councils for the up-keep of main roads, 
These are falling into disrepair, and 
meanwhile there is a provision of 
£100,000 a year from the Common- 
wealth in the shape of a Federal Road 
Aid Grant, on condition of a contri- 
bution of a further £75,000 from the 
Tasmanian Government, not available 
for maintenance, but only for the cost 
of new construction and capital im- 
provement of main roads called 
Federal-aid roads. This new construc- 
tion and capital improvement are not 
really wanted, so that the money put 
up by the Commonwealth .and the 
State is, in effect, wasted, and the 
only result is to provide facilities for 
more motor traffic to compete with the 
Tasmanian Government railways, 
which are losing about £300,000 a year. 
The question suggests itself why the 
Federal Government should not allow 
its money to be spent on some form 
of transport which Tasmania does 
want, e.g., the maintenance of her 
existing roads, or even improved ship- 
ping communication with the main- 
land. 
36. Another thing that struck us is 
the bad condition of the stock routes 
mm parts of the country, and 
the little effective control that seems 
to be exercised over them. We 
recognize that it is necessary to 
avoid the utilization of such routes 
as a means of obtaining grazing 
country for nothing, and that they 
cannot, therefore, be made too attrac- 
tive for the purpose they are designed 
to serve; on the other hand, if the 
routes were in a proper condition and 
their utilization effectively controlled, 
they would provide a means for the 
transportation of stock at a very much 
less expense than any other way. In- 
deed, one answer to the pastoralists 
who call for the construction of uneco- 
nomic railways seems to be, Why do 
vou not see that the means of trans- 
port which are already provided are 
kept in proper order? *? 
Tramways. . 
87. It is evident from the figures 
we have quoted in paragraph 81 that 
tramways in Australia still maintain 
their place as a recognized means of 
transport in urban districts. We 
relieve that they are profitable under- 
;akings, but we would issue a word of 
varning against too great confidence 
n this state of things continuing, 
recause the experience of other parts 
'f the world—especially the more con- 
tested areas—is that tramways are 
inding difficulty in competing with, 
wd are gradually being ousted by 
ther forces of transport, i.e., buses, 
harabancs and other motor vehicles. 
"he difficulties created by the in- 
reased use of private motor cars, and 
he consequent congestion of the traffic 
n the larger cities, makes the rigidity 
if tramways, confined as they are to 
pecial routes and lines, a drawback 
'o their efficiency, although the greater 
sarrying capacity of each vehicle is an 
wlvantage at the time of peak ” 
‘raffic. 
Motor Transport. 
28. Motor transport, even at the 
tage of its present development, has 
recome the ordinary means of carrying 
dassengers over short distances, and 
rarrying goods for distances up to 40 
or 50 miles where there are well con- 
‘tructed roads, It is also, by means 
of the lighter trolley, taking the place 
*f horse-drawn traffic, and appears to 
‘e especially suitable as a feeder for 
he railways. Future extension of 
motor transport appears to be almost 
inlimited, and we commend the action 
of the Development and Migration 
Jommission in setting up a committee 
‘0 decide upon the most appropriate 
ypes of motor vehicles for Australia, 
ind the possibility of the utilization of 
some other motive power than petrol. 
Aviation. 
39. The extent to which aeroplanes 
are being used in Australia is shown 
in the following table: — 
Australian Civil Aviation, 
Num- ight 
ber jo! Flights 
Aero- tours] 21m 
plancs| ” 
RAL Hours. Miles. 
Year, 
Pas- [Letters 
sen- | Car- 
gers © ried 
Car- | Num- 
ried. | ber. 
1924-25 
1925-26 
1926-27 
1097-98 
59 
66 
77 
90 
5,300 404,000 6,100] 225,000 
6,400, 488,001 7,000] 273,000 
10,400] 778,000! 17,200 291,000 
15,600 11,141,000! 40.700! 302.000