bristol''chamber'|of "commerce and shipping. 
51 
^Saving Jon Australian ^Business. 
As against London to Birmingham 
.,1 Liverpool to Birmingham 
,, Hull to* Birmingham 
5/8£ per ton. 
2/10 
7/5 
On Exports. 
As against London from Birmingham ... 
5/1 per ton. 
Liverpool from Birmingham 
Hull from Birmingham 
Liverpool from South Wales 
2/4 
6/3 
7/5 
In the foregoing statement the comparisons deal with branches of business done 
by the country with our great Oversea Dominions—-Canada and Australia and New Zealand. 
Analogous advantages are offered by Bristol in regard to trade from and to other ports 
of the world. With regard to the Western Counties, South Wales, and its own immediate 
area, Bristol’s position cannot be challenged. 
An even greater saving may be effected by taking advantage of the Severn Canal 
route from Avonmouth to the Midlands, the advantages of which are being increasingly 
recognised. This was one of the canal routes which strongly impressed the members 
of the Royal Commission. Whether the recommendations will be carried out or not 
remains to be seen. Meanwhile it is satisfactory to know that an increasing tonnage is 
finding cheap transit by this inland waterway. From Birmingham to Gloucester the 
goods are barged in the ordinary way ; at Gloucester they are trans-shipped to larger craft 
and brought down the Ship Canal to the tidal Severn, whence a few miles’ run brings 
them to Avonmouth, where the ocean-going steamships are berthed. For inward business 
the operation is, of course, reversed. The canal authorities have recognised the necessity 
of making their service a regular and reliable one, and with the object of ensuring these 
characteristics, they are about to introduce motor craft. These will accelerate the journey; 
probably the boats will run to a time-table, and an increase of business is certain to follow. 
The canal, which for certain classes of traffic is already a competitor with the railways, 
promises to be a still greater factor in the future than it is at present. This applies to 
both export and import traffic between the Birmingham district and distant parts of the 
world reached through Bristol. 
SHIPPING 
While the port of Bristol enjoys communication with all parts of the world, the 
chief regular services are those engaged in the American and Australasian trades. With 
the former continent there are six lines of regular communication, and of these three 
are engaged in the Canadian trade. The largest boats in that connection are those of 
the Royal Line, which was established two years ago in conjunction with the Canadian 
Northern Railway, and the Royal Edward and Royal George * each with a gross tonnage 
of 12,000, have the reputation of being amongst the fastest and best equipped of the 
Atlantic liners. Like the other Canadian lines, they are accommodated at Avonmouth 
and they maintain a fortnightly service with Quebec and Montreal in the summer, and 
with Halifax (N.S.) in the winter. They are triple turbine steamers, and are in great 
demand by all classes of travellers. Their third-class accommodation is unsurpassed, 
and the line is consequently very popular with those who go to the Dominion to seek 
their fortunes. In the summer-time the vessels carry large numbers of tourists, not only 
from the North American colony, but also from the United States. In the height of 
the season they have as many as 1,100 passengers on the westward journey. They also 
carry the mails both ways. 
* On November 6th, 1912, the Royal George stranded in the St. Lawrence, but was subsequently 
refloated. It was recognised that the accident would hasten the measures taken by the Canadian 
Northern Railway Company for the development of their service.