chairman's ADDRESS. VII. 



The rise of the Japanese to eminence amongst the nations 

 of the world, is unlocking the imagination of all yellow 

 races which has been slumbering for centuries, and which 

 when it does wake will start refreshed and invigorated 

 for the prosecution and achievement of the greatest revolu- 

 tion the world has ever seen. I am not painting any fancy 

 picture; these are facts that we have to face and consider. 

 If we wish to keep our great possessions inviolate, we have 

 only two alternatives, internal development now, or war 

 hereafter. In modern development or modern war, the 

 railways of a country play a most important part, and are 

 vital for the prosecution of both ; for those purposes it is 

 necessary that they should be well equipped, well managed, 

 and be capable of concentrating rolling stock for trans- 

 portation purposes at any point on the sea board. 



But what does Australia possess? A disjointed system 

 of various gauges, indifferently equipped, and ungeographi- 

 cally subdivided for management, a system that is slow 

 and costly for trade purposes, (as witness the disorganisa- 

 tion and congestion caused by a bountiful wheat season) 

 and impossible from a military point of view. The break 

 of gauge and State management prevents trade finding its 

 proper geographical outlet, and hinders the development 

 of the country, and in case of the invasion of any part of 

 the sea-board, prevents the interchange and concentration 

 of rolling stock for the transport of men and war material, 

 and results in confusion and loss. The question of expe- 

 diting the transmission of European mails accross the 

 continent is at the present time occupying the attention 

 of, the Postmaster-General, and it is proposed, I understand, 

 to sort the mails en route, but the break of gauge at 

 Albury will make the transhipment of assorted mails a 

 laborious and difficult task, and the gain in time will only 

 be infinitesimal. 



