THE SHIPPING FACILITIES AT LONDON.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1838, 26 August 1913, Page 8

THE SHIPPING FACILITIES AT LONDON.

A VISITOR'S OPINION. • In tlio course of • an interview with ft recent visitor from London, a Dosiusiox reporter was informed that tho proposals of the I'ort of i,<mdon Authority to erect storago capacity at tho Albert Docks, and to provide accommodation for the ships carrying Now Zealand produce, while much needed, are by no means commensurate with tho importance of the trade. At present tho New Zealand frozen li.cat is discharged at both tlio Victoria and Albert Docks, and the proposed accommodation for shipping at the new position ill' tho Albert Docks will not providp sufficient berthago to accommodate alt new ships. It is an acknowledged fact that tho sheds at the Victoria Dock are. rapidly deteriorating, and becoming unfit for tho retention of produce,' and any one who is acquainted with the position is at a loss to know how the Authority is going to cope, in tho limited spaco of 'tho Albort Dock, with tho number of ships which arrive simultaneously or within a few days of each other. Lord Dovonport, the Port Chairman, has evidently been strongly impressed with the representations mado by tho New Zealand producers in the first place, and lator, by others interested in tho' trade. Questioned as to tlio largo sum "of fourteen and a half millions'to bo spent by tho Port of London Authority, tho visitor replied: "It,is quite true that tho ultimate aim of the-Port. Authority is to completely niodorniso its shipping facilities, but as I understand the impression has got abroad that tho expenditure of this largo sinn is for tho solo benefit 'of Now Zealand, .trade, I can assure you that only a very small fraction of that sum is to bo spent on improvements which have recently been decidcd upon. Li fact, these', improvements will not cost more than half a million. Tho new North Albert Dock proposal which is projected will run into an outlay of between four and five ■million pounds, but it will bo some years yet before that work is accomplished. . lit tho meantime, I have no hesitation in saying that the new borth'r ago accommodation at 'the " Albert Dock will bo found quite insufficient, to meet the Dominion'requirements."!