The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-09-10

due. almost entirely to the working of q protect
ire tariff which was introduced in 1922. Form
erIy the importation of very many articles was
absolutely prohibited, and on nearly all the rest
excessively high duties were laid. This was
/ found, however, not to work well, the high
duties operating as a premium to smuggling. In
1850, the prohibitory system was abolished, and
a merely protective tariff adopted. Again, in
1868, delegations from all the manufactures and
trades, and merchants of the principal cities
were mmo TO St. Petersburg, to consult
/ with Government on a revision of the tariff.
The labors of the commission resulted in the
present tariff, which went into force January LIST.
1869. and which in many respects is modelled
after that of the United States for America, in
the Russian view, is the most liberal country
in the world, - where everything must necessarily,
it is thought, be done we'll.
The cotton industry of Russia has attained its
present proportions entirely through the means
of the protective tariff. There are 4S spinning,
$50 weaving, and 1873 printing mills, consuming
about sc, 00O, 900 pounds of raw cotton, of which
nine-tenths come from America, and one-tenth
from central Asia. The quality of the goods
manufactured compares favorably with those of
other countries, and some goods were pronounced
at the London Exposition as better than any
others.
Besides being a great grain producing coun-
try, Russia exports large quantities of flax and
hemp. In 1868, these amounted to 80 900 tons
of flax, 90, 900 tons of hemp, ropes and cables,
and hax-seed, to the value of SO 900 900 roubles
in all.
The annual wool product of Russia is about
100, 900 900 pounds, and the manufactures of
wooden goods are valued at so 900 900 of roubles
per annum. Silk manufactures give employment
to 8 5000 workmen, and turn out goods valued at
Is 900 900 roubles a year. The total value of
the leather industry, including prepared sheep
skins, amounts to Sc, 200, 900 roubles annually.
The tallow, soap and s~tearine factories produce to
the amount of &c, 600 900 roubles a year.
The iron of Russia is the best in the world,
but it is costly, as coal has but lately been dis
covered, and transportation from the distant
mines to the commercial centres is dear. The
value of the metallic manufactures is set down at
81 600 900 roubles per annum. The value of
machinery imported in 1868 was 10000, 900
roubles.
But there is one branch of industry which,
W0ile IL VIII surprise mOSC reduerS, ndS Ddu great
success-the culture and manufacture of beet
sugar. 1t was introduced at the commencement
of the present century, the pioneer in the bust
ness having been assisted by the Government with
a oan,-an instance of commendable liberality.
In l84l, the protective duty on foreign sugar
was equal to 100 per cent, and then the beet
sugar industry took a great start. The production
in 1868 amounted to 178 ,O0O, 900 pounds. The
consumption of sugar in Russia is, however, very
small, compared with that of other countries, as
the majority of the peasants rarely taste it.
Most of the agricultural machines shown at the
Exposition were variations on American models,
but one excellent moving machine invented by a
peasant was an object of attention and praise.
But in fact the Russians are close observers and
imitators of American inventions. The first
steamboat in Europe was built at st. Petersburg
in 1918, closely following Fulton's experiment on
the Hudson, and ran between st. Petersburg and
Cronstadt. TIE boat-tbe drawings of which
we-c shown at the Exposition-was of a very
primitive construction, and the smoke chimney
was of brick. A river boat is now being built
after the American plan, to run on the Volga.
The fey facts above stated indicate what enor-
nous strides Russia has made in manufactures
during the past fifty years,-almost entirely the
result of the judieious protective tariff which she
has established. Who will attempt to predict
her possible achievements in the fifty years to
come?