THE FUTURE OF OUR CANALS.
Our Waterways. By Urquhart A. Forbes and W. H. R. Ashford. (J. Murray. 12s. net.)—Messrs. Forbes and Ashford have given us a valuable treatise on the past history and future possible utilisation of our British canals and waterways, which may profitably be studied in conjunction with Mr. Pratt's book, which represents the reverse of the medal. The canals were un- fortunate in being practically ruined by the competition of the infant railway system, the managers of which found it desirable in many cases to acquire control of the neighbouring canals, and so to preserve a monopoly of the traffic. Mr. Empson lately declared, in his evidence before the Royal Commission on Canals now sitting, that railway companies were still in the habit of strangling water traffic in the hope of getting all traffic into their own hands so as to be able to charge higher rates. From such a book as this of Messrs. Urquhart and Ashford we can learn what an obstacle has thus been put in the way of a most convenient and inexpensive system of transport for heavy freight. In their two final chapters they sketch out the various schemes which have been suggested for the resuscitation of our water- ways. Three chief methods have been proposed,—the placing of all canals under the supervision of the Board of Trade, the estab- lishment of a central Canal Trust, and the nationalisation of our waterways. The last is the one which they favour, and they give their reasons for believing that the initial expense involved would be speedily recouped by the immense incentive thus given to commercial enterprise. Their sensible and well-informed book should be in the hands of all who are interested in the question of water transport in this country.
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