ANNUAL ADDRESS. XV. 



Parkes, and Mr. Eddy was appointed Chief Commissioner, 

 the administration of the railways of New South Wales was 

 admittedly in a highly unsatisfactory state. Victoria and 

 South Australia passed through similar experiences. The 

 magnificent services of Mr. Eddy and the high state of 

 efficiency to which he brought our railway system, gave a 

 reputation to State management of railways such as it 

 never had before in a British community. No amount of 

 theorizing on the subject could have afforded such cogent 

 reasons in favour of this system as were furnished by the 

 practical results of Mr. Eddy's management. 



With regard to the construction of Australasian railways 

 this has been done chiefly in the past, and, so far as can be 

 judged by present appearances, will be done entirely in the 

 future by the various Governments. The only exceptions 

 now allowed to this rule are short branch lines for mining 

 purposes. It is worthy of passing remark that Mr. Eddy 

 in New South Wales and Mr. Mathieson in Victoria, in 

 their reports on the railways in these States, called atten- 

 tion to what is perhaps the most serious drawback to which 

 this system is liable, namely the construction of lines which 

 are not warranted from a business point of view. Special 

 provision has now, however, been made for exhaustive 

 inquiries before any line of railway is sanctioned, so that 

 it is unlikely that sanction will in future be granted with- 

 out ample reason. For the time at least the various 

 Governments of Australasia appear to have settled this 

 question to their satisfaction, and that being so, it is 

 interesting to contrast their decision with that of the 

 Government of the United States. When the question of 

 a trans-continental railway first came before the Govern- 

 ment of that country, it was referred to in the Message of 

 the President in the following terms : — " It is freely 

 admitted that it would be inexpedient for this Government 



