New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-11-13

III, ,,o, &C tho rubotniki indulge in Is n
very cheap drink, and 10 cents worth genera"y
sufiices to get them into the happ!' uie""'
state which my friend the director cohsuereu
50 excusable Thej: food seldom COSTS th'Hi
over II cents a day, and for their clothing tney
pay but a pittance.
His ability to live on little and still Keep
healthy and strong, as most OF item do' Is oHc
Of the main reasons why the directors ana head
foremcn Of Russian mills receive such large
salaries. and also why Russia is able 70 COM
pete 50 successfully with England and Germany
In the markets OK the East. She las pracucaly
driven England out Of the markets OF Northern
Persia. and II is no secret that her designs upon
India ere largely due TO her desire 10 nave an
other outlet for her constantly increasing manu-
facturos. In China also this Is plainly one or
the motives impelling her 10 acquire territory
there. and the time is not very far distant
when, IL sufficient foreign talent Is Imported
into the country to exploit its indus rial capaci-
! ties Russia will be bidding for trade here in The
West.
This brings me 70 consider the possibilities OF
the Russian workngman as a Skilled artisan.
At present there are great many things that
he cannot do He Is deplorably lacking In in
yontiyeness and originality. fact easily OBJ
seryabe when he is employed In the making Of
machinery and delicate tools and instruments.
lie Is a clever imtator. however, and foreign
master mechanics assert that he can frequently
copy things that he has been able TO take apart
and carefully inspect. He Is far from being os
yet dangerous rival In Western markets Of the
skilled English and American workmen, but ne
is learning every DAY from his German and
English instructors about what the Western
aat,,nG
when the Government is prepared to give the
Benefit OF instruction in technical schools he
will in oil probability become sufficiently ex-
pert artisan to satisfy the crude demands OF the
people Of the East
The great trouble with him at present Is mat
he is so ignorant. Only half OF the men in the
mill worked in could read even printed mat
ter and not over a quarter were equal to the
deciphering Of a hand-written letter. The Idea
of the Government in neglecting their education
seems TO have been that successfully to rule
them their minds had to be kept az dark as
possible, and il IS only very recently that it has
begun TO dawn on the powers that be that, IL
Russia is really going TO become a competitor
in the worlds Industrial markets. she must have
a more enlightened class OF artisans 1t Is often
said in her defence that up to few years ago
she had 10 artisan class to cnlghten. oven as
late as 1893 Russian economists CLASSIFIED the
rubotniki with the peasantry, and refused 10
recommend them to the Government for speclal
legislation. They commended that the working
man was merely a peasant who worked in rae
tories in winter to piece out his farm income,
and that he vas not entitled to recognition as
4 separate class
WHAT ONE BOOK DID.
In 1850 however, book entitled The Manu-
factory: What it Takes From and Gives To the
Population" appeared. and IL proved conclusive
~ that there was in Russia n distinct Industrial
class which could no longer be rechoned with
the peasantry. The author, NJ. Dementyen,
spent years IN studying the question, working
at times as a mill hand TO develop the facts, and
his book was a revelation 20 Russian students
OF economies. Since It's publication it has been
conceded by writer's on the subject as well as
partially By the Government that the Russian
worlingman is distinct factor in Russian life.
and heroeforth must be logslated Tor from an
other point OF view than that taken a. basis
in the treatment q the peasant.
Tho labor strikes that have taken place dur
ing tho last two or three years in s.. Petersburg
and Moscow have contributed toward convnc-
ing Tho Government Of the importance OF the
rulotniki as a class. Thcre is bat little Of in
terost TO an American t. report concerning them
beyond the ract that they came as great sur
Prise TO the authorities. although they knew
how TO stop them in very short order. Tho least
rowlysm brought out the Cossacks, who were
told to whip and. II necessary, shoot al dis
turb.rs Of the peace. While was a. work In
81 Petersburg there vas 4 strike on o. nearly
twenty thousand mon. but they were rs quiet
as mice and not a word WAS allowed 10 appear
IN The newspapers IL regard 10 the trouble. The
strike vas brought about II was said. through