Australian Economic Problems. I. The Railways

Abstract

I. Comparative railway conditions in America and Australia, 400.—History of early railway enterprises, 402.—Railways and public lands, 403.—The leasing system, 404.—Land grant railways in Western Australia, 405.—II. Early history of railway administration, 406.—The commissioner system, 408.—Railway acts, 409.—Status and powers of commissioners, 410.—III. Construction of new lines, 410.—Land revenues appropriated to railway construction, 411.—Local guarantees for new lines, 411.—Early progress of railway construction, 413.—Causes that retarded progress, 414.—Comparative mileage of different colonies by decades, 414.—The gage question, 415.—Description of the state railway systems, 415.—Projected transcontinental lines, 417.—Private railways, 418.—Railway mileage in proportion to population and area, 418.—Railways constructed in advance of requirements, 419.—Distribution of railways, 419.—IV. Accounting methods, 420.—Cost of construction, 421.—Operating expenses and gross revenues, 425.—V. Passenger service and fares, 428.—Description of freight traffic, 429.—Some comparative traffic conditions in Australia and America, 431.—Railway rates, 432.—VI. Interstate competition, 433.—The rate question in the federal convention, 436.—VII. Tapering and development rates, 440.—Inequality of rates, 441.—Rates reduced by political pressure, 442.—The parcel system, 443.—Freight charges, 443.—Comparative rates in Australia and the United States, 444.—VIII. Profit and loss of Australian railroads, 445.—Prevalence of deficits, 446.—Reason for deficits, 446.—IX. Conclusion, 448.