Financial.
The estimated cost of the barrage complete is £3,658,000, including compensations and other contingencies. A toll of ¾d. per ton on the shipping passing up and down will pay the interest on this sum. This ¾d. per ton additional toll will, it is estimated, be many times compensated for by reductions in the river and dock dues and other expenses, as below:—
| Savings Effected by Dockisation. | Per Annum. |
|---|---|
| £ | |
| Dredging in the river | 200,000 |
| Repairing banks, campsheds and groynes | 10,100 |
| Mudding in all docks | 50,000 |
| Cost of operating dock entrances and pumping | 70,000 |
| Saving in time of vessels ascending and descending the river | 225,000 |
| Saving in towage | 20,000 |
| ” barging | 185,000 |
| ” warping, buoying, lying off, etc. | 20,000 |
| ” management of river | 70,000 |
| Total annual saving | £850,100 |
This is equal to a reduction of 6·8d. per ton on the tonnage of shipping (30,000,000) entering and leaving the Port, or equal to 7½ times the interest on the cost of the barrage.
To the credit of the barrage must also be set the removal from the prospective future of enormous outlays contemplated for:—
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Purchasing docks, estimated at | 30,000,000 |
| Improving ditto and dredging river | 7,000,000 |
| Cost of a water supply from Wales or other source | 24,000,000 |
| Total | £61,000,000 |