PORT OF LONDON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13708, 26 March 1908, Page 5

PORT OF LONDON.

GOVERNMENT SCHEME. A CENTRAL AUTHORITY. - N By Telegraph. Association. —Copyright. London, March 24. The directors of the London and India Docks Company recommend acceptance of the offer of the President of the Board of Trade (Mr. Lloyd-George) to purchase the docks as part of the Government scheme for the port of London. Mr. Lloyd-George has informed Captain Collins, representing the Australian Commonwealth in London, that when a proper statutory authority had been constituted would be the time for the colonies to make representations with regard to the provision of ample cold storage. Mr. Taverner (Agent-General for Victoria) has congratulated Mr. Lloyd-George on having secured a key to the port of London problem, which was a great step towards the proper handling and inspection of Australian produce. Mr. Lloyd-George gave notice recently of the introduction of a Bill for the incorporation of a commission as the port authority of London The question of establishing a comprehensive authority for controlling and improving the port of London appears likely to be dealt with properly this year. A private Bill was promoted by the London and India Docks Company, but this aroused much opposition, and when under discussion in the House of Commons last session received adverse criticism, both from private members and from the President of the Board of Trade, who announced that the Government would bring in a Bill this year dealing with the whole question. The "Bill was therefore withdrawn. In the discussion Mr. Lloyd-George laid down the principles applicable to the subject. The present; objects in London are further port facilities, a deepening and widening of the channel, and improvements in the accommodation for berthing, discharging, collecting, and distributing goods. To attain these objects a public port authority is required, as the problem cannot bo left to a private company. The trend of public* opinion _is against the control of the Thames being given to any individual municipality, and as a corollary no single municipality should have a majority of representatives on the public port authority. Another consideration is that the general public must be re- I presented, apart from the payers of dues, j and the best means of securing represent*- i tion of the general public is by means of j nominations of Government Departments ! ami the municipalities concerned.