The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-01-02
AMERICAN PRODUCTS
And Their Effect on the Natives
of Russia.
Mpscovite Farmers Have No show
in Competing With Yankee Wheat
Petroleum Hardware
Manufactures.

New YORK, JAN "A Russian letter is
interesting to farmers 1tsays: "The crush
ing influence of American grain upon the
Russian grain trade has been for years
theme Of the liveliest discussions for many
writers and economists In Russia They have
come almost unanimously to the conclusion
that in the present circumstances Russian
grain cannot adyantageously compete with
American grain in the European mar
kets, and that Russia's system of
husbandry must be radically reformed, or
she will fall back into the state of poverty,
barbaiism and anarchy which fer centuries
was her lot. A member of the Imperial
Russian Society for the Protection of Indus
try and Trade, at recent session of the So
ciety, expressed the same idea. Cheap
American grain he said, has demonstrated
beyond any doubt that both our immense
farms and our starvation allotments to
peasants must go, or we must suffer
both individual and state bankruptcy ;
On the liberation of the serfs land
in Russia presented two types of FARMS gi-
gantic farms, including thousands of acres
and belonging to the former serfholders, and
exceedingly small farms, starvation allot-
mentS, belonging to the freed sefs. As a
rule, the former serfhOlIers have proved bad
farmers. Instead of attending personally to
their business, they put an agent, usually a
German, in charge of their estates, and he
employs a number of sub-agents, who either
conduct the farming in person or rent the
land
"The consequence is that the big farms of
the mobiles are not conducted in business
like way. In order to pay all the Expenses
and yield profit tile grain must be sold at a
high rate This would not be 50 bad if Rus
sian grain was in fair demand in the Eu-
ropean markets. But the trouble is that for
some years past those markets have been well
supplied by American grain merchants who
notwithstanding their distance, can undersel
the Russians. The result is that large Rus
sian landowners have found agriculture not
to be paying business. A few steps fur
Their and they will be ruined. They make
loans and mortgage their estates but all in
vain. Bankruptcy stares them in the face
On the other hand, it is annually demon
strated that peasant cannot subsist on hi:
meager allotment If he sells grain he doe
it not because he has a surplus, but because
lie fears his creditors, and under pressure o.
the imperial tax collectors but at the perl
of his family.
american petroleum has wrought wonder
in Russia. The fact that petroleum wells ex
| isted in the Caucasus was known here 70
years while American petroleum was use,
throughout this country. At last one of tn
| less sluggish Russian capitalists went 10 til
| Caucasus and invested their money in pc
| troleum. TO their amaZement they soon be
came exceedingly wealthy. They found GU
that it is easy to make money on the Ameri
can plan, and behold at last Russian capital
lists were seized with a money making fever
the petroleum fever. Hundreds of Russia
capitalists are now engaged in the petroleum
business, and the country is flooded wit
Russian kerosene, which is fast driving ava
the American OIL Lubricatingoils are ais
| manufactured here now, But for America
petroleum. says the open-hearted Russia
merchant, our own petroleum would thi
day be flowing into the rivers and the sea
| and we would. annually be short millions G
| roubles.'
american hardware is fast underminin
| the Russian hardware manufacturers, who
! es yet, conduct their business on prehistori
| plan. There are millions of mechanics VIII
make in their own homes knives, forks, locks
| scissors and many other articles general
| comprised under the name of house furnish
| ing goods. The modern principle of divisio
| of labor is not vet known among them. The
use no machines and no steam power. TIL
| importation of American cheap hard
ware has produced a real panic here
/ Iron manufacturers fail s--s"a ..~~1i.".>'~
become panpars and all cry for a high Pre-
! teetive tariff. But the people need thes
| things and send their gold abroad to Ct
| farming implements, sewing machines, pts
tolls and guns, railroad locomotives, and s
| on. The Russian American Grain Elevate
company still continues to excite the publ
here Letters signed American Glitter
have appeared in the papers here deliverin
weighty, and as they say here genuin
American blows at the car and the Ru
sian capitalists"
With figures at his finger ends the write
proves that neither the cars gove-nmel
nor the Russian capitalists can accomplis
| the task of establishing grain elevators
Russia, and the public at large cheers tt
american citizen who is not afraid to te
| his opinion of their government
Talk ed tn Death