Railways
of course formed part of our inquiry, but they were dealt with in our
Interim Reports.

To a large extent railways were more a matter of domestic than of
Imperial concern, but as the development of the resources of the
Dominions depended greatly upon the adequacy of railway transit, the
subject came within the province of our inquiry. I will not trouble the
reader with statistics (which can be readily obtained elsewhere) beyond
the following statement which represented, at the time we made our
investigations, the railway mileage and the population in each Dominion
compared with the United Kingdom:--

Miles of Population. Number of
Railway. Inhabitants
per Mile of
Railway.
Canada 35,600 8,075,000 280
Australia 18,000 4,500,000 250
South Africa 8,800 1,300,000{207a} 150{207b}
New Zealand 2,900 1,052,000{207a} 370
Newfoundland 800 250,000 320
United Kingdom 23,500 46,000,000 1,950

It is clear that railway construction has not been neglected in the
Dominions, and that, measured by population, the mileage is considerable.
Speaking generally, the Dominion railways are highly efficient and serve
their purpose well. Extensions were being projected and many were in
course of construction for the further development of natural resources
and of trade and commerce.

In Australia the railways, with the exception of certain lines belonging
to the Commonwealth, are owned and worked by the several States. We
found them paying full interest on the cost of construction, and sound
assets of the country. The cost of working was, however, greatly
increasing, due mainly to increase of salaries and wages. How this
stands since the war I do not know; but that expenses have further
advanced goes without saying. An important railway witness whom we
examined expressed the opinion that increased expenditure could be
recouped by increased rates. Perhaps that is still true. If it is, the
railways of Australia are happier than most of the railways in Ireland.

The railways of New Zealand belong to and are worked by the Government.
For many years the Government, looking upon the railways as an adjunct to
the settlement and development of the country, only