Albert Ballin

sentative of

rate should be increased, a corresponding increase should be made in the rates of the Carr Line. The number of trips to be performed by each steamer should be about eight or nine per annum. If a third boat were added to the service, the agreement entered into should be extended so as to cover this boat as well. For every passenger short of the total capacity of each steamer Morris and Co. were to pay a compensation of 20 marks, if no arrangements had been made for the accommodation of the passenger, and 35 marks in case such accommodation had been arranged. It was expected that each boat would carry from 650 to 700 passengers. The actual number carried, however, turned out to be slightly less, and amounted to 581 when the first steamer lef

l part of the boat, the Carr Line steamers made no restriction whatever as to their movements on board; all the available space, especially on deck, was thrown open to them. This type was not entirely a novelty, the sailing vessels of the older period used for the emigrant traffic being run on similar lines. The advantages accruing to the owners from their new type of steamers were obvious. The arrangements for the accommodation and provisioning of the emigrants, compared with what was needed in the case of cabin passengers, were of the simplest kind, and thus the cost price of

tion to those of Hamburg. The rate-cutting process began in May, 1882. In the following October the Packetfahrt and the Lloyd had reduced their rates to 90 and in June, 1883, to 80 marks, whilst the British lines in February, 1884, charged so little as 30s. The Carr Line, of course, had to follow suit. It not only did so, but in proportion reduced its own rates even more than the other lines. The rates were even lower in practice than they appeared to be, owing to the constantly growing commissions payable to the agents. The agents of the competing lines, by publishing controversial articles in the newspapers, soon took the general public into their confidence; and in order to prevent such publicity being given as to their inte

d by the latter amounted to about 30 per cent. of that of the former. The figures for 1884 show that 58,388 passengers were carried by the Packetfahrt on 86 voyages, against 13,466 steeragers on 30 voyages by the Carr Line. If the figures relative to the direct and the indirect emigrant traffi

Emigrant

arr Line via

7,000

000 4,00

000 11,0

000 16,0

000 13,0

g on between the lines concerned had led to a lowering of the Eastbound rate to Hamburg from $30 to $18; and as the commission payable to the agents had gone up to $5, the net rate amounted to $13 only. At last the shareholders of the Packetfahrt became restless, and at the annual general meeting h

from its New York office to the effect that the latter had reconsidered its attitude towards the claims of the Carr Line, that it looked upon a successful termination of the struggle against this Line as hopeless, and that it therefore recommended the granting of the differential rates which formed the obstacle to peace. Nevertheless, it was not until July, 1885, that, at a conference held in Hamburg, an agreement was concluded by the Packetfahrt, the Lloyd, the Carr Line, the Dutch, Belgian, and French lines, and the representative of the British lines. All these companies bound themselves to raise their rates to 100 marks, exc

of their existence, and to make it pay was of vital importance to them. The German lines, therefore, did not rest until, as the result of the continued negotiations among the Continental companies, it was agreed that the uniform rates just fixed should not apply to the traffic which was carried on by the two Hamburg lines from that city. Towards the end of 1885 the first object aimed at by this step was realized: the conclusion of an agreement between the two Hamburg lines and the representatives of the British lines settling the rates and the commissions; but apart from this, no

s on behalf of the Company, and that he should issue the necessary instructions to the agents and officers of the Company. All letters and other documents were to be signed "by proxy of the Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfahrt-Actien-Gesellschaft," and he was required annually to submit to the directors a draft estimate of the expenses of his department. On how modest a scale the whole arrangement was drawn up may be inferred from the figures given in the first year's draft estimate, viz. Salaries, 35,000 marks; advertisements, 50,000 marks; posters and printed matter, 25,000 marks; travelling expenses, 6,000 marks; postage and telegrams, 10,000 marks; extras and sundries, 10,000 marks. Equally modest was the remuneration of the new head who was to rece

nd after twelve years of practical work, gained the premier position in the emigrant business of his native city and also a leading one in the general European emigrant business which in itself is one of the most important br