ANNUAL ADDRESS. III. 



mind. When it is proposed to construct a railway or other 

 large work, the project has to be submitted to Parliament 

 and a special bill has to be introduced and carried before 

 the work can be proceeded with. As a general rule, the 

 only opposition which such a bill is likely to meet is that 

 from parties who consider that their rights are prejudicially 

 interfered with. The company which brings forward the 

 project undertakes all risks, and the people of the district 

 directly affected are naturally in favour of the expenditure 

 of a large amount of money in their neighbourhood and of 

 the advantages which the proposed work will afford ; so 

 that unless there is likely to be serious interference with 

 existing rights, a bill for a useful work is passed as a matter 

 of course. In short, the only objections which would be 

 allowed to stand in the way would be objections of a purely 

 practical and non-political character. 



So far as railways in the United Kingdom are concerned, 

 the only cases, so far as I have been able to ascertain, in 

 which the Government has taken any direct part in pro- 

 moting the construction of new lines, have been in Ireland 

 in recent years. The necessity for light branch lines 

 extending into some of the poorer and more remote districts 

 was observed by Mr. Balfour when Chief Secretary, and 

 the result was the passing of an Act of Parliament under 

 which the Government guarantees part of the interest on 

 the outlay while the landowners guarantee the balance. 

 The branch railways constructed under these conditions 

 have proved a great boon; but it is to be noted that the 

 Government did not saddle itself with either their con- 

 struction or management. 



As might naturally be expected, municipal institutions 

 in Great Britain and Ireland have, from long experience, 

 reached a high scale of efficiency in their management. 

 The construction of works for water supply, for sewerage, 



