220 DISCUSSION ON 
pendent of gauge. Maintenance, the same volume of traffic being 
assumed, was very slightly, if at all, affected. The narrower road 
took less labour to lift it, but on the other hand, a better top was 
required on the two feet road, as the lateral overhang of the roll- 
ing stock was so much greater. The lowest maintenance rate 
on the New South Wales lines with the present heavy engine 
stock, was 0°48 man per mile. On the French two feet lines, with 
about a quarter of the axle weight to bear, it was 0:44 man per mile, 
and if the standard gauge axle weight were reduced to eight tons 
as was proposed in the paper, it is probable that the French allow- 
ance of 0-44 would be sufficient on the standard gauge. On the 
Cape main lines, with much less traffic than on the New South. 
Wales main lines, the maintenance force was 1:20 man per mile 
on the three feet six inches gauge, as against 0°82 on the latter 
standard four feet eight and a-half inches gauge, both main lines, 
but considering the comparative value of the white labour here 
and the black labour there, the rate would be about the same in 
each case. The total maintenance charges per train mile under 
the little Festiniog engines was only eleven per cent. less than on 
the London and North Western, according to statistics of the 
time when he was connected with the Festiniog line, both having 
ee 
heavy traffic, showing how little gauge had to do with maintenance. 
With regard to locomotive power, wages, with that of the guard 
and including supervision, made up from three-quarters to four- 
fifths of the train mileage expenses of running and repairing an 
¢ > si 2 
engine, and these wages and salaries did not practically alter 
much with the size of it. If therefore they had to deal with a 
long line having moderately heavy traffic, as some of these branches 
might eventually have ; so far from having a saving by the narrow 
gauge they would have a serious loss, as the same wages would be 
spent over less than one-third of the tonnage hauled and paid for. 
But they were now considering a light traffic on a short line, where 
in the case of the standard gauge, the train’s crew would not be | 
fully occupied, so he was content to leave the two gauges on equal 
terms in this matter. 
