100 
The Journal of the ttoYAL 
they were worked independently on the old traditions 
instead of being grouped under one administration as 
obtained on the Continent. 
Public opinion has been educated by such men as Mr. 
Calthorp, Mr. Ackworth, and Mr. Mackay to the fact 
that narrow-gauge railways are not the toys which they 
were once supposed to be. Mr. Calthorp in his paper 
on the Barsi Railway has proved that a narrow-gauge 
railway laid down say at one-fourth the cost of the 
standard, is sixteen times more efficient than a standard- 
gauge line costing the same. 
Mr. Hill has made a great deal — not to say too much 
— of the question of transhipment or '' handling " as he 
terms it. There is no doubt that transhipment is a 
draw-back ; but transhipment must take place, and is 
taking place daily the world over, and even on British 
main lines without much notice being taken of the 
same. 
Is it not a fact that farm produce, fruit, etc., from 
Brittany and Normandy which have to go through 
between five and six distinct transhipments, is put on 
the London market in better condition and at a much 
cheaper rate than the farm produce of the Home 
counties ? Clearly, it is not transhipment which pre- 
vents the English farmer from competing with his 
foreign competitors. 
Mr. Leslie Robinson, who accompanied the Commis- 
sion appointed by the Cape Government to report on 
the Continental light railways, gives the cost of 
transhipment from canals and narrow-gauge lines at 
Id. to IJd. per ton. 
