BRITAIN'S GREAT WAR PORT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 217, 7 June 1919, Page 9

BRITAIN'S GREAT WAR PORT

THE FUTURE OF RICHBOROUGH. The new port at Richborough, near Sandwich, which wa6 one of tho triumphs of quick organisation during tho war, is in future to bo controlled by tho SouthEastern Railway Company, iwlio will run it under the War Office. What the future of the port will be depends on how far .it can bo developed as a. civil port, find this is in turn depends a good deal on what is to happen to tlw train ferry service, which was started in complete secrecy during tho war, and proved of enormous value. It, is said that an offer was recently mado to buy the ferries from Rich--borough to Calais for trade purposes, but no sale will bo considered for some months to come, as the ferries will bn wanted to bring war stores from Franco to England. The South-Eastern Company has takon over some miles of dock and wharves, leaving tho big depot, whioh is the headquarters of tho inland water transport army services, in military hmuls. Tho extensive engine-repairing 6hops will bo run 'by civilian labour entirely. Tho soldiers .who are now working thero will 1m taken on,at civilian pay on being demobilised, and'extra, labour will eomo in from tho towns in the district. Tho presont military building will be used to provide housing accommodation for demobilised married men, and workmen's trains will bo run for tho men who prefer to live in tho towns, as many will do, as Richborough is a rather dcsnlato spot. From the beginning of the enterprise it ivas lioped that when tho war was over Richborough would have a great future as part ot a revival of transport over tho English canals.