x. Cc. O. BURGE. 
The principal difficulty in the mixed gauge project is the run- 
ning of the 4’ 8}” line through the points and crossings and inter- 
locking work of the larger gauge, and probably the least objection- 
able way of overcoming it would be to divert the standard line 
round the back of the present stations, clear of all points, and by 
making annexes (and this would be the difficulty of the proposal) 
which would be practically new stations on the 4’ 84” gauge, at 
Melbourne and its port, to deal with the intercolonial trafiic. 
This standard gauge line would not pick up any goods trafic 
intermediately in Victoria, and no intermediate sidings would be 
required, except for passing places, and access to engine sheds, ete. 
A great deal of the through traffic thus dealt with would be 
that diverted from traffic now going to Sydney, so that, as far as 
that is concerned, new rolling stock would not be required, it 
need only be transferred—traffic expenses on the new line also 
would be, to a great extent, a diverted, and not an additional, 
item. This proposal would also be an instalment of future more 
complete unification. 
As to the approximate cost, allowing £600 per mile for the 
third rail and partial conversion of rolling stock, for three hundred 
and ten miles, alterations and resumptions at nine large stations 
at_ £6,000 each, fifty smaller ones at £2,000 each for the devi- 
ations etc. referred to, and £160,000 for extra terminal accomo- 
dation, the total would be half a million, the interest on which 
would be undoubtedly saved by the avoidance of the break. 
This arrangement would do away with the through passenger 
break at the border, but not that for other intercolonial passenger 
traffic, but the question is not really a passenger one ; it is incon- 
venient no doubt, to oblige people to change carriages, but most 
branch line passengers, as a rule, have now and will always have 
to do it, and, commercially speaking, it is not likely that the rail- 
way administrations would lose a single passenger by not making 
unification complete. 
The military aspect of the question, being a matter which can 
only be dealt with by a military expert, is beyond the scope of 
