The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-09-12

system of London has been under pub
lie ownership, managed by the Port of
London Authority, corporate body,
whose members are in part appointed
by the admiralty, the London County
council, and other public OrganiZa-
tiOns; and in part are elected by tax
payers and groups particularly inter-
ested in the port business. The Port
Authority also controls some open
wharfage, but the greater portion of
this is under private ownership.
Vast Streams of Trade.
With it's river, its scores of miles of
wharves and docks and its vast ware
houses and vaults, the port of Lon
don is a gateway and a treasure house
through which and into which pOurS
a stream of goods ranging from the
barest necessities and the crudest raw
materials to the most costly products
Of loom and factory, artist and crafts
man. In part the value and volume Of
London's sea-bOrne trade are owing
to it's geographic situation between
continental Europe and the Americas;
in part to the city's status as head
and heart of the worldwide British
empire.
Many of the docks and warehouses
devote themselves to certain special
ties. The old Greenland dock and its
neighbors are concerned largely with
the Baltic, White sea, and Canada
trade, for the most part made up of
timber and grain. To the West India
docks come thousands of tons of sug-
ar, scores of thousands Of gallons Of
rum, and hard woods. Sugar is also
unloaded by the thousands of tons at
the East India docks along with the
spices, silks, rugs and dozens of other
commodities from the East.
The quantities of goods that pass
over London's docks and wharves is
stupendous. The leading import in
quantity is grain and meals; close to
100000 bushels are brought in year.
ly, their value reaching $125,0OO,000.
Such dissimilar articles as tea and
fresh and frozen meats lead all i'm
ports in value. More than $165, 100000
worth of each arrives annually. The
greater part of the tea is for consump-
ton, the balance for re-export. The
meat is practically all for consump-
ton, and it is supplemented by con-
siderable quantity of homegrown
meat.
On to the docks pour each year tons
and tons of butter valued at more
than $1OO,OOO,OOO, 100000 worth of
cheese, and more than 1,0O0,000,0O0
eggs. There is a steady stream of
wines and spirits in hogsheads,
pipes" barrels and bottles. Most of
these find their way to the under
ground vaults Of the Port of London
Authority where there is complete
equipment for blending, bottling, stor-
ing and aging. There are more than a
dozen huge watts each with a capacity
in excess of 10000 gallons.
Fortunes In Warehouses.
This is but suggestion of the vast
stream of goods that passes over the
docks and into the warehouses of Lon
don. Enough tobacco is in storage to
make a smoke screen for the navies
of the world-the best tobacco that
is afforded by the Americas, Greece,
Turkey, Burma, China, Sumatra, Bor-
neo, Cyprus and Africa. Other ware
houses contain fortunes in rubber,
ivory, metals, rare earths, drugs, per-
fumes, porcelains, fine fabrics and
laces, feathers, furs and hundreds Of
other commodities that minister to the
wants OF a complex civilization. In
1923, the total net ship tonnage in
and out of London was 55,423,6S1.
Although the London water front is
called upon to care for ships and
goods from all the worlds continents
and seas, it has not wholly a CONNER
cial flavor. The most important build
ings in the empire, the houses of par
lament, front on the river, and for
miles along the banks extend the
beautifully laid out embellishments
which furnish stately drives along the
winding course of the river. The most
famous of these is the Victoria en-
bankment which extends between
Westminster bridge, near the houses
of parliament, and Blackfriars bridge
down the river near st. Paul's cathe-
dral.