Mr. J. A. M. O'Keeffe writes: Sir,—I have read Mr. Steer's report re railway gauges with much interest. Some years ago there was a great agitation in Queensland for light railways. In a conversation with the late Hon. J. T. Bell, when Minister for Lands, I told him I thought the present gauge was narrow enough, and related to him the following which took place at the banquet at Grandchester, after the opening ceremony of the first section of the Southern and Western railway:— Mr. Higginbottom, Engineer-in-Chief of Victoria, proposed "Success to the Queensland Railways, &c." He said it was only a "pony" railway in comparison to the Victorian railways. Mr. Fitzgibbon, Engineer-in-Chief of the Queensland railways, in reply, said: "Mr. Higginbottom calls our railway a 'pony' railway, but our railway will be sufficient for us for the next 25 or 30 years, and in that time will save for us the price of a strong horse railway and will pay from the commence- ment, which I doubt if the Victorian rail- way will do." I mention this, as perhaps I am one of the few in Brisbane to