142 SECTIONAL ADDRESSES. 



would be much more satisfactory, if the remaining 5 ft. 3 in. gauge 

 lines in Victoria, were not to be converted, to adopt Eoute B. 

 There is no doubt, however, that the adoption of either Eoute A or 

 Eoute B would prove extremely unsatisfactory as regards the working 

 of the remaining railway systems of Victoria ; it would be much better 

 to decide to convert at once the whole of the 5 ft. 3 in. Victorian lines to 

 4 ft. 8i in., caiTying out tire work in a series of stages, as shown in 

 the lantern plate. 



Since all the New South Wales railways ai-e on the 4 ft. 8^ in. 

 gauge, the only works required in the State would be the completion 

 of the coastal route northwards from West Maitland ; much of the con- 

 structional work on this coastal route is already completed. When it 

 is completed as far as Eichmond Gap, and when a new 4 ft. 8-^ in. 

 gauge line is built southwards from Brisbane to join the New South 

 Wales line at Eichmond Gap, a gi'eatly superior route will be provided 

 between the capitals of Sydney and Brisbane. The present inland route 

 has a maximum summit level of 4,450 ft., while the coastal route 

 would not have a greater summit level than 800 ft. 



The report of the Eoyal Commission was considered at a Premiers' 

 Conference held at Melbourne in November 1921. Mr. Groom, the 

 Federal Minister of Works and Eailways, in view of the enoi"mous 

 cost for complete conversion, advocated that the work of providing 

 the main-line route connecting all the capitals by a 4 ft. 8| in. high- 

 standard line should be undertaken at once, and also^ the work of the 

 conversion of all other Victorian and South Australian 5 ft. 3 in. gauge 

 lines to 4 ft. 8 J in. gauge. The total cost of these two pieces of work 

 would be about 21,00O,000L The Premier of South Australia, how- 

 ever, raised serious objections, the principal one being the difficulties 

 which would arise in the working of the local railway traffic owing to 

 the 3 ft. 6 in. lines of that State being left unchanged, and he pointed 

 out that his State Eailway officials disa-greed entirely with the estimates 

 of the Commission in regard to the cost of the conversion of all the 

 railway lines in Soufh Australia to the standard gauge. They were 

 of opinion that instead of the cost amounting to about 8,737,0002., as 

 estimated by the Commissioners, it would be more like 14,750,000/., 

 and, in addition to this heavy capital outlay, there would be a serious 

 loss of revenue brought about by delays in operating the traffic during 

 the process of conversion. He was of opinion, and his views were 

 apparently supported by the Premier of Victoria, that the whole cost 

 of conversion of the railways in Australia to a 4 ft. 8i in. gauge would 

 not be far short of 100,000,0001. sterling, and he thought that it would 

 be very much wiser to spend this huge sum of money on public works 

 which would be more quickly reproductive. 



The Premiers' Conference eventually accepted the decision of the 

 Royal Commission with regard to the adoption of the 4 ft. Si in. gauge, 

 but postponed decision as to when the work should be undertaken. 



The Australian Prime Minister in March last, in a public speech, 

 drew attention to the steadily increasing cost of the work of conversion, 

 and to the considerably increased loss in working the existing State and 

 Commonwealth railways. Fgr the year ending June 30, 1920, he 



