November of that year, when it was 
resolved : — 
‘““ That the adoption of a 
uniform gauge is, in the opinion 
of this conference, essential to the 
development and safety of the 
Commonwealth. 
*“ That the Commission’s recom- 
mendation of a 4 feet 8%} inch 
gauge is accepted. 
‘ The Commonwealth shall pre- 
pare and circularize to the States 
a draft agreement to give eifect 
to the recommendation of the 
Commission. 
““ That steps shall be at once 
saken by the Premiers of all the 
States to consult their Govern- 
ments with regard to the said 
agreement, and the financial 
obligations of the parties there- 
under, and that the conclusions 
arrived at shall be communicated 
to and considered at a further con- 
ference in January, 1922.” 
14. Since that conference, one sec- 
sion of the work recommended by the 
Royal Commission, namely, the linking 
of Sydney and Brisbane via Grafton, 
Kyogle and South Brisbane, has been 
proceeded with; it is estimated to cost 
£4,000,000. The Commonwealth has 
also entered into an agreement with 
she State of South Australia in regard 
‘0 a standard gauge railway from 
Adelaide to Port Augusta via Red 
Hill. The Western Australian Parlia- 
ment resolved in 1927, ¢* That the time 
1as arrived when the Federal policy 
of extending the standard gauge 1ail- 
vay be consummated in Western 
Australia.” 
15. This last is a reference to the 
provision of a standard gauge railway 
netween Kalgoorlie and Perth and 
Fremantle, which would be a third sec- 
tion of the work recommended by the 
Royal Commission, but the carrying 
>ut of these three sections still leaves 
untouched the conversion of the 
Victorian and South Australian hroad 
zauge lines. . 
16. We are convinced that such uni- 
ication, at least that of the main 
arterial systems, must inevitably be 
andertaken some day, that from year 
to vear the capital cost of effecting 
1499 
t is likely to increase, and that ihere- 
‘ore an investigation should now be 
nade to decide whether it is not ex- 
sedient to do it at once, in spite of 
he fact that it may involve the 
orrowing of further capital. 
17. It was estimated originally that 
the work of unification of the gauges 
vould take eight years; we doubt 
vhether this would be so if the work 
vere expeditiously proceeded with, and 
hat is, of course, essential unless the 
1ethod adopted is such that the 
:apital laid out from time to time does 
10t remain idle for a prolonged period. 
Any such work must provide employ- 
nent for a large number of men, 
srimarily absorbing persons out of 
vork in Australia, and tending to 
sttract immigrants suitable for this 
sarticular class of work, who might 
itimately become, as is often the case 
vith railway men, settlers on the 
and. For this reason we think that 
t should be seriously considered 
vhether the £34,000,000 Agreement 
hould not be so amended as to make 
b possible for some portion of the 
-apital available under it to be used 
or the purposes indicated, and, 
urther, whether an extension of that 
igreement, both as to time and as to 
.mount, might not be the best method 
bat could be adopted by the British 
rovernment for bringing to this 
puntry from her surplus population 
mmigrants who would become per- 
manent and suitable settlers. 
Shivmina. 
18. Owing to Australia’s  geo- 
rraphical position, to the existence of 
ier many excellent harbours, and to 
‘he concentratiqn of ker population 
ound her sea coast, transport by sea 
s the natural and most important 
nethod of conveying goods between 
nany places on the continent, and is, 
»f course, the only method of convey- 
ng her produce to her distant natural 
narkets, and of bringing to her shores 
those goods which it is more 
seonomical for her to import than to 
produce. 
19. The extent of Australian sea 
transport is shown bv the two follow- 
1)