118 THE HIGH COST OF LIVING 



passenger fares on the private lines are double and 

 sometimes treble those on the state-owned railways, 

 and the former make no concessions in time of 

 emergency. 



As in Germany, Denmark, and Switzerland, the 

 railroads are operated for the upbuilding of the 

 state. As Australia is primarily an agricultural 

 nation, the aim is to aid the farmers in every pos- 

 sible way. An instance of such assistance in times 

 of stress is the activities of the railways of Victoria 

 in the drought of 1914, when they carried live stock 

 from the affected areas to the green state forests 

 along the seacoast. The railways also hauled wa- 

 ter for household and stock use to the dried-up 

 areas.^ The government railways are equipped with 

 refrigerator-cars and can accommodate the model 

 travelHng dairies sent out by the state for the in- 

 struction of farmers. This is indicative of the oper- 

 ating policy. The railways are treated as are the 

 roads and highways. They are means of communi- 

 cation, not for profit but for pubHc service. 



New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South 

 Australia, and West Australia have splendid work- 

 shops for the manufacture and repair of rolling-stock. 

 An instance is cited in which the government shops 

 at Newport, in competition with private works on 

 a contract for engines, bid so much lower than the 

 private interests that the latter accused the man- 



* Elwood Mead, in Metropolitan Magazine, January, 1917. 



