Page:The Canal System of England.djvu/34

 Several schemes were brought before the Committee—and the four routes discussed were those via the

After carefully considering the whole matter, Committee reported that in their opinion, it was in the highest degree important that canal communication with the larger ports of the country should be greatly improved so as to provide carriage at much lower rates.

The Committee believed, however, that the ports of London and Liverpool were of far greater importance to Birmingham traders than the Severn ports, because of the constant and efficient service of steamers regularly leaving those ports. They found that Birmingham and the neighbourhood despatched 40% of its exports and received 19% of its imports via London, and despatched 43% of its exports and received 24% of its imports via Liverpool. The Committee therefore inclined towards the Liverpool route.

Although so narrow, the Birmingham Canal Navigations are among the most extensive in the whole country, and carry altogether nearly eight millions of tons of traffic. But there are also points of Engineering interest; several of the waterways are led through long tunnels (some of