New-York tribune., 1906-09-02
BRIST0L'S ENERGY.
Ambitious 4ttemp pit to Make 1t Once
More the Second British Port.
Bristol. August II

alnsssed fortunes in foreign commerce: the
slave trade conducted from the Avon. and
there was a large business in sugar and to
hacco with The American colonies: and advent
ulous shpoWners were armed with letters or
raar,ue whenever there was an opening for pri-
yateering IN wars with France and Spain. II
lost SIC prestige as the second British port,
through The selfish greed OF private companies
which controlled the docks and neglected To ei'-
large them 50 10 compete with Liverpool ana
other rivals. The American Revolution and the
suppression % The slave traffic were NOR" or
less disastrous Bristol and the Development
OF The industrial resources Of the Midlands and
Lancashire gave Liverpool a marked adEanlase'
hut a revival of the fortunes Of the old Eliza
bethan port might have followed the "onstruc-
tion Of the Great Western The pioneer At
'antic liner, H there had heen more enliGht-
ened policy in increasing tho dockinP a""'n'lno-
siation. One work after another WAS undertaken
with belated energy. and finally the ancient
corporation. despairins Of the recovery or COM
rnerciaI prestige under private administration.
purchased the docks and entered upon costly
scheme Of deep-water improvements which
would enable Bristol 10 rival Liverpool and other
ports In shipping facilities. After making lars.
expenditures on the floating harbor I'm the town.
the ratepayers are now constructing immense
docks seven miles away. at AVonmouth where
liners like the Lusitania take cargoes and
passenger.
These river improvements began As early IA
the thirteenth century, when the ground Tor
trench was purchased in ~, Augustine's marsh
and the wateroourse of the Froom was enlarged
70 Sta junction with The Avon. During the
eighteenth century three small docks were
constructed. and subsequently the Avon was
damned up and q floating harbor with feeder
canal tideway cut and series Of basins was
completed at a cost Of ftsslSl During the
next half-century there were rival engineering
schemes heated controversies over the enlarge
nlent az the floating harhor and the improve
,,lent of the river and disastrous competition be-
tween private companies which had buiif At me
entrances from the Severn the Portishead and
avonmouth docks; and finally the town cor
poration assumed ownership and control over
sn these works. with the obligation ot supply
ing accommodation in a new dock for ocean
going vessels of the largest dimensions IN"
Royal Edward Dock. now under CONSTRUCTION
viii not be completed until 1905. and with Inc
piers carried out TO tidewater, the entrance lock
a hundred feet in width. the craving dock the
timber channel and immense basin, "lh hot
cost less than f250oco. Mails and passengers
from ships larger than any now afoat will he
landed on either side OF the entrance lock and
taken by train In two and half hours 10 Lon
don This new dock will be connected 10y a
junction cut with the existing AVonrnoulh doch'
where there are covered quays with railway
lines a granary OF large storage capacity. frult
stores and warehouses for the West indian
trade transit sheds and coaling cranes, cattle
,sirs ana slaughterhouses timber sheds and oil
,a,ls floating poutoons and other facilities TOT
ororont discharge Of vessels on the opposite
side ,f The Avon is Portishead DOCK. WIN a
complete system of railway lines warehouses;
granaries transit sheds and timber sta'h'is
grounds These great works at the mouth OF
The river are supplemented by the noaiinS mar
nor IN The city itself with nearly 1000 yards Of
wharfage and eghty-three acres or dock
This elabora,e system of docks has involved
6uring the last fifty years a capital outlay or
o,,er e 7.n.a and the investment viii not be
less than i5eoeyD when the Royal Edward
dock is completed The receipts from dock dues
and other sources do not balance the eNpendi-
lures for maintenance, interest and sinking
fund and the deficit has TO be provided Tor from
the rates Taxes have been steadily rising since
Inc ROYAL Edward dock undertaken. The
rates ran up from as I'd IS. Sd last year. and
are likely 10 reach rs before the principal i'm
movement is finished. The burden falls directly
upon the taxpayers because there are no munich
rsl industries which yield profits for the relief
Of the rates In Manchester. where the ship
canal has been rescued from bankruptcy by a
loan Of f50c0otO from the town treasury, the
profits OF the gas. tramway and market under
fahlnES
sor that public work. In Preston every rate I
payer is charged about - the pound for har- 4
Dor improvements; but there is n saving equiva- /
lent 10 81. from markets and other sources, and /
81 is likely TO De Increased 10 a shilling In !
Bristol there is small surplus from the mar /
kets and there is larger one from estates owned F.!
by the corporation; but these make together less |
Than 4d IN a heavy tax rate. The water sup /
Ely is under the control OF private companies as
'-n Iondon; the rramways are operated by an /
other company d lease. which viii probably (,
be renewed: ard the gas business is also In pri-
vate hands The electricity supply alone is con /
trolled by the municipality. and while the bust /
ness is well managed the profits are re- ,
aured for the reserve. There are no compen- /
satioms from municipal trading the increased /
taxation Inv olVed 10y dock Improvements Bris-
toi ratepayers forced 10 grin and bear IT,
and are free 10 console themselves with the re-
fection that there are good many sites for (
factories and warehouses 20 be disposed of by 4
the Dock Department and that the commercial /
prestige OF the port may be restored by a be q
lated but phenomenal burst Of energy
The municipal Investment in the inner float
ing harbor and the A-Onmouth and Portishead
Socks Was justified by IN. requirements OF the
coasting trade and by the lack OF energy and
foresight in the management Of the private com
psnes The corporation was forced by public
interests TO take over and 10 improve the mis-
managed docks. and already there has been n
substantial increase I'm foreign trade and indus
trial enterprise I'm consequence OF municipal in
gestments. II is, however. open question
whether the costly Royai Edward dock will ever
yield adequate returns I'm shipping of deep
draft and great dimensions. II is. least.
a hazardous undertaking TO attempt rival
liverpool Southampton in the transatlantic