The fall in the value of West India Poch - property
is much talked of in the City to-day. Many people seem nmeh surprised, and at a loss how to account for it. The laws of competition, we think, furnish a very obvious solution—the supply of dock accommodation exceeds the demand. We believe it is an admitted fact, that the foreign trade of the port- of London has been on the decline for several years. 'Strenuous efforts have been made, by the construction of large and expensive docks,. to arrest the progress of t his decline, hut without success. Even if they had succeeded; and the trade had remained stationary, or per- hips been somewhat increased, it would have been- difficult to keep up the dividends to a remunerating percentage on the 'enpitalCmployed. No particular branch of trade has suffered more than -that With our West India Colonies : hence the decline of their shipping, the empty state of their Docks, and the reduction of their dividends..
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