THE SIBERIA N TRA NSCONTINENTA L RA ILROA D 1 '.'3 



derstandings the Chinese Eastern Railway agrees to sul)niit to 

 the decision of the Russian Minister of Finance. If the means 

 of the Ciiinese Eastern Railway shall not be suthcicMit to carry 

 out tiie necessary iniprovenientls, the road can apply for pecuni- 

 ary assistance to the Russian Minister of Finance ; (7) maxi- 

 mum passenger, freight, and telegraph tariffs shall he estahlislied 

 by agreement between the company and the Russian govern- 

 ment, which camiot be raised during the whole period of the 

 concession without the consent of the Russian government; (8) 

 Russian mail packages and officials accompanying the same 

 are to be carried free of charge. For this pur|)()se the com- 

 pany assigns to each passenger train a part of one car. The 

 Russian post-oflice department may furnisii jiost-cars constructed 

 at its own ex[)ense, but the repairing, keeping, and switching 

 of them must be done by the railwa}'^ company free of charge. 

 After the eighty years' concession has expired the road will i)ass 

 free to the Chinese government. A sale of the railway does not 

 in anyway change the obligations. 



The following rights are given by the Chinese government to 

 the railroad company : (1) The passenger baggage and mer- 

 chandise in transit from one Russian station to another are 

 exempt from all Chinese customs duties, interior taxes, and reve- 

 nues ; (2) thetariflis for passengers, freights, telegraphs, etc., are 

 to be free from all Chinese dues and taxes; (3) merchandise 

 imported and exported to and from China and Russia will pay 

 one-third less than the regular export and import Chinese duty 

 paid at Chinese sea custom-houses ; (4) goods imi>orted by rail 

 for the interior shall pay transit duty to the amount of one-half 

 of the import duty, and are free from additional duties. 



The company is at liberty to buy its construction materials 

 wherever it sees fit, and materials not purchased in Russia will 

 be free from Russian customs duties. The stock capital is fixed 

 at 5,000,000 ]iaper rubles ($2,570,000), and is divided into 1,0(^ 

 shares, issued at par. The Russian government <loes not guar- 

 antee these shares. Bonds will be issued in proportion to require- 

 ments, subject to the api)roval of the Russian Minister of Finance. 

 The income and liquidation of these bonds will l)e guaranteed 

 by the Russian government. 



The company is to begin work in August, 185)7, and the line 

 is to be completed in six years. The new line will begin at 

 Onon, on the Trans-Baikal liailroad, cross the frontier near Star.»- 



