The State Railway Muddle in Australia
London, John Murray, 1912.
Octavo, viii, 164, [4] (catalogue) pages.
Cloth lightly flecked; edges lightly foxed; an excellent copy.
Provenance: Arnold Edwin Davey (1862-1920), South Australian flour-miller and grain merchant (see the 'Australian Dictionary of Biography'). Tipped in on the endpapers and a few pages throughout the book are seven relevant cuttings or tearsheets (including a review of the book), the large folded seating plan for an undated 'Banquet to Railway Commissioners' (presumably held in Adelaide), and two letters to Davey. One of them is a typed letter signed by the SA Commissioner of Railways, Alexander Bain Moncrieff (1845-1928). The letter (one page quarto, 15 October 1913, on the official letterhead) is in reply to one from Davey, which referenced this book. Moncrieff writes that 'In my opinion this book is an utter humbug. It is written for a special purpose in connection with the proposed purchase of Railways in England. It was sent to me some time ago for review, but I did not think it worth touching. I was interested yesterday to note that my opinion on the subject was confirmed by a reviewer writing for the American "Engineering News", which is one of the finest Engineering papers in the World'. The ADB is also worth consulting for information on Moncrieff.
Item #108832
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