CANALS OF BRITAIN

Taranaki Daily News, 5 January 1935, Page 7

CANALS OF BRITAIN

"WATER GIPSIES" SAVED. MOTOR SUPPLANTS HORSE. Englarid’s canals are now winning their way back into the forefront of the country’s transport system, says an English correspondent. And more important still, from a humanitarian point of view, a strange and picturesque community—the Water Gipsies—has been rescued from gradual extinction with the returning activity of tlie waterways.

The Duke of Kent, King George’s youngest son, recently gave the Water Gipsies a gala day at Warwick by hobnobbing with them in their barges. Officially he was visiting Warwick to open the 51 new locks which have been widened as part of a £1,000,000 scheme of improvement for the Grand Union Canal —a 280-mile artery of commerce linking Birmingham, London and Nottingham But the royal visitor seemed to enjoy himself most chatting with the bargees in their quaint little cabins. Completion of the widening of locksand strengthening of banks is expected to be followed by a big increase in traffic on the canals, which had lost much of their business to the railways and roads. Already there has been a marked improvement. The improvement scheme, which was started in 1931, is of great importance to the industrial district of Birmingham, which is at the heart of the canal system. Traffic on the waterway to London includes raw materials, foodstuffs, furniture, irbn and steel plates and tubes. The new larger barges will be able to load direct from ships on the River Thames with a big saving of time. During his inspection of the bargee, the Duke made the acquaintance of one of the greatest characters of bargeedom —lke Merchant, whose family history is bound up with canals for many generations back. Ike can neither read nor write, but he has long been respected as “the flying bargee,” because of his speed through the locks. And now Ike has changed from horse-power to motorpower. There are many other changes to be observed in the present-day life of the canal fraternity. Ike greeted the Duke in his customary corduroys and moleskin cap. His daughter might have just come from a shopping expedition in the West End of London. This is significant of other more vital developments.

TEACHING CHILDREN. Some people may mourn the gradual disappearance of the horse from the canal banks and file coming of the motor-barge to disturb the peaceful scenery with its “chug-chugs.” But m the wash of the speedier craft has come education for the barge folk. Facilities are now available for teaching their children. Introduction of hours regulations has removed the necessity for them to spend all their time on the water. The Duke, speaking from the prow of a gayly-painted barge, said how pleased he was to hear that the canal boatmen—the backbone of the canal system —were to remain and were readily adapting themselves to mechanical traction. The women are found to be more and more learning to drive the motor-barges. This is another of the’ advantages of the new type of craft. Increased traffic is also'absorbing some of the unemployed men of the merchant shipping service. Some half-dozen deep-sea mariners with masters’ certificates have been taken on. Their expert knowledge of navigation and speedy unloading is expected to prove of great service on the canals. At the same time they are introducing a new element into the bai'gee fraternity —a touch of the salty oceans which the inland waterways themselves serve.