The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-07-17
Half a Billion May Be Saved
Proposed Mercantile Clearing House in London Would Solve
Congestion and Turn Millions Into New Channels.
nv TEMPLE.

BY HERBERT TEMPLE.
London. July LEA clearing house
Tor goods is the latest solution sug-
gested in dealing with the enormous
quantities of merchandise and produce
which daily arrives in the worlds
greatest city, and a special meeting Of
the London Chamber of Commerce is
to be called to consider the plan,
whose originators say that as soon as
it is carried out it will at once set
free the 100000 square feet at pres
ent occupied by the freight stations of
London, and place at the disposal Of
the railroad companies a capital of
$500, OO0.00O which is at present lock-
ed up in those stations.
The inventor Of the scheme has al
ready worked out his plan by means
before the London Chamber at the
special meeting.
Briefly stated, the idea is to acquire
for the clearing house a site near
Kings Cross railroad station so as
to be within easy access of the princi-
pal termini. and to erect upon it a
clearing house capable of dealing with
the freight traffic now centered at the
carious stations.
Not only it is hoped, will the carry
ing out of his project mean much to
towards solving the great problem
connected with London traffic.
1t will remove bodily from the
streets a large proportion of the heavy
traffic, and so in a moment relieve
the ever increasing congestion.
Thus, apart altogether from the eco
nomy which will result to the rail-
roads, the project may render quite
unnecessary the contemplated cutting
of new roads at a cost to the tax pay
ers of many millions.
The goods will be brought from the
ware houses or the receiving depots to
the clearing house in bulk, and thence
transferred by leans of raj to the
sorting platforms. Then n n each
will be dealt with and placed in a
container or tray bearing the name of
the particular railway on whose sys-
TEN the delivery place of the parcel is
situated.
Then the mere pressing of an cleo.
trio button will serve to transfer the
tray when full from the platform to
the railway truck, on which it will
proceed to its journeys end.
The advocates of the idea contend
that 1t will solve the question of the
handling of the freight traffic of Lon
don on the same basis as the bankers
years ago solved the difficulties which
once existed in connection with the ex-
change of checks.
Sordid Law ealks Work.
The rights Of treasure trove are re-
sponsible for a temporary stoppage OF
the excavations at the ancient city of
~Verulaneum, St. Adams. The work
was making good progress, and the
societies of antiquaries were, hoping
to obtain some interesting finds, but
the uncertainty Of the law in relation
to possession has led to complications.
am told that the matter is nov in
the hands of the lawyers, and until
certain rights have been legally set
tied no further progress will be made.
At Old Sarum, however, the work,
which vas suspended during the win
ter, has recommended, and will be
continued without intermission until
the autumn, provided sufficient funds
are forthcoming.
Already some parts Of the Roman
stations have been uncovered. But
the excavators will probably go deep
err still, for the site is undoubtedly
prehistoric, and some interesting dis
coveries may be expected. 1t may
be, as Il the case Of Troy, that they
will come across remains undreamed
of as yet.
The results already obtained are en-
couraging. Under the superintend-
tower. there are traces of a series OF
chambers. The e~xcavators are now
approaching the tower from both the
east and west sides.
Proposes Empire Fair.
A scheme put forth by Sir Peter
BAN for the holding of q large I'm.
perial Exhibition in London at an ear
ly date, it is stated, has been well re-
ceived, and Sir Peter hopes that be-
fore he returns to South Africa in
August he will have formed a strong
and representative committee.
THE idea," said Sir Peter yesterday.
is to hold an exhibition showing ex-
actly what can be produced and manu-
featured throughout. the empire. 1t
is proposed that prominent men from
England and all parts of the empire