Grain Freights. 



89 



Grain Freights in 1901 and 1902. 



Freights on grain from some of the chief exporting countries 

 were lower in 1902 than for several years previously. From San 

 Francisco, Odessa, Bombay, and the River Plate they stood at 

 about the level of 1897, but from New York the average rate 

 was nearly the same as in 1901, viz., 4s. ghd. per ton, or about 

 1 Jd. per bushel, as against 4s. 5d. in the preceding year, which is 

 probably a lower rate than has ever been continuously in opera- 

 tion for so long a period. In December, 1901, and January, 1902, 

 it fell to id. a bushel, but at the end of the latter month an 

 agreement was made between the principal Transatlantic lines 

 fixing the minimum grain rate at i^d. per bushel, and since then 

 quotations have remained at 4s. nd. per ton. 



The following average annual rates for the past six years have 

 been calculated from the Com Trade Neivs : — 





1897. 



1898. 



1899. 



1900. 



1901. 



1902. 





per ton. 



per ton. 



per ton. 



per ton. 



per ton. 



per ton. 





s. d. 



s. d. 



s. d. 



s. d. 



s. d. 



s. d. 



New York to Liverpool 



9 6 



10 7 



8 2* 



11 4 



4 5 



4 9\ 



San Francisco to United 













Kingdom ... 



22 3 



25 10 



30 0 



39 !§ 



36 10I 



22 8 



Odessa to London, 









Havre, Antwerp, or 















Rouen 



8 8£ 



10 2 



8 10 



10 n| 



8 9i 



8 4 



Bombay to Liverpool ... 



11 3 



18 51 



17 3 



16 11k 



14 2 



12 io\ 



River Plate (down 













river) to the United 















Kingdom ... 



10 4 



15 3 



20 5 



18 1 



12 u| 



11 5 



The charges from New York are for what are known as "berth 

 rates," that is for accommodation in ships carrying a general 

 cargo, and they frequently vary very considerably from month 

 to month according to supply and demand. The rates for "full 

 cargoes," that is, for a ship loaded only with grain, are lower than 

 berth rates — being, according to the Weekly Freight Circular, 

 from is. 6d. to 2s. 3d. per ton from New York to the United 



