56 IIOADS AND RAILWAYS. 



The wliole k'ligtli ol' ihv ir-w line, tiuiu Placeiitia JuiiL-tiou to" 

 Port-aux-Buficiues, is i-stiiuatvd tu lie aliout tive Imiidied uiik's. 



THE CONTRACTS. 



The main features of the contracts were as foUows : — For' 

 construct ini;' ami e(juipping the railway "iiayments shall he 

 made to the coutractoi' U]>ou the completion of each continuous 

 and consecutive section of live nnles, or a fraction of a section 

 at the end of the work, at the rate of §"15,600 per mile of main 

 line, the said payments being in full for all the works and 

 materials provided for under this contract and necessary for 

 the thorough and complete construction and e([ui2)ment of the 

 line of railway herein provided for. All such i)ayments shall 

 l>e made by the government and accepted by the contractor in 

 debentures of the (hnernment of Newfoundland in sterling 

 money of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 

 maturing on the 1st day of January, 1947, with interest thereon 

 at the rate of three and a half ]>er cent, jier annum, payalde 

 half-yearly ; principal and interest payable in LoikIou, Eng- 

 laml." " Payments will be made to the contractor on the written 

 certiticate of the engineer and the apjiroval of the government 

 that the works have been duly executed." The whole line is to 

 be completed in three years from September 1st, 1893, and to Ite 

 a narrow -guage of three feet six inches. The specifications are 

 .such as will secure a thoroughly safe and well-ecjuipped line. 

 MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION. 



The contract for maintenance and operation of the Placentia 

 branch and of the Newfoundland Northern and Western Eail- 

 way for a period of ten years from September 1st, 1893, provides 

 that the contractor shall maintain these in a safe, efficient and 

 satisfactory manner, and continuously and etiiciently operate the 

 «5ame (the number of trains to be run being specified) ; also, 

 .«hall erect telegraph lines along the whole line of railway for 

 the purp)oses of its ojieration and work them at his own expense,- 

 and also shall, if ref^uired, work them as part of the government 

 telegi'aph system on certain conditions. On the faithful perfor- 



