Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-26
Governmental Control of Railroads
Prevails in the Colonies.
HOW 1T HAS W0RKED
Different Gauges a Matter of Great
inconvenience.
FINANCIALLY CONSIDERED


the discussion that followed in the news
| papers indicated strong sentiment in favor
| Of such control A report made to the State
Department by Mr.. ID. w. Maratta, United
States consul general at Melbol rne, in re-
| gard to the railways of Australia fas very
| important bearing On this question and is
! particularly interesting Just ct this time.
THE railroads of Aus ,ralia," he says, ''prac-
! tically represent the assets for tie national
| debts of each colony and today would prob
| ably realize, if they were to be disposed of.
| the fun amount of the national indebted
| ress. 1t is, however, improbable that the
people concerned will ever allow these great
| possessions to pass into private hands, be-
| ljeving that they should be retained TO open
| Up and develop the resources of the colonies
and aid in the material progress of Aus
| tralia.
ut is agreed, however, that, to a certain
extent, the railway admnist "a ton should be
| separated from politics. The construction
and direction o: new lines may well be left
| to parliament TO determine. but the man.
agement of the lines and control OF the rail-
ways daily working, it is held, are matters
for skilled and capable railway managers,
untrammeled by the exigencies that political
considerations would often canse to inGu-
ence the political mind
The statutes Of the colonies, placing the
railways under the existing commissioner
Victoria in 1883, South Australia i'm 1887
| >eW SOutn wales In 1879 ana Queensland
in 1SSS-have, TO a large extent, provided
| for the management of the railways on COM
mercial as separate from political lines.
Each railway system is under the control
OF three commissioners, who have had large
powers to administer free from political
interference, and those best able TO judge
| are of the opinion that the system has
worked well The parliament of Victoria.
however, has recently thought ii well to
amend the act passed in 1SS, 10y limiting
the power of the railway commissioners and
giving to the railway minister of the day
! greater power to interfere in the manage
ment of the lines. Sufficient time has not
yet elapsed TO demonstrate whether the
| change is wise one, bat fears are ey-
pressed that the change will not work well.
experience N railway management can only
! be acquired by years of study and practical
work, and the political manager however
ANXIOUS to do good. may at any time.
through lack of experience and railway
| knowledgedo much harm. In the other colo
MES the result of railway working under the
| capable commissioners that have been an
| pointed has been most satisfactory and the
people are content TO leave the conditions
| generally as they are a present.
Good Facilities.
| glance at the map OF the colonies will
| Stow that colonial legislators have not been
unmindfui of the importance of railways
| In every direction are long lengths of trunk
| lines, eVtdencing this fact. The completion
of the now celebrated bridge over the
Eawkcsbury brought the four principal
| cities Of the colonies into direct railway
| communication, and viewed from the popu-
Iation per-mile-of-l line point, Australia can
| be asst, even now, of being better served by
It's railways than any country in the world
| Inc various parliaments are still occupying
| II emselves selecting and determining upon
! new lines, and entertain 10 proposal in New
| South Wales or Victoria, unless the special
| personal investigation by a public works
| committee Endorses the desira bility and COM
! mercial prudence of entertaining the pro-
posal. The railway commissioners also fur
| nish reports IS to the probable traffic on any
| rev line, and the probability OF the line
proving a commercial success. TO the Brit
tsh investors, upon whom the Australia n
are so largely dependent for means to carry
Oh these national works, such safeguards
| are an exceptional guaranty that the rail-
! way loans are judicious1y and carefully ad-
| n,instered.
| present time in New South Wales represent
| total addition of sixty-seven miles TO the
| service: in Victoria, forty-eight miles are
| being proceeded with; In Queensland. SIX
miles; In South Australia, fifty-seven and
Cne-half miles; in western Australia, Ill
miles. Now that western Australia has be-
come a self-governirg colony, IT il likely
| that greater impetus will be given TO rail-
| way construction.
BY way of showing, comparatively, the
progress of railways in Australia, IL may
| be remarked that here there is one mile of
railway to each 3i4 Inhabitants, as against
/ 1,SsS in Great Britain, and $3.50 in the United
| States.
! Good Investments.
The aggregate of the national debt of the
| colonies would appear to be disproportion-
/ ate when compared with the limited popu-
| lation of Australia, and complaints have
| frequently been made in the English press
that the colonies are unmindful of the festi-
| ma lente, and all the good advice that con-
| vcnieht adage is supposed to infer. The ad-
verse criticism has not, however, up to the
present had shadow of justification. Let
| il be remembered that the money borrowed
| has not been sunk in undertakings which
will give no return, but has been expended
| in works which are reproductive, yielding
| direct return On the capital, and repre-
serting a greater value than the original
| cost; for instance, the New South Wales
| lines. costing about f34. 500,ON tSl57 SO OOD,
are estimated to be worth more than s40,-
| OOO,OW (sl96, 900. Further The money
| has been spent I'm developing large re-
sources which add to the wealth of the
! colonies. 1t is wise 10 emphasize this point,
| as 1t seems to have been overlooked to a
large extent. In Europe tie national debts
| of the various countries nave been incurred
| principally through the expenses Of pro-
lCnged wars, and the money mas gone be-
yond recovery; but In these colonies the
expenditure is represented by public works,
| which are more valuable than the entire
national debt, and pay direct return. in
| some cases equal to the interest due upon
| the capital invested.
| Battle of the Gauges.
| The railways in all the colonies with The
| exception of one or two lines, belong 10 the
state. In New South Wales the first rail-
ways were projected as far back as 1916,
| and few years afterward q company
| the Sydney Tram and Railways Company
| was formed. The company undertook the
| construction of line from Sydney 10 Par
| lamatta, a distance C fourteen miles; but
| as the capital became absorbed before The
| work was completed he company "as
| unable to carry on operations, and in the
| end the government had tc take over the
| l.ne,. which was finished on ;ho :,a:h OF
| September, 1853.
| The system of placing the railways under
| the management OF commissioners, aud
| practically separating them from political
| control, has been adopted IN the four prin-
| cjpai colonies, and, as already stated. cH-
| perience is proving that The change has been
/ a very wise one.
| In western Australia railway constrlc-
| ton is in its infancy.g There are 2U4 miles
| of line constructed and managed by the
| government, and, in addition. about AL
miles of lines are owned by private COM
| panies. The first line was opened as re
| Gently July, 1876 ami latterly Tucll
progress has been shown. the land grant
| system having to some extent been adopt
| ed.
/