Report of the British Economic Mission to Australia

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 179824683X

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-182286

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Report of the British Economic Mission to Australia

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: His Majesty's Stationery Office

Year of publication:: 7th January 1929

Scope:: 63 S.

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

Usage license:: Get license information via the feedback formular.

Chapter

Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Supplementary memoranda

Collection:: Economics Books

SUPPLEMENTARY MEMORANDA. A. TRANSPORT. also seen representatives of the inter- state and overseas shipping interests, and, owing no doubt to the importance of the subject, and its vital effect upon \ustralian conditions, we have had uggestions made to us on very many ccasions in regard to it by the repre- entative bodies and citizens with vhom we have been brought into con- act. Although, therefore, our general wrvey of the economics of the con- sinent has not permitted us even to ouch upon the details of this vital -ubject, we are constrained to submit aur general conclusions on the evidence vhich we have received. This nemorandum . is in the briefest pos sible terms, sufficient only to make in- selligible the recommendations and suggestions which we put forward for consideration. Railways. 4. In spite of the competing services if sea and road transport, it remains rue that railways are the most suit- ble means for the haulage of heavy roods and for carrying passengers for ong-distance journeys, especially vhere shipping does not afford a suffi- jently rapid means of transport, and t is worthy of remark that Australia as more railways in relation to popu- ation than any other country in the vorld. 5. Practically all the railways in Australia belong to and are worked by he Commonwealth and State Govern- ments. The statistics relating to them are: — 1. Adequate and cheap transport is of paramount importance to Aus- tralia’s welfare and future develop- ment. So fully was this recognized in the past that, when the necessary capital could not be attracted for her railways, they were provided by the Government; and during the post-war period the experiment of running her own ships was also entered upon as a State undertaking in the hope of giving better service to Australia at lower freights. 2. In order to realize the extent of Australia’s problem of transport, it is only necessary to remember that she ships from overseas between 5,000,000 and 6,000,000 tons of cargo each year, and sends away a similar amount, that her interstate shipping amounts to more than 6,000,000 tons annually, that she has 25,000 miles of Govern- ment railways,* whose cost of con- struction and equipment has been £303,000,000, that there are ap- proximately 80,000 miles of properly made roads, and that the total length of surveyed roads in Australia prob- ably exceeds 400,000 miles, that she has 645 miles of tramways, which have sost £265,000,000 to construct, that to- day there are nearly 600,000 motor vehicles registered, i.e., nearly one to every 11 inhabitants, and that there are in use some 90 aeroplanes, which in the year 1928 carried over 40,000 passengers, and flew over 1.100.000 miles. 3. Tt would be idle for us to pretend to be able to deal in any detail with such a vast and complicated subject as this of Australian transport. To do so effectively requires the services of skilled technical investigators for a long period; but, fortunately for us, such investigations have been made in the past and have been available to us, and we have, in the course of our itinerary, interviewed Ministers in charge of transport, Railway Commis- sioners, Road Commissioners, and the Committee of the Development and Migration Commission which is deal- ing with motor transport. We have * There are also 3,143 miles of privately-owned railwavsa. Year ynded 30th Tune. Mileage open, | Cost of Con~ struction and Equip-~ ment. Net Earnings. {Gross Revenue, less Working Expenses.) A mount. [Per cent. on Cost. 1017 1018 919 920 921 922 n22 924 925 926 108. 21,642 | 22,180 | 22,647 28,147 13,296 23,602 23,881 24.484 24.844 25,378 | DE EID 00. ©. 214-8 6:1 | 2:8 220-3 6:7 | 80 224-9 6-3 2-8 281-1 73 32 235-9 6-0 2-5 Add 3-4 3-4 58°5 10:0 4-0 266+ 2 105 © 40 276°1 11-9 | 4-3 988-4 | 64 | 22 BAQ.O Q.0 ~~

Access restriction

Copyright

fullscreen: Report of the British Economic Mission to Australia

Monograph

Chapter

Table of contents

Download

Monograph

Chapter

This page

Image fragment

Citation links

Citation recommendation