192 Mr. Lionel B. Wells on the 



On the Continent opinion on the use of waterways has 

 ripened more quickly than in England, great improvements 

 and extensions have been made, and a far-reaching interest 

 with regard to them has been aroused. In Germany, 

 for instance, the internal water-borne traffic increased 

 by 65% from 1875 to 1885, and at the present time 23% of 

 the whole internal traffic of the country is carried by water ; 

 while in France the increase from 1879 to r 888 was 57%. 

 An International Congress was formed, and held its first 

 meeting at Brussels in 1886. It meets biennially, and the 

 fourth meeting was held in this city in 1890, when the 

 Congress numbered 492 members. At this Congress no 

 map of the waterways of England was forthcoming, and it 

 occurred to a member of this Society, Mr. Swindells, 

 M.InstCE., as well as to myself, that this was a serious 

 omission. We, therefore, agreed to do our best to prevent 

 its recurrence. The result of our efforts is the map now 

 exhibited, drawn to a scale of 43T2 oir> or 6*9 miles = 1 inch. 

 I only wish I could speak with as much confidence as to 

 the accuracy of the whole of the information for which I 

 am responsible, as I can to the excellence of the workman- 

 ship which Mr. Swindells has displayed. I have, however, 

 done my best under existing circumstances. The map 

 was prepared for the 5th Congress, and was exhibited at its 

 meeting held last year in Paris. 



The question of transit is so important to the com- 

 mercial interests of the nation that the Board of Trade 

 will doubtless be compelled to obtain a more accurate 

 knowledge of the facts relating to navigable rivers and 

 canals and their present condition, with a view to action 

 being taken for bringing more fully into use these long 

 neglected trade routes. 



In 1890 two Bills were, and this year one Bill has been 

 brought before Parliament, dealing with the development 

 of canals and their control by local authorities. These 



