Channel Tunnel : deputation to the Prime Minister : full details of the present scheme, military, engineering, financial ... / edited by W. Turner Perkins.

  • Channel Tunnel Company.
Date:
1913
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: Channel Tunnel : deputation to the Prime Minister : full details of the present scheme, military, engineering, financial ... / edited by W. Turner Perkins. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    traffic, without diminishing very much anything which goes bydhe other channels. Lord Lansdowne : You think it would have the effect of creating new branches of trade ? Dr. Giffen : The tendency of the trade itself being to go on steadily increasing, you may have a considerable traffic through the Tunnel without any diminution of the traffic.[going by other channels, and possibly an increase of the traffic going by other channels. Still, the tendency of the Tunnel must be to attract a considerable amount of traffic of the kind which now passes between these nine ports and the Continent. Lord Lansdowne : Is that the conclusion which your experience generally suggests—that improvement of communication invariably does lead to great expansion of this kind ? Dr. Giffen : It is a conclusion arrived at from general experience, and I think also that one may say about the Tunnel that it is in the nature of a bridge over a ferry, which is universally recognised to be one of the most important improvements which can be effected in transit. You see, wherever there is a short ferry, the desire of those connected with the traffic is to substitute a bridge for the ferry ; and it seems to me that a Tunnel under the Channel would be of an analogous ■ nature. The Witness further said he believed that a con- siderable 'part of the wool exported from the nine ports mentioned would go through the Tunnel. Supposing the rates were not prohibitive—and it might be an important point for the Committee to consider in making any recommendations upon the subject, to see that the rates and facilities, not only for the Tunnel, but for the connected lines, were made such that they would facilitate traffic—then, as they avoided two transhipments in some cases, and in all cases at least one transhipment, the land route would compete very powerfully with the mixed water and land routes (of which he gave examples) that the goods must necessarily follow, if they did not go by the Tunnel. Lord Lansdowne next asked the Witness whether he considered that the business of this country as a commercial entrepot was at all threatened by the recent improvement of Continental harbours and by other improvements in Continental communications ? Dr. Giffen replied that tc some extent this country had been affected unfavourably by certain events with regard to the traffic. In absolute amount the traffic had not diminished, but certain kinds of business that we had were tending to go away from us. There was very keen competition, and we did not get so large an amount of the total trade as formerly. The Witness instanced increased imports of wool, tea and coffee at Antwerp and Havre. Lord Lansdowne : Therefore, you say that the Tunnel would be of advantage to us, not only in creating and developing new trade, but in enabling us to retain hold upon the trade which we have held hitherto, and which is showing some signs of slipping away from our grasp ? Dr. Giffen : It seems to me that it is very important in that respect, and I should like to add that, speaking generally, I should attach very great importance to this description of trade, on account of its indirect uses to this country. It seems to me that the fact of our having this large distributing business, if we can retain it, assists in getting such facilities for our own trade as the Liverpool Cotton Market and our wool sales in London. No doubt the Liverpool Cotton Market and the wool sales in London began because we had the manufacturing ; but it seems to me that having got them, they are of great assistance to our manufacturing, and it is of the utmost importance that we should lose no advantage which our manufac- turers have, and one advantage certainly is these great markets for the raw material. The matter also is of great importance with reference to our general financial position. It is because the goods come to London so largely for distribution that bills are drawn upon London; and if the goods tend to go away, the tendency would be for the financial business to go away. So that, one thing working with another, a considerable change may be effected in our trade, unless we can keep as fast hold as possible of the distributing trade. Lord Lansdowne : Leaving the question of goods traffic, I should like to ask you one question with regard to the passenger traffic. You stated at the beginning of your evidence the number of the populations which you thought would be affected. Is it the case that of those populations, a very small number indeed at present travel between England and the Continent ? Dr. Giffen : I may say that I can give you no better figure on this point than what you have already had ; I should simply be dependent upon what witnesses have told you. I was quite aware, before that evidence was given, that the numbers were very small, between 400,000 and 500,000 per annum passing across the Channel. Lord Lansdowne : In your opinion, would the open- ing of the Tunnel lead to an immense expansion in that class of traffic ? Dr. Giffen : I am disposed to' think that, after a little time at least, that class of traffic must increase very much indeed, owing to the magnitude of the cities which will be connected. London, with its 4,000,000 of popu- lation [in 19,11 the population of the Metropolitan and City of London police districts was 7,252,963] would be connected with Paris, with its 2,OQOyOOO' of population, and with the other great Continental capitals which