170 



NA TURE 



[June 21, 1906 



of these manifest disadvantages, there is no doubt 

 that the inland waterways of England have been un- 

 duly allowed to fall into decay, owing to a surrender 

 in several cases to the railways, the absence of con- 

 certed effort to procure uniformity of dimensions 

 in through routes and to effect amalgamations, and 

 the neglect of improvements. Those inland water- 

 ways which are under a single control, which possess 

 the requisite traffic in bulk)- goods, and have been 

 enlarged and improved to provide for the growth of 

 traffic, such as the Aire and Calder Navigation with 

 its coal trade, and the Weaver Navigation with its 

 salt trade, have been able to maintain a very successful 

 competition with the railways; and where waterways 

 connect large centres of commerce and there is a 

 large trade in bulky goods, the old, inadequate 

 '.xaterwavs have been able to retain a considerable 

 traffic, as exemplified by the Leeds and Liverpool 

 Canal, and the canals clustering round Birmingham 

 and from the Potteries. A careful study of the 

 statistics of Continental waterways proves that, not- 

 withstanding the natural advantages they possess, 

 and the uniformity in size and improvements which 

 have been provided, only those waterways obtain a 

 large traffic which deal with bulky goods and traverse 

 long distances with merely moderate alterations in 

 level. 



The value of inland waterways in offering an 

 alternative route to railways for bulky goods, and 

 thus tending to reduce railway rates, as well as 

 relieving railways from being overburdened bv the 

 least remunerative portion of their traffic, is obvious ; 

 but the points requiring solution are, from what 

 source the funds can be provided for putting the 

 principal waterways in a position to compete with 

 the railwavs for the conveyance of bulky goods, and 

 what waterways afford a good prospect of a reason- 

 able return on the capital expended in their requisite 

 improvement. The authors, in their final chapter on 

 "The Resuscitation of Our Waterways," after direct- 

 ing attention to the interest aroused in recent years 

 in inland navigation, the steps which have been 

 taken for amalgamating some of the canal companies, 

 the lesser cost of transport and maintenance in the 

 case of canals than with railways, and the possibility 

 of discharging goods at any places on the banks 

 of a canal, indicate three methods by which the 

 necessary improvements, unification of dimensions, 

 amalgamation, and control of inland waterways, 

 might be effected. 



The first method is the conferring of additional 

 powers on the Board of Trade to supervise the im- 

 provement and development of those waterways which 

 have opportunities of trade in bulky goods, the neces- 

 sary funds being lent them by Parliament or by local 

 authorities. The second method is " the establish- 

 ment of a canal trust to acquire, develop, extend, 

 and administer, in the public interest, canals and 

 navigations in England and Wales," which would 

 be empowered to raise the requisite funds by the 

 issue of guaranteed canal stock. The third method 

 is " the nationalisation of waterways " by the pur- 

 chase of the canals by the Government with funds 

 NO. 1912, VOL. 74] 



raised by a loan with this object, which the authors 

 consider is the best method, and one which would 

 speedily repay the cost " by doubling our means of 

 communication " and " by the immense incentive 

 given to commercial enterprise." Unfortunately, 

 this is a very optimistic view of the results of the 

 purchase and improvement of our inland waterways 

 by the Government, and not at all likely to be 

 realised, for their total length in England and Wales 

 is only about a fifth of the length of the railways ; 

 and only a few of these waterways could be improved 

 with any prospect of a remunerative expenditure. 

 Considering that many of the French canals have a 

 traffic which could hardly pay the working expenses, 

 as is the case with the Caledonian Canal, which 

 belongs to the Government, it is evident that the 

 purchase and improvement of the English canals 

 as a whole would be a financial mistake; but the 

 connection of Birmingliam with a seaport by an 

 adequate waterway, the improvement of some of the 

 antiquated canals in its neighbourhood, and the 

 development of some through routes might be effected 

 with good prospects of satisfactory commercial and 

 financial results. 



RECENT BOTANICAL BOOKS. 

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