The evening times., 1898-10-26
A RAILWAY IN MADAGASCAR.
Grant by the Colonial Minister to
a French Company.

Grant by the Colonial Minister to
a French Company.
Consul Gibbs transmits from Tamatave,
under date of September e. 1888, copy of
concession for railway from Tanana-
rivo to Tamatave, granted the Colonial
Company, of Madagascar, a precursor Of
the French Society of Railways, of Mad
agascar now being organized Mr.. Gibbs
summarizes the conditions of the conces-
sion as follows: The company must have
a capital of 100000 francs (s2, ,925, ,00W; its
officers must be Frenchmen or French
subjects; with the exception of coal,
wood, and petroleum, all materials, roll
ing stock, etc, must come from France or
its colonies; the concessions must be
finally agreed TO before January Is. 1899,
and lasts for ninety-nine years. This,
says the consul, is the largest and most
important enterprise ever undertaken in
Madagascar.
According to the articles Of contract
the concessions granted the company fy
the minister of colonies allow actual ter
minus near Aniverano or AndeyOranti,
upon the River LarOki, or upon the Paw
galanes canal The company is also al
lowed to construct a division of a rail-
road between the aforementioned termi-
nal point and Tamatave, but Is not
obliged TO build this division until the
railway traffic reaches an annual gross
receipt of 1900 francs per kilometer Css,-
452 per 0.62l3f mile)
The contract also concedeS 3I,loo acres
of land of the domain upon the following
Pavgalanes Canal; of port. to be es-
tabIished either on the River Laroka It
self or near its mouth, on one OF the
lagoons TO which a canal has been Dug
on one of the lakes near the sea, or on
the sea; of 494 200 acres of land. in case
the company builds the railroad as lar
as Tamatave; of 24700 acres OF land In
the vicinity of the port already mention
ed, and mining privileges in the lands
named.
The second article of contract stipu-
Iates that in order that the company may
avail itself of all the advantages OF rem
tai the colony is forbidden, until the II
nal approval of the contract, TO grant or
sell land situated on either side OF the
proposed road within the space of one
kilometer (062l3I mile)
The other articles of contract are as
follows:
Inc company may uISpOSS VI ti'V "eNNi7
crossing the lands which will be granted
to it, to be used for irrigation. in the
production of motive power, etc, under
the condition that navigation shall not be
impeded or the rights of third parties in
| terfered with.
The company will be exempt from all
rent or tax for the concessions granted in
accordance with the present agreements,
until the expiration Of fifteen years. Ihe
| company will be likewise exempt from all
rent and land tax for the railroad and
/ its branches. The colony will restore to
| it, besides at the end or each year, all
| customs duties. municipal and revenue
| taxes which may have been collected up
| on the raw materials, stores, supplies
| furniture. fuel, etc.-iu a word, upon ev-
! erything that is necessary for the con-
! struction and working of the railroad.
! Bonds. shares. etc, will also be free for
the same period from all special taxes.
| The colony engages not TO build during
| the continuance of the concession any
! rairoad or any way of communication,
| other than roads or canals. beginning be-
| tween Fenerive and Mahanoro, and eX-
| tending toward TananarivO. crossing the
| Valley of Maugoro and its tributaries.
| The company Will have for fifteen years
| a right of preference for the constructiou
! and operation of all railroads running
| from the sea, between Fenerive and Ma
! hanoro TO points of the railroad; branch
| lines starting from any point of the sale
! railway in the province of the lmerlna
| Independent lines connecting Tananarivc
with any point of Imerina or with the
sea; appliances for the port of Tamatave
such as wharves. docks. piers, lighthous'
IS, etc, which the colony may not think
| il best to establish at its own expense.
| From the opening of the railway, as fal
as Tananarivo. and until the end of the
| fifteenth year thereafter, the state anC
| colony bind themselves to cause eacF
| year transportation of passengers anC
| freight equivalent 10 at least 2,So0,0
francs $50 400).
| The company consents 10 allow to pas:
| over the divisions not yet opened for op
| Grafton. merchandise of which the colo
| ny may have need; but there must arist
therefrom no hindrance to the work an'
| the movement of the trains; nor will ther'
be responsibility for accidents or for de
laws on the part of the company. Trans
| portation performed for the colony an'
| state will be effected under reduced tar
iffs.
The company will be constituted unde
| the rules Of the French law. and its en-
| actments viii be reported to the ministe
| of colonies within six months: the mem
bers of the council of administration wi
be Frenchmen or naturalized Frencl
| subjects.
Telegraph lines are 10 he constructe
along the route. The track must be
meter g feet 3G7 inches wide: train
must run three times a week. and III
speed must be at least 20 kiIometers u2+
miIes) per hour for passengers, and
kilometers C9.S2 miles, for freight.