2 PORT ECONOMICS

beginning of the eighteenth century, and are divided
into groups in which special classes of trade have established
themselves. Thus, imports of Baltic timber and Canadian
produce are practically concentrated at the Surrey Docks
on the south side of the Thames, while wool, wines and
spirits have their depbts at the London and St. Katherine
Docks.

The docks, however, only provide a portion of the
accommodation for shipping at the port. The river in
the vicinity of London Bridge, and for several miles below,
is lined with wharves and warehouses in private ownership,
which deal with some two-fifths of the trade of the port.

The total net register tonnage of vessels entering and
leaving the port (including coastwise traffic) during 1924
was 45,392,649 tons.

LIVERPOOL

Liverpool presses London very closely in competition
for the premier position, despite the fact that it has only
acquired importance as a port in modern times. The
archives of the place certainly show a fairly ancient origin,
but it was not till the eighteenth century that the commerce
of the town became of any consequence. The slave trade
gave it an important impetus.

With Liverpool is linked Birkenhead, on the opposite
side of the river Mersey, and the two dock systems are
administered by a single authority—the Mersey Docks
and Harbour Board, created by an Act of 1857, which took
over the management from the Liverpool Corporation in
the following year.

In addition to taking a leading position in the importation
of raw cotton, grain and provisions, Liverpool has a very
pronounced predominance in exports, the quantity of
goods cleared outwards exceeding that of any other British
port, including London, very considerably. This is due
to its proximity to the great manufacturing districts of
Lancashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire. Cheshire

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