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Mallee - Part 2
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Image 126
Mallee - Part 2
Image 126
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northern end for the Eastern Fields. the life of a ruining town is limited to its payable ore, and the carriage of firewood over a payable length for the purchaser may be easily estimated. Neither in this case looks cheerful, in respect to revenue on the Coolgardie. Norseman Railway. By this I do not mean mining at Norseman is finished, But I do say that the town and some of the mines are not nearly so prosperous as 10 years ago. The question which naturally follows is what can be done with the Coolgardie-Norseman Railway? Is it to be run at a loss for years, and eventually pulled up, or is it to be extended to tap country which will make payable traffic. There can be only one answer to these two questions, i. e, extend the line, provided it can be shown producing country exists within a reasonable distance. Assuming for the moment agricultural country does exist, and the line is extended to tap it. The old objection to one line working in opposition to another disappears, as the Coolgardie-Esperance Railway would do work which the Eastern trunk line can never do. The existing section becomes a payable concern, and land which without a railway is valueless becomes productive. There are no engineering difficulties between Norseman and Esperance, in fact it is a very easy section. Water for railway locomotive is dealt with under the heading " Water supply for Agricultural Areas and Railway Engines." The railway would serve 1½ million acres already classified and covered in this report .It may be found advisable later on to shift the goldfields boundary north to the 100-miles post road survey, This would add 300,000 acres with average rainfall of 11.4 inches to the i½ million acres already examined, but before doing this, the 300,000 acre block should be classified, so far as we know, it consists of salmon gum and morrell country. Esperance Harbour. In Mr . Surveyor Middleton's report attached two schemes are described and estimates given for each. A plan is also attached showing the suggested works—also the Admiralty chart with soundings. I agree with Mr . Middleton's description and estimates . ESTIMATED COST OF CONSTRUCTION. £ Norseman-Esperance Railway, 125 miles at £1,500 187,500 Harbour "A" Scheme in say 3 years .. .. 78,000 Water Supply for Settlement— £ First year .. .. .. .. 7,000 Second year .. .. .. .. 5,000 Water Supply for Railway .. .. 10,000 ________ 22,000 __________ £287,500 __________ ESTIMATED VALUE OF LANDS. £ Agricultural Land within 15 miles of proposed Railway, and between 25-mile and 80-mile Road Survey, acres excluding Salt Lakes .. .. .. .. 922,000 at 10s. 461,000 Sand Plain South of Mallee (25 miles) to the Coast, including swamps .. .. .. .. 412,000} at 4s. 6d. 97,650 Sand Plain within Mallee belt .. .. .. 22,000} ____________ £558,650 Conclusion In finishing this report I must explain that I could not well avoid touching on subjects outside my own Department. Having started writing up my notes, question such as harbour works railways, and soil examination overlapped water supply, and had to considered . I wish to draw the attention of Hon .Ministers who may be interested in this report to the services rendered by Mr .Surveyor Middleton. He collected all the information, and worked very hard in doing so. P. V. O'BRIEN, M. I.C.E., er Supplies, Engineer for Water Supplies Mines Department. 30th August, 1912.
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