SYDNEY LETTER Uniform Rail Gauge In Australia Likely

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28130, 20 November 1956, Page 12

SYDNEY LETTER Uniform Rail Gauge In Australia Likely

[N.Z.P.A. Australian Correspondent]

SYDNEY. November 19. At long last there seems to be a real prospect that Australia’s railway break-of-gauge problem will be tackled in earnest, and that throughtrains will run between the major cities. In five mainland States three different size railway gauges are in use. Queensland has a 3ft 6in gauge; New South Wales 4ft Bsin gauge; Victoria sft 3in; South Australia has all three; and Western Australia has two different gauges. For many years efforts have been made to bring the States together to agree on a uniform gauge, but always without success.

Now a 10-man committee comprising Federal Parliamentarians has asked the Federal Government to adopt a £41,000,000 plan for standardising railway gauges between capital cities. There is unanimity of outlook on this problem between members of all parties in the Federal Parliament. New factors—particularly the wrecking of inter-State road arteries by heavy trails —have made it urgent to find a solution. The committee said that standardisation of inter-State railways would cut production and other costs, and make the railways pay. It would allow the railways to bring the cost of hauling goods from Sydney to Melbourne below £5 a ton. compared with the present rate of £7 a ton for hauling goods by road. The committee’s report said that a standard rail gauge would save large imports of oil, rubber, and motor vehicles taking much of the loads at present carried by truck on the main highways. The committee's plan calls . for the completion of three new 4ft B|in links. These are: from Albury to Melbourne (190 miles); from Broken Hill to Port Pirie and Adelaide (375 miles); from Kalgoorlie to Perth and Fremantle (420 miles). It is envisaged that the work will take from five to seven years to complete. * * *

Immediate drastic reduction of the defence programme and extensive canvassing of overseas markets have been demanded by Sydney waterside workers. Meetings of wharf labourers claimed that the “negative economic policy” of the Menzies’ Government threatened the existence of waterside workers. Failure to explore, develop and hold overseas markets had seriously reduced the volume of shipping turning around in Sydney. delegates claimed that last week 13.000 payments were made to waterside workers for appearance money. At the end of the week 1500 men received only from £7 to £8 for the week.

An immediate resumption of diplomatic and trading relations with Soviet Russia, and the exploration of Communist China markets was urgent, according to the waterside workers’ spokesmen.

School children in Australia are now sitting for their end-of-year examinations. Next month, when the school year ends, tents of thousands of boys and girls aged 15 and 16 will leave secondary schools and begin work. According to the Director-General of Education, Dr. S. Wyndham, three of every seven children beginning secondary school study leave without the intermediate certificate. [Students sit for the intermediate after three years in a secondary school.] At 17, seven of every 10 children in New South Wales have finished with education and are in paid jobs. Highly paid dead-end jobs for youngsters are a dangerous byproduct of post-war prosperity. The prospect of earning £lO to * £l5 a week is strong temptation to many boys and girls. Educational and business leaders have found it hard to persuade parents and their children that they are on the wrong track.

New South Wales tram and bus passengers have dwindled startlingly by more than a quarter since 1945. although the population has greatly increased.

A report by the Transport Commissioner. Mr A. A. Shoebridge, says that trams and buses carried 256.000.000 fewer passengers during 1955-56 than in 1945 —a fall of 28 per cent.

However, with higher fares, revenue from Sydney and Newcastle tram and bus passengers in 1955-56 was £9.962.000, compared with £5,790,000 in 1945.

Mr Shoebridge said the fare increases were not responsible for the loss of tram and bus patronage. The

fall was due to increases in the number of cars on the road.

Sydney businessmen for several weeks have been going down with the childhood diseases of measles and chickenpox. Many are sheepish about giving their employers medical certificates for such infantile complaints, said a doctor. Measles and german measles are sweeping over the Sydney metropolitan area. The victims are mainly children up to 10 years old and adult men. Chickenpox has reached epidemic proportions in some suburbs. Again, young children and adult men are the chief victims.

A coincidence of names led a Sydney woman to think that she had won a £12,000 lottery prize—but only for 15 minutes.

The lottery was won by “M. Stevens,” of Campsie. Post Office officials knew only one M. Stevens in Campsie—Mrs Margaret Stevens. . Reporters rushed to her home. Sh'e said that she had a ticket in the £12.000 lottery. What had she called it they asked. “Anything,” said Mrs Stevens. She was told that that was the winning name. While she searched feverishly for the ticket, neighbours showered her with congratulations. Then Mrs Stevens found the ticket —and it was the wrong number. There were two Mrs M. Stevens in Campsie: They had both bought a ticket in the lottery, and had both called it “Anything.” # # #

Lieutenant Commander Peter Wrigley, of Sydney, a competitor in the Olympic Games shooting events, made his own rifle in a backyard workshop. It cost him more than £2OO. The rifle has been described by leading gunsmiths as a “first-class piece of engineering.” Wrigley decided to make his own rifle when his application for permission to import one from Europe was refused. Australian fencers were permitted to import swords only after long argument with authorities who at first refused to lift import bans.