PORT OF LONDON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13870, 2 October 1908, Page 5

PORT OF LONDON.

MR. LLOYD-GEORGE'S BILL. ,By Telegraph—Press Association.—Copyright. , London, September 30. The Special Committee appointed to consider Mr. Lloyd-George's Port of London Bil.', under the presidency of Mr. Walter R. Rea (Liberal member for Scarborough), has reported that it is expedient to proceed with : the Bill.

. The principle of the purchase of-{the London "Docks, which forms pare of the Port of London Bill, has already been adopted. The alternatives before the Government wore (1) to give the dock companies further revenue powers, or otherwise assist them ; (2) to authorise the port authority to build competing docks; (3) to buy the_-'docks'.'; : Mr. Lloyd-George began negotiations with the third alternative in view, with the reault that the proposal to sell the docks' was favourably regarded by the directors of the three companies. Their capital is as follows :—-London and India, £19,339,075 Millwall, £2,094,157; Surrey Commercial, £2,635,104. The Bill pro- ■ poses to place the control of London's great waterway in the hands of a new port authority, consisting of 15 elected and 10 appointed members. {Their first duty will be to improve accommodation, ; and, if; necessary, construct new quays and wharves in order to make London fit to compare with any other port in the world.