The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATEd THE EGMONT SETTLER. THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 1916. THE PORT OF LONDON.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 38, 20 January 1916, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATEd THE EGMONT SETTLER. THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 1916. THE PORT OF LONDON.

Official statistics for the year ended on September 30th. last regarding the Port*of London Authority's docks give some interesting facts regarding Britain's import and export trade. .Dining the period named altiiong'i the tonnage of merchant shipping using the port showed a substantial decline, largely owing to the requisitioning of vessels on Government account, and the withdrawal of enemy shipping from the high seas, the import goods handled in the Authority's warehouses totalled 1,472,060 tons,, against 1,117,683 tons in the corresponding months of 191,1, irrespective of the larger quantity of goods delivered direct by shipowners to wharves ami other destinations. It is also to he noted that of the increased imports deait vnt.i by the Port of London Authority a large quantity represents additional arrivals of wool. meat, and other New Zealand ami Australian produce. The stocks of goods in the warehouses of the Port Authority on September 20th last totalled 608,62-1 tons, an increase compared with the same date of 1914 of 28, 80 A tons. The greater activity now characterising the export trade oi the United Kingdom is shown by a growth of 55,923 tons in the quantity of export goods handled in the Port Authority's sheds during the half-year under review. The total was 121.72tons. A special correspondent of the Cliristchurch Press, in referring to these matters, says that a tender for the. refrigerating machinery for the new cold store and sorting shed erected by the Port of London Authority a t the Koynl Albert Dock has roeernh been accepted. There is the promise, therefore, of an early addition to the Authority's cold storage accommodation to the extent, including the sorting ;,|,,'d. of half a million carcases oi'mutton. This will carry the total storage capacity up to approximately „ million and a ball' carcases. It is a i,, () stated that by means of covered mechanical conveyers, meat will be transferred rapidly and practically without, hnndlMig from the refrigerated holds of ship, into the upper storey ol the big meat building at the water's edge. Hero in a temperature ol lodeg Fahrenheit, the process'of sortie- wdl take place, the meat being subsequently taken by conveyers to the top storey of the huge cold store erected in the

immediate rear. in tins cow s..u there is access from the top stmv, only, the meat beinp; distributed b; lilt - among the twenty ':ep-.;r.ite coclai chambers and lrept there in tlie sain temperature a:, that of the r.ortin; shed until it i- (nought up for d. livery. A special building is to ac commodate tlie refrigerating plant.