Administration of Ports: (c) The Small Port
| Published date | 01 July 1938 |
| Author | Basil Marsden‐Smedley |
| Date | 01 July 1938 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9299.1938.tb02093.x |
..
Administration
of
Ports
(c)
The
Small
Port
By
BASIL
MARSDEN-SMEDLEY,
B.A.
(Member
of
the London County
Council,
ad
formerly member
of
Transport Advisory
Council)
[Paper to be discussed at the Summer Conference
of
the Institute
of
Public Administration, Bristol, July,
19381
UBLIC
administration
is
not an end in itself, but
a
means to an
p
end. That end is clearly to provide for mankind the public
services demanded by
him
for the maintenance and improvement
of
his
standard of living and civilisation.
It follows that the needs of the public are the sole arbiter
of
whether a service
is
worth while; and the subject matter of all public
administration ought to be capable of direct or indirect justification by
this principle.
Uses
of
the
Small
Port
By
all standards
of
public benefit there can be no doubt the small
port
deserves more consideration than it sometimes receives.
It
is
essential for coastwise shipping, which provides
a
very cheap means
of transport, particularly for heavy goods.
It
is true the utility
of
the small port is largely confined to internal or short sea trade, but
it should be borne in mind that this country with its indented coast-
line is particularly suitable for waterborne transp0rt.l Almost every
large centre
of
population in the United Kingdom is situated at
or
near the sea. Cheaper transport means delivered goods cost less. For
instance,
in
so
far
as transport is
a
large factor in building costs,
cheaper transport means cheaper houses reflected in either lower rents
or better houses
for
the same rent. It means cheaper coal. Cheaper
delivery
of
raw
materials means manufactured things cost less.
In
fact the small port can be justified as capable of serving
a
public need
that exists to-day.
In maintaining and improving the services provided by the small
port it
is
desirable to take
a
long view into the future. It has been
generally agreed that the vast building activities which have resulted
1
For
map
showing
the complete system
of
small
ports
with
which
England
has
been
equipped see
Appendix
I.
324
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