The gradual increase of steamers, the passing of the sailing vessel, and the large share of the trade of the port being now conducted by "liners," have to a very large extent done away with trade rivalries; hence the little interest now taken in the Dock Board elections. The present generation scarcely know that the docks were up to 1857 administered by a Committee of the Corporation. In my young days Liverpool people were very sore and angry at the action of Parliament in foisting upon them the Birkenhead docks. These docks had been constructed by a private company, and were insolvent and a hopeless failure. Birkenhead had, however, powerful influence in Parliament, and stoutly opposed any extension of the Liverpool docks, contending that the Birkenhead docks had not had fair play, and could accommodate the surplus trade of Liverpool. In the end, in 1857, Liverpool was obliged to buy them for £1,143,000, and within a very few years had to expend upon them £3,859,041. This outlay has ever since been a serious burden upon Liverpool. Nor did the hostile action of Parliament stop here. The town dues were taken from Liverpool, and commuted for a payment of £1,500,000. The management of the dock estate was placed in the hands of the trustees, who are, except three, elected by the dock ratepayers. In olden time the Dock Board had an annual excursion to inspect the lightships, to which they invited the whole of the Council. They were pleasant days, and it was supposed that the Mayor for the coming year was selected on these occasions. These excursions contributed to a good feeling between the Dock Board and the Corporation, which is so essential if we are to preserve the prosperity of the port. I sometimes think that our City Fathers apparently forget that our docks and our commerce are the life-blood of Liverpool. Mr. John Bramley Moore's great work on the Dock Board was completed before my day, but he continued his interest in Liverpool to the last, and was present at the opening of the North Dock system in 1882, where I saw him. He used to tell how indefatigably he worked to secure the extension of the docks in a northerly direction, how he asked Lord Derby to present the Bootle shore to the Dock Board, urging that it would be greatly to the gain of the Derby family. Lord Derby replied that it would be very difficult to convince him of that, and that he had already refused £90,000 for it. Mr. Bramley Moore then offered if Lord Derby would transfer his foreshore rights the Dock Committee would raise all the back land by using it for the deposit of their spoil, which would, he thought, be an adequate compensation. The deal was closed on this basis, the Dock Committee secured two miles of river frontage, and the Derby family the site of the most important part of Bootle, and now forming one of the most valuable of their estates. One of the first docks constructed on this newly-acquired land was the Bramley Moore, so named after the chairman.