WATERWAYS AND HARBOURS
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native-built Chinese road is typical of the trend of economic change at the present day.
   In one field Great Britain has, however, hitherto assumed and retained her supremacy, namely, that of shipbuilding. She has lagged behind her competitors in the volume of production in many departments of prime industrial importance. In spite of the fact that she has held the reins as the banker and commercial exchange centre of the world, she has been eclipsed in some directions by her own sheer inertness, whole classes of manufacture which she originated having been let slip by her. In some quarters she has to learn to reverse her Victorian policy of masterly inactivity. War has revealed the inevitable path of ordered change. It becomes increasingly obvious that many treasured trade traditions must float away in the smoke of battle. By combined effort the State, organized Capital, and organized Labour must march together in the acute problems of the future.
  Amongst these problems none takes precedence of that of national waterways and harbours. How are these to be organized so as to render most vital service in coming emergencies?
   The efficiency of a great arterial system of waterways is largely an index of commercial progress. This is essentially true in a congested country such as England. A few years ago belated proposals were put forward for bringing back the canal system of this country to its ancient position as universal carrier. It is now pretty widely admitted that the minor canal in England has more or less had its day. The railways have practically monopolized the means of transport, and canals serve in the main as feeders to the railways. Even this hybrid condition of things probably will not persist. In a certain restricted number of cases, and in respect of certain minor trades, where delay in the transit of goods is of lesser importance, the older canals may continue partially to serve their original purpose.
   The substitution of steam, petrol, or electric motor traction would probably necessitate heavy expenditure in the reconstruction of the banks of those designed for slow horse traffic.
   The ship canal is a proposition of a totally different character. It is probable that schemes for the creation of inland ports and distributing centres will become more insistent. Such towns
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