Melbourne's system of suburban rai ways has been increased by the addition to the list of a line connecting the city with the extreme northern suburbs. This undertaking has taken two years to build two miles at a cost of £200,000. Tt hi been badly needed. Unfortunately the extravagant. building programme forced upon tie Department in the boom y has led to the construction of needed and payable lines being neglected. or at any rats postponed. Nowadays it has to be proved to the satisfaction of. first, the Railway Standing Committee, and finally Parliament, that any proposed try ines are in process of construction, notably the one connecting Mildura (the irrigation colony on the Murray River in the extreme N. W.) with the present system. Want of railway communication with the seaports has hitherto been the principal bar to the progress of this mest useful scheme.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.