PORT ECONOMICS 
Although the foregoing is of the nature of an intro- 
duction, it really brings us right into the heart of the 
subject, the two words which perhaps can claim prior 
attention, viz., “ port” and ‘ harbour,” having already 
been discussed, so that it is unnecessary to refer to either 
of them again in this connection. 
DOCK 
Continuing, therefore, to deal with the word Dock, the 
fundamental divergence in meaning of which on the two 
sides of the Atlantic has just been indicated, we find, as a 
matter of fact, that the word has a variety of significations 
in the English language,! and even when restricted to the 
domain of port terminology, it has several distinct applica- 
tions, so that it is very difficult to define it concisely. As 
associated with ports, it is used with the following 
qualifications— 
Wet dock. 
Dry dock. 
Graving dock. 
Floating dock. 
Slip dock. 
Under these conditions all that can be said about the 
word as regards its general signification in port terminology 
is that it is, in some sense or other, a receptacle for shipping. 
The Greek original, Soy, signified a receptacle. Were it 
permissible, one would like to add to this that it is a com- 
pletely enclosed receptacle, so as to distinguish it from the 
term Basin which, in turn, would then be a receptacle for 
shipping which is not completely enclosed. Unfortunately, 
the terms Basin and Dock are very much confused, and 
used interchangeably for the same thing. Thus, at 
Glasgow, the Prince’s Dock, the Rothesay Dock and the 
Queen’s Dock are, strictly speaking, Basins, and not Docks 
1 Cf. any dictionary on this point. It means a place for criminals 
in a police court, the tail of a beast cut short, a genus of plants, etc. 
IR