According to the latest published statistics of trafüc in the Port of London in the year ended on March 3 last, the total imports and exports, together with trans-shipment traffic amounted all told to over 44,500,000 tons, the highest figure ever recorded. In the same period 62,600,000 net registered tons of shipping arrived at and departed from the port, compared with 52,600,000 tons ten years ago. The tonnage goods imported in 1937-8 was four per cent more than in the previous year, and the total of goods exported increased by 4.5 per cent. Good progress was made during the year with works for the further improvement and development of the Port of London. Among the works completed were a specially equipped berth for the discharge of bananas, the widening of a qudy for the storage of timber, the electrification Qf certain quays, the erection of a number electric cranes, as well as many other improve, ments and extensions. Some idea of the acti: vities of the Port Authority may be gather from the fact that during the past year 1,900,000) cubic yards of material were dredged from the river to maintain and deepen the channel, while 44 sunken vessels and small craft were removed. from the river. Not only is the Port of London one of Great Britain's largest and best-equip ports, but many other factors also contribute to] Florence Lloyd its importance. The broad estuary of the Thames enables the port to be used by large Ocean-going vessels, while the port's modern handling facilities for ships and their cargoes are second to none. In addition, the inland position of London at the centre of a vast network of rail and road) communications, and the enormous population of the city itself contribute to make London one gf the busiest ports in the world,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.