The Supremacy of London in Danger!

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6237, 9 June 1890, Page 3

The Supremacy of London in Danger!

It may seem incredible to most people that London, with its five million inhabitants, should bo in danger of falling from its present superiority over the other giant cities of the world. In our day it seems hardly reasonable to suppose that it ever will so fall. But it is j not at all improbable that before another century has passed, London will only be the second city of thewritish Empire. The completion of the Manchester Ship Canal will work wonders throughout the district which lies between that city and Liverpool. From Manchester to Liverpool will run continuous quays, on which will be loaded and discharged merchandise from all parts of the world. Around these quays will spring up streets, squares, and manufactories, mills, offices—all that goes to make a great city. It will be impossible to say where Liverpool begins or Manchester ends. This vast city will bo the greatest and richest ever known io the world-at any rate, since history brgtin. Some people may laugh at this as mere foolishness. But let us turn to statistics, which, like all other facts, are awkward things to set aside. The present population of Manchester and Salford is over 600,C00 ; the population of Liverpool is nearly 600,000. Along theline of the Ship Canal are crowded centres of industry, which help to swell the numbers in no mean degree. It may safely be said that the present population between, and including, Liverpool and Manchester, is two millions.

Now, no one deny that with the completion of the Ship Canal this number will be largely increased. And ho w will the extra population increase ? Let us turn to statistics again. The entire population of Middlesex in 1891 was 845,000 ; in 1851, it was 1,186,000 ; in 1881 it was 3,000,000. The population of London (Middlesex and Surrey sides) in 1851 was 2,000,000 5 it is now 5,000.000. The I population of Lancashire in 1801 was 600,000 ; it is now close upon 4,000,000. Granted a great influx of trade to the Liverpool-Manehester-Canal district, the present population will increase from 2,000,000 to 10,000,000 ! " And the trade will not be wanting. There is no place in the whole world so well fitted in every way to become the centre of the commercial universe as the district under notice. London, compared to it, is out of the way. To the Livorpool-Manchestor of the future will run all the groat railways of the world, and all the great shipping lines will have their home in its midst. Gigantic docks and storehouses, such as engineers hardly draam of, will open out from the canal It is within an hour’s run of the groat woollen district, within three hours of all the great coal and mineral fields. A great line of steamers, specially constructed, will bring (0 it every hour of the day the produce of America to be distributed amongst the teeming millions of Europe. A great Trans-Continenial line of railway will pass from it across England, through the Channel Tunnel, across Europe, and over the Russian Empire, into the farthest bounds of many-millioned China and India. The names Liverpool and Manchester will have to bo and the new city called Metropolis It may bo that London will always remain the homo of the arts and sciences, and that politics will find a resting-place at Westminster, London will be our historic city—-

the city| of culture fashion, and intellect. But whoever lives long enough will find that | the great city,on the banks of tlio Mersey will be the commercial city of the fu'uro. —Tit Pits.