied — it is said the master returned 

 because the perils of navigation endan- 

 gered his vessel. 



At any rate, the cargo of the Nieuw 

 Amsterdam was transferred, about Feb- 

 ruary 7, 1917, to two smaller boats, 

 the Maartensdyk and Westerdyk. These 

 lay at Rotterdam week after week, re- 

 peatedly announced to sail "in a few 

 days," until April, when the Holland- 

 America line accepted the trade's rep- 

 resentation that the stock would not 

 then be worth the United States tariff 

 duties, unloaded the steamers and re- 

 turned the stock to the shippers if they 

 would take it, as most of them did. 



Slow Getting Through. 



It took some little time for the mean- 

 ing of this to penetrate the mind of the 

 average consignee, but one by one the 

 men to whom this shipload of stock had 

 been sold awakened to the fact that 

 they might have to pay for something 

 they never got; that, indeed, they might 

 in addition have to pay the freight on 

 it. Might even have to pay for the 

 cases the goods were packed in! 



No specially active imagination is 

 needed to conceive the extent of the 

 shock! At first sight, it seemed impos- 

 sible; those who read the notes in The 

 Review were incredulous, but gradu- 

 ally it came to be recognized that the 

 trade was confronted with a quite un- 

 usual but not unprecedented situation. 



The Shippers' ResponsiDility. 



A couple of seasons ago one of the 

 trade organizations adopted resolutions 



pledging its members to place orders 

 only on the basis of freight and duty 

 paid, but nearly all of the Nieuw Am- 

 sterdam 's cargo was sold f . o.^?. nursery, 

 packing extra. That seemed to let the 

 shipper out. 



But the stock was returned. What 

 bearing had that? The shippers claimed 

 that in receiving stock back they acted 

 only as the agent of their customers, for 

 the purpose of stopping warehouse 

 charges, insurance fees, etc., and in the 

 hope of salvaging some of the stock. 

 Not many consignees have been able to 

 get an exact statement of what was 

 saved. But the shipper, having guar- 

 anteed the freight, was required to pay 

 when the stock was returned. Most 

 American consignees received memo 



randa of the expense incurred under 

 this head. 



Most, if not all, the bulbs and plants 

 in the Nieuw Amsterdam were fully 

 covered by marine and war risk insur- 

 ance, including insurance against heat- 

 ing to destination, and they were re- 

 insured at an increased rate when the 

 shipments were transferred to other 

 steamers, but the insurance company 

 disclaimed liability for damage through 

 delay. 



Action to Defend the Trade. 



The nurserymen were quicker to take 

 action than the bulb importers or flo- 

 rists. On a call issued by Thomas B. 

 Meehan, Dresher, Pa., a committee was 

 formed which invited all interested par- 

 ties to place claims in its hands. Most 

 of the claims were turned over to the 

 committee, with the result that the 

 Dutch interests, exporters and insurance, 

 sent representatives to the United States 

 to deal with the committee. 



The compromise effected can be set 

 down as highly satisfactory to the trade. 



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THE PLAKT EMBABGO. 



At its January meeting the Cleveland 

 Florists' Club discussed thoroughly the 

 recent ruling of the Federal Horticul- 

 tural Board, prohibiting the importation 

 of practically all plants and bulbs, after 

 June 1, 1919, and instructed the secre- 

 tary to register strenuous protest with 

 the congressmen of the district and to 

 ask the repeal of this drastic measure. 

 Individual members of the club also were 

 requested to write their congressmen, 

 with the view of bringing to bear in the 

 matter all the pressure possible. 



The old saw has it, "An ounce of 

 prevention is worth a pound of cure," 

 which dictum appears to apply to this 

 situation. The query is heard, "Is not 

 the trade sufficiently well organized to 

 prevent effectually the enactment of such 

 unfavorable laws? Was the vast power 

 within its organization properly brought 

 to bear in the matter?"" The fact that 

 on two occasions previous to the enact- 

 ment of the prohibitory law, its com- 

 mittees voiced the sentiment of the or- 

 ganized trade as against the ruling, is 

 proof that concerted action was taken. 

 The Federal Horticultural Board simply 

 did not pay any attention to its wishes. 

 It would seem that a greater protest was 

 needed. Perhaps if the matter had been 

 tackled by way of the congress previ- 

 ous to its passage as a law, the enact- 

 ment could have been prevented. 



However, a note of protest from every 

 section voiced in congress should ac- 

 complish much in the direction of geti 

 ting the nefarious measure repealed. It 

 is the logical course to pursue and effec- 

 tive action should not be delayed. The 

 Eeview has frequently pointed out the 

 urgent necessity for getting busy. Every 

 florist, large or small, should write his 

 congressman, requesting his aid. The 

 organized trade is on trial and it must 

 emerge victorious; and that this may 

 be accomplished, its every member must 

 put his shoulder to the wheel. Mac. 



A CONVENTION CITY. 



The completion of the mammoth con- 

 vention hall, authorized by popular vote 

 over a year ago, will enable the Sixth 

 City to come into its own as a conven- 

 tion city. The big structure is to be a 

 unit in a group of several municipal 

 buildings, located upon what is styled 

 The Mall, at the foot of East Sixth 

 street, on the lake front. The war has 

 delayed its beginning, but it is to be 

 completed and ready for business in the 

 fall of 1921, just a year too late to house 

 the S. A. F. convention in 1920. 



By reason of its geographical location 

 and convenience of access, both by rail 

 and water, with this splendidly ade- 

 quate accommodation, there is little 

 doubt that the Ohio metropolis will be 

 a great convention city of the future. 

 Within a night's ride of the leading 

 trade centers of the country, it is the 

 logical meeting place. The rapid de- 

 velopment of the florists' business and 

 the general tendency towards organiza- 

 tion will make trade assemblages of 

 national scope more essential, and hence 

 more frequent, as time advances. And 

 nothing will be of more material assist- 

 ance in this progress than a central 

 point of gathering, offering eminently 

 suitable facilities and requiring but a 

 minimum of time for function. 



There is another vital factor, how- 

 ever, in the fulfillment of this great des- 

 tiny, namely, the existence of a goodly 

 degree of local enterprise. The Buck- 

 eye State, with its immense wealth and 

 numerous large cities, should occupy a 

 prominent place in trade importance. 

 True, it does at present, but far beneath 

 its great possibilities. Possessing mani- 

 fold natural advantages, better trade 

 ideals, sounder economic practice and a 

 firm faith in the future, all tinctured 

 with the spirit of progress, are required 

 to give it the noteworthy position in the 

 commercial floriculture of the country 

 to which it is justly entitled. Mac. 



