PORT OF LONDON.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 12 October 1925, Page 7

PORT OF LONDON.

PLANS FOR NEW WORKS,

INCREASE OF TRADE,

Lord Ritchie,' chairman of the Port of London Authority, during 1 a recent speech, referred to the extensive already completed aid to proposals for the future. He remarked, says the Daily Telegraph, that, during the last sixteen veairsTboth the river and the aceommodaliop of the Port had been vastly improved.. They had spent over £12.000,000 in improvements! and extensions, including the construction of tlie King George V. Dock, which had added sixty-four acres of water to the dock area. He gave the following outline of the principal new works which are to be undertaken or are already in progress: —

(a) The present extensive facilities for dealing with imported meat at the docks are, being increased. (b) The Surrey Commercial Docks system is being extended by the construction of a new dock affording five berths, each 400 ft long, and four large wood storage sheds. (c) A new entrance is to be constructed at the South-West India Dock, together with three passage ways, which will enable vessels entering by the new lock to reach any part of the India and' Millwall Docks system. The estimated cost is £1.000,000. (d) A new entrance lock 1000 ft long, 110 ft wide and 454 ft in depth, and an additional dry dock 750 ft long (capable of extension to 1000 ft) are to be constructed at. Tilbury, at an estimated cost of nearly £2^500,000. (e) A passenger landing stage is to be erected in the river at Tilbury adjoining the London, Midland and Scottish Baihvay station. This l will include all modem facilities for the rapid, landing and embarkation of passengers ; and their baggage, from and to vessels of the largest dimensions. Much of this work, Lord Ritchie said, would be un remunerative for years to come, and it would, only be possible for them to. undertake, it if they got assistance through the Government from the Unemployment Grants Committee. They had every reason to suppose' that they would: receive that assistance. “The Authority,’’ he remarked, “see some, justification for their policy of expansion in that neraly 10,000,000 additional net tons register of shipping used the port last year compared: 'with the first year in -which the Authority took office. In 1900 the tonnage was 30,000,000, against over 45,000,000 last. year. This Latter figure is a record for the port. Trade also lias increased, the total value of Loudon’s-imports and exports (excluding coastwise trade) in 1923 the latest available figures—being £579,000.000. against £305,000,000 in 1908. London deals with aboujt onethird- of the total trade of the United Kingdom.’’ Referring to port Lord Ritchie spoke of the cost of labour. Fort labour to day, he said, was receiving .157 per cent, per ,hour over prewar figures. The working week was now forty-hour hours, as compared with forty-eight hours in 1914. Before the war the overtime rate was 9d per hour and Is (id on Sundays, while today it wai from 2s per hour to 4s 1 per shoiiiv The average weekly earnings of the Authority’s permanent dock labourers. on. day work in 1914 were £.l 15s (id, against £4 3s 7d to-day, while on piecework the figures were- £1 16s 6d and- £5 4s 2d respectively. He was afraid- that, at any rate in the near future, there was no- chance of a. further reduction in port, charges, which must, in the main, depend on the course of trade. The figures during the last four on five weeks had been a litfe more eueotiraging.