XII. J. HAYDON CARDEW. 



manent way, would amount to half a million, the interest 

 on which would be undoubtedly saved, by avoidance of the 

 break. Since Mr. Burge wrote his address on the subject 

 Mr. Brennan has found the "missing link," the cost of 

 applying which is set down at from £60,000 to £70,000. 

 The difficulties of handling traffic at Albury at present 

 involve an outlay of about £1,500 (fifteen hundred pounds) 

 per annum. This is the official estimate. If £60,000 or 

 £70,000 is spent on laying down a third rail between 

 Melbourne and Albury, and altering sufficient 5ft. 3in. 

 stock to 4ft. 8Jin. to work it, the yearly outlay in the way 

 of interest in such an event will be very little more; while 

 in the latter case, of course, we have the benefit of through 

 standard trains for the same yearly payment. 



The system referred to has been fully examined by com- 

 petent authorities, and it may be claimed that a distinct 

 advance has been made in the past two years towards the 

 fulfilment of Mr. Burge's prediction, as outlined above. 



As there are three gauges in existence, viz., 3ft. 6in. 

 in Queensland and West Australia, 4ft. 8^in. in New South 

 Wales, and 5ft. 3in. in Victoria, whilst South Australia has 

 5ft. 3in. for its principal system and 3ft. 6in. for the 

 Northern Territory, the question is certain to arise, what 

 shall be the universal gauge. Each State will want its 

 own gauge to be the universal one. The New South Wales 

 4ft. SUn. gauge has a mileage of 3,728, Victoria and South 

 Australia 5ft. 3in. have combined 3,901 miles, and Queens- 

 land, the Northern Territory of South Australia, and West 

 Australia 3ft. 6in. have combined 6,160 miles, and judged 

 by the question of mileage, it would seem unreasonable that 

 the universal gauge, of which there are fewest miles open, 

 should be 4ft. 8iin. 



But the material facts governing the policy of conversion 

 may be other than that of mere mileage, and would rather 



