PORT OF PLYMOUTH

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 63, 7 December 1917, Page 6

PORT OF PLYMOUTH

IMPROVED FACILITIES

The loss of another food _ ship in British waters while proceeding from a first port of call to another port where unloading could take place has been followed by an official statement that "efforts aro being made to enable cargoes to be discharged at the first port of call." "Arrangements for unloading at tho port in question, excluding cold storage, are nearly complete," states a cablegram published yesterday. Some reference is made to this subject in a recent number of "The Engineer." "The incident of a ship carrying a food cargo calling at Plymouth to land passengers and mails, proceeding elsewhere to discharge, and being torpedoed, has drawn fresh attention to the need for an extension of the commercial dock facilities of this great -western port," said the journal. "Plymouth is not at present destitute of commercial unloading facilities, which might havo been used to prevent the loss of food supplies, and if these are still on a somewhat modest scale, it is because the Admiralty has until now viewed the commercial development of Plymouth with disfavour. Ad intimation, recently received, tlint this attitude is no longer maintained, and that any scheme of commercial development which appears to be in the general national interests will not ho vetoed by the Government, has changed the. situation, and the development of the port may now he anticipated." The article proceeds to describe the enlarged dockyards and''increased storage accommodation proposed to be provided at Plymouth, which has never had its proper share of attention in this respect. Various schemes for the improvement of the harbour were brought forward before tlio war, but apparently the interests of rival har.bours had something to do with the official aEitude of discouragement. Another factor in delaying the enlargement of the dock accommodation has been the unwillingness of the railway management to accept increased responsibilities for the handling of perishable produce and other goods during the war period.