A GREAT RAILWAY SCHEME

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XL, Issue 5777, 4 March 1912, Page 5

A GREAT RAILWAY SCHEME

The first practical step towards constructing! the Transcontinental Hail way has been taken. The Federal Government is calling for tendits for the supply of 185,000 tons of steel rails.

At last a practical start is to be made with the gigantic project of completing- railway communication between Perth and Adelaide. For some years past ,an Australian transcontinental railway has been ( dreamed of. talked of, projected in detail. The Federal Government has now 'decided that the project shall be carriedj out. The earnest that has Ije-en given calling for tenders for 135,000 tons of steel rails of the sincerity of the Commonwealth's determination to push on the project towards full accomplishment should be bailed with enthusiasm by all •rood Australians as -affording- yet another proof, were such needed, of the practically beneficial results of federation. How far and in exactly what manner the construction of these thousands and odd miles of railway a\ ill be accompanied by a project for the opening to prosperous occupation of the vast territory through which the railway will pass' remains to be seen. Although much of the land along" the route is practically w o rtlvloss, it has been ascertained, as the result of surveys and. other investigations made during the past few years, both by the South Australian and West Australian 'Governments, that the line will open '-up millions of acres of territory well fitted to support in comfort a very large population. The Federal (rovernment lias given proof of increased regard for the. .necessities of closer settlement by the way it has been dealing of late with the huge leaseholds in the Northern Territory. In dealing with -much of the country through which the trunscontinentsil line will eventually pass it will, however, have the advantage of not being hampered by existing1 obligations. and should therefore be able to lay down and carry out a comprehensive scheme of land settlement in which provision i for the many will be regarded us of first and foremost importance rather than the enrichment of a few. i rllie announcement that the rails for j the new line will be of Hritish marni- j facture will be greeted with high satisfaction in the Motherland, which too often has seen her colonies troing to Germany and the T'nife;! j States for machinery fhe Pritish j price for which was only a mere fraction higher.