The Washington herald., 1913-03-12
FOREIGN GOSSIP.

Copyright 1918 by Court Gossip syndicate1
The scheme for providing an em-
bankment on the south side OF the
Thames from the new London County
Hall to the projected st. Pauls Bridge
has received universal commendation.
The only possible objection is the cost.
According to the experts who have
gone into the matter. to continue the
embankment in the same style as that
which fronts the County Hall. and
which is exceedingly handsome. would
cost fS50,oo0.
The project does not propose to
take in any buildings whatever. The
wharves and the warehouses abutting
on the wharves would remain exactly
as they are. and they would be pro-
yided with access to the river through
arches The embankment would be
built on the mud bank, which extends
from ST. Paurs to Westminster. 1t is
formed by the action of the tide In
conjunction with the sudden turn
which the river takes at Waterloo.
The mud accumulates SO rapidly that
200 men have been employed each
tide in clearing the accumulation on
the solid bank; otherwise 1t would
soon rise to the full height of the
street.
The mud bank Is $50 feet in width.
and that would be the width of the
embankment. There would be no DIM
Guilty in raising the money. II the
scheme were taken In hand now. ten
years must elapse before 1t could be
finished; so that the cost would be
spread over. this period. The local
authorities concerned would be asked
to contribute 100000 and the balance
would be provided by tho road board.
The owners of a large section Of the
frontage covered by the King George
Embankment, as it Is proposed to call
It, have expressed their willingness to
carry the embankment through and
over their property at their own cost.
in keeping with whatever plans may
be adopted.
There would. OF course. be an enormous
rise in the assessable value. and ulti-
mately the unsightly buildings and
wharves of this part of the river would
be swept away. Already the higher
value is beginning to germinate in the
neighborkood. and some fine buildings.
such as the governments stationary
office, are going up, but 1t will be a
slow process, unless the frontage i'm
provement Is carried out. The river will
not assume its full scenic beauty until
the railway bridges at Charing Cross
and Blackfriars are removed and the
placed on the south side. The London
Society hope to do something toward
the realization of the propositions for
the development Of the south side Of
the river. more especially by collecting
data and giving expression to public
opinion.
A southern embankment. which would
extend from London Bridge land in
cidently open up South Cathedral to
view. would make q valuable beginning,
but the proposal should include the whole
aera from the river out to the encircl-
ing green fields. London Is extending so
rapidly that an external development
plan is an immediate necessity. What
is wanted Ia a central controlling au-
thority for London, with powers to pre-
pare a great plan embodying all good
individual proposals, but properly cor
related to one another and to the collec-
tive needs of the metropolis, as far as
now can be foressen. No doubt such
great plan.. however inspired, must be
modified as time goes on. but 1t would
be an immense step in advance to the
present costly spacmodic efforts ana
want Of system.
Within the area south of the Thames
at present there Ii in Southwark some
thirteen acres to be replanned. The
Duchy Of Cornwall has under considera-
tion important improvements in the dis
tricts controlled by II. There must be
a new approach road to st. Paurs
Bridge. and improvements have to be
made to the approaches at Southwark