LONDON DOCKS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20365, 23 March 1928, Page 7

LONDON DOCKS.

BIG EXTENSION SCHEME. In an interesting review of the work of the Port of London Authority, Mr D. J. Owen, the general manager, who was the special guest recently at a luncheon of the Royal Colonial Institute, gave some striking figures of the development of the Authority to show that, notwithstanding difficult times, the trade of Great Britain and the Empire was “ not at an end by any means.” Responding to the toast of his health, Mr Owen said the Port of London occupied a unique position in the world, in its continuity, its history, and the magnitude of its trade. This was largely due to Father Thames. Sometimes the river took its revenge for the restraint put upon it, as they had recently seen, by rising with a mffihty force without regard to consequences. Under the Port of London Authority the trade of the port had advanced enormously. Although the port had been in existence over 2000 years, its great development had taken place .within the last 200 years. In the 20 years since the Authority came into existence there had been an increase of 30 per cent in its trade. Shipping entering the port in 1700 measured 600,000 tons; now it was 49,000,000 tons. In 1700 the value of the trade (imported and exported) amounted to £10,000,000; now the value was* roughly, £45,000,000. . . ■ In addition to providing facilities for trade and commerce there was a considerable amount of day-to-day work carried on by the Authority of profound interest. Its work could be measured by the fact that in round figures the employees numbered 12,000. Of these, 5000 were dock labourers, 3000 of whom were permanently employed. The Authority devoted great assistance to trade with the colonies, and -this side of the trade of the port was of large dimensions; As a public body it must necessarily look ahead, and as a result the Authority was extending its docks at Tilbury, providing new entrances to accommodate still larger steamers, and a new passenger landing stage, which would be the means of making London a much larger passenger port. They were also improving the system of docks known as the ludia-Mill-wall system and bringing it up to date. All this work would cost the huge sum of £4.000,000. They would thus see that the Authority was taking a pretty far look into the future. They could provide for the trade when it came, but they could not make it. They, however, hoped to hold their own in the markets of the world, and so long ns they did this the Authority would have a more glorious future than it had had in the past.