A. fortnight ago we noticed that the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company had acquired a considerable area of land, having a frontage of 4,000 ft. or 5,000 ff. to the Thames, for the purpose of. loading and discharging their vessels. The site is about midway between the Tilbury and the Albert Docks, and the company have entered upon this undertaking in consequence of their grave dissatisfaction with the present dock arrangements of the Port of London. In an interview, during the last day or two, with a representative, Mr. Joseph, the Secretary of the Company, said:—" We are certainly engaged in arranging the docks and warehouses on the river Thames. It is quite true that the company is under " covenant to purchase piece of land on the banks of the river." For some time past serious disputes have arisen between the steamship companies using the Victoria and Albert Docks and the Joint Dock Committees with respect to the excessive dues charged, and it is rumoured that the project, set on foot by the P. & O. Company, will' be followed by other' steamship companies.
It is stated that shortly before the great dock strike, such a project as that now propounded was mooted by the Peninsular und Oriental Company, who went so far as to select for the purposes of the works an extensive piece of land on the bend of the river above North Woolwich, between the lower entrance of the Albert Dock and the upper entrance of the Victoria Dock. The Company intends to construct a complete system: of wharves and warehouses of the most modern type, the wharves being suitable for the accommodation of the largest ships, while the arrangements on shore will include, among other thin; refrigerating stores for dealing with the large supplies of colonial produce now brought by the P. and O. ships from Australia. Sir Thomas Sutherland, the chairman' of the company, will, together with several of the directors, to-day pay a visit to the site, in order to further the arrangements that are to be made for the extensive operations necessary, and the work will be pushed forward "4s soon these arrangements are complete. The line of ae that has thus been decided upon by the P. and- 0, Company is due to firm resolve on their part to become independent of the Joint Committee of the London and India Docks. In almost alli the great ports visited by the the P. and O.—including Calcutta, Singapore, Shanghai, Melbourne, and Sydney—the vessels do their business of loading and ing alongside wharves, and. the same system, it is pointed out, has been successfully established in Antwerp, where the use of docks has become almost'a thing of the: past, even vessels of the largest being found along the Tmoguifeent aaye the Schelde. The P. and 0. Company see no reason why they should not pursue wharves of their own on the Thames instead the same course in London by constructing of continuing to depend on the accommodation afforded: by the dock companies and their inclination to adopt this policy has been very greatly strengthened owing to the relations that have existed between themselves and the Joint Committee.—L. & C. Express.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.