DOCK COMPANIES TO FIGHT

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 89, 8 January 1908, Page 5

DOCK COMPANIES TO FIGHT

PORT OF LONDON BILL. The draft of Mr. Lloyd-George's. Port of London Bill has fallen like a thudorbolt 011 the great'dock'companies. , A director of-the London and India Docks Company, which owns all the docks cxcept two, pointed out that tho effect of the bill would be to put up one statute authority . to fight another. /Tho new authority, in addition, to being nbk to spend unlimited sumsof the ratepayers' money, would work 011 up-to-date powers. and privileges, whereas the dock companies, iwliich -havo spent : £40,000,000 on their properties, work' under tho' obligations, nnd restrictions of, 1799.'. ."A war-such as'this could only be disastrous to . trade, for, it would be fierce and prolonged," ho. said. "Hero are some- figures .which show- the vast proportions of tho private property whose .vnluo is to bo depreciated by unfair, rate-', aided competition'■ " Capital sunk in constructing the'ltine dock areas. ■ ' '...'£25,000,000 Capital value of- wharves'.,.' 15,000,000 Acres of docks; .... ... ' G4O Miles of .quay'in'the .docks' ... 28 Miles of. quay on'tho river ... v ' 16 Tonnage ;of shipping (1903) ... '17,075,000 Trade of the Port of London(l9os), tons..., 25,867,000 Value'of the trade; .... ..,£285,000,000 Tons of mud raised by'dredgers 1 " every year ... ' -700,000 ! Cost of dredging... ." ..... . ... £26,000 "The permanent staff of one-company alone numbers'46oo persons, while tho estates of. the samo company .' cover altogether. 1800 acres. ... ■ •. "The proposals of. Mr. Lloyd-George aro merely an' astute 'evasion of tho real difficulty,'' said Mr. T. 11. Cullis,. secretary of tho Surrey Commercial Docks Company. "He knows very, woll, .that ,tbo_ real crux "of ihe question is the, financial difficulty. ■ "Private - people have'- invested £40,000,000 on tho faith of Acts of Parliament. A rivtjr authority competing for trade would bo a grave breach of this faith. "Ono of the most serious restrictions fl'o work under is that wo may not chargo dues 011 craft which come into our docks to tako away goods from vessels discharging there. We havo to find accommodation for lighters, and 'lock' them in and out,', yet wo avo not allowed to make any charge oitlior on them or tho goods they take away. ' "Tho Unionist proposal in 1902, to buy the docks, was honest, but the present schemo to oust' enterprise .resembles the methods of the highwayman." , There is, a general opinion in the City that tliero' - should - certainly be reform at tho docks,, which, ,by reason of the restrictions placed upon' them, aro fast placing London behind, in-.tho • raco. 'for; tho; 'trado of the world; but it, is "also, contended that tho arrangement proposed, by - tho ' Government' should b : o' fair arid'.equitable.-• > ' '