EFFICIENCY IN THE OPERATION OF STEAMSHIPS. 129 
Mr. Donald spoke of the desirability of comparing the figures in the papers with the fig- 
ures of foreign vessels, to determine whether the percentages were alike, and for that reason 
I will say that the table covers the five years’ operation of probably one of the most successful 
foreign lines in existence. I will not mention the company, but I will say that they started 
the first year—I have the figures here for about 34 steamers—cargo steamers, about half 
of them owned and half chartered, and at the end of the period they had practically sold all 
their steamers and had only motor ships. The only steamers which they retained were those 
which they had chartered. For that reason I think these figures will be very interesting to 
the Society, because they throw some light upon the transition which is taking place in the 
merchant marine and is bound to go on. D 
Theis Operating expenses Year ae Year ending} Year ending | Year cing | vearendiog A.D.O.K. 
Dec. 31,1911] Dec. 31, 1912) Dec. 31,1913) Dec. 31,1914 John L. Bogert 
1 Coalfandtoiliaaeeeeeeereae $451, 970 $540, 321 $633, 677 $607, 105 $701, 810 | Amount-dollars 
21.343% 22.337 % 20. 716% 18.917% 16.586 % Percentage 
2 Wages and provisions ..... $235, 879 $300, 946 $306, 175 $367, 346 $550, 613 | Amount-dollars 
11.139% | 12.441% | 10.009% | 11.447% | 13.013% | Percentage 
3 Suez Canal, Panama Canal 
and harbor dues ........ $353, 886 $341, 195 $355, 018 $433, 628 $491, 430 | Amount-dollars 
16.712% 14.105% 11.606% 13.512% 11.614% Percentage 
4 Consular fees ............. $4, 010 $4, 495 $3, 711 $9, 854 $7,432 | Amount-dollars 
0.189% 0.186% 0.121% 0.307% 0.176% Percentage 
5 Pilotage and towing ....... $50, 668 $59, 251 $67, 075 $72, 124 $71, 342 | Amount-dollars 
2.393 % 2.494% 2.193% 2.247% 1.686% Percentage 
6 | Loading and discharging...| $256, 870 $300, 382 $401, 238 $384, 147 $436, 188 | Amount-dollars 
12.130% 12.418% 13.117% 11.970% 10.307 % Percentage 
7 Classification, repairs, stores 
and maintenance ........ $132, 422 $131, 414 $120, 792 $219, 933 $253, 084 | Amount-dollars 
6.253% 5.433% 3.949% 6.853 % 5.980% Percentage 
8 Steamers on charter ..... dae $191, 084 $222, 907 $520, 629 $368, 421 $226, 423 | Amount-dollars 
9.024% 9.215% 17.020% 11.480% 5.351% Percentage 
9 Agents’ commissions ....... $112, 428 $142, 857 $188, 643 $166, 048 $288, 479 | Amount-dollars 
5.309 % 5.906% 6.167% 5.174% 6.818% Percentage 
10 Insurancels:)p..cn cence $102, 413 $141, 465 $174, 211 $269, 904 $781,411 | Amount-dollars 
4.836% 5.848% 5.695% 8.410% 18.467 % Percentage 
11 Transhipment, conference 
rebates and claims....... $198, 871 $203, 905 $255, 713 $274, 957 $361, 389 | Amount-dollars 
9.391% 8.429% 8.360% 8.568 % 8.541% | Percentage 
12 | Telegrams, advertisements 
and sundries............ $27, 087 $29, 799 $32, 018 $35, 765 #61, 810 | Amount-dollars 
1.279% 1.232% 1.046% 1.114% 1.461% Percentage 
erat $2, 117,588 | $2,418,937 | $3,058, 900 | $3, 209, 232 | $4, 231,311 | Amount-dollars 
GER OSS euap on iauiacec 99.998% | 100.044% | 99.999% | 99.999% | 100.000% | Percentage 
Freight and passage money. .| $2,632, 376 | $2,994, 943 | $3, 789, 756 | $4,060, 797 | $8, 067, 714 | Amount-dollars 
I will just summarize the percentages in the table that you are interested in. For the 
year ending December 31, 1911, when the company practically had only steamers, the per- 
centage of the operating expenses for fuel was 21.34; the next year, when the company 
started in with motor ships, I see the change is very slight, 22.33. Then more motor ships 
were obtained, and the fuel expenses for the year ending December 31, 1913, were 20.71, and 
