The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1909-07-08
Biggest State Undertaking That
Was Ever Attempted.
General Public Now Responsible for
Vast Stores Of Goods, Including Sc
Miles OF Wine Casks and $45,-
100000 Worth of Tobacco.

London When the clocks struck IL
at midnight the London docks passed
out of the hands of the Companies
which had previously owned them
Uondon and India, Surrey CONNER
cial, and MillwalD and became public
property. to be administered in the
public interest by the new port of
London authority. ~
No similar transfer OF such magni.
tude has ever taken place before. The
docks are the biggest enterprise that
has been ''socialized" so far. No such
vast undertaking has hitherto become
state undertaking. The price paid
to the various shareholders amounts
to s112 100000. The effect of the
transfer will be felt all over the world.
Considering the magnitude of the
interests involved, II seemed only ma
tural to suppose tnat as the fateful
hour struck there would be some for
NAL handing over of authority, some
ceremonial befitting the great occa.
sion. AS matter of hard, cold fact,
nothing took place at all
At midnight the dock house, instead
of being brightly lighted and full of
activity, was dark and still. Leaden-
hall street had its usual quiet, undis-
turbed nocturnal appearance. All the
officials, old and new, were far away,
tucked up snugly in bed.
The hour struck on a number of
neighboring church clocks, There was
nothing whatever to show that the
morning was different from any other
morning, or that new era had begun
in the history of London. in the COM
merce between Great Britain and the
rest of the globe. That is the way
of business men. They have no time
for theatricality. They make arrange
ments for matters to so on In bust
nesslike way, and have no use for
formality or ceremonial.
Mr.. Philipson, the new temporary
secretary, was at the dock house, and
to take charge of the offices and al
fairs. But" he said emphatically,
nothing will happen to mark the oc-
casion-nothing at ALL"
There is something fine land quite
as impressive to the imaginative mind
as a ceremony in this Unconditional,
this severely businesslike way of eff
fecting so tremendous transfer. All
the 1859 acres of immensely valuable
land and the 645 acres of water and
the 52l acres of warehouse flooring
handed over without word.
All the vast stores of goods in the
warehouses-the Sc miles of wine
casks, the s45,OO0,OOO worth of tobac-
co, the wool. the wheat, the ivory, the
spices. the rubber, the feathers (s125,,
900 worth in one room alone). the tea
the silks, the carpets, and all the in,
Vulnerable other wares which the 700
cranes are hauling in aud out of
ships holds every day.
For these the dock companies are
no longer responsible, Their SOW.
ereignty is over The port authority
meets and begins its reign. But still
there was no formality. The work OF
the Offices and the work at the docks
was on just the same as usual There
was nothing for the moment to show
the public that any change has been
made.
Before long, however, there is
ground for hope that the change will
| be apparent to everybody. The au.
thority will begin to discuss the i'm.
| hrovement of the dock accommodation