The evening times., 1900-01-17

| The State Department has received ad-
vices to the effect that Russia propo es to
turn the military port of Vladivostock
! into commercial port. making it the prin-
cipal terminus of the Trans-Siberian Rail-
road. Port Arthur will then become the
chief military port of eastern Siberia.
Talienwan, which has been renamed
'Dalny,'' will be the commercial port and
an open one, of the Pechili Gulf. Every
! effort Will be made to make it an lmpor-
! tant trade centre.
| The Russian Minister of Finance has
| ordered an impost on tea OF Sll.59 per Sc
pounds.
Leaf tea has hitherto been on the free
list, and the sudden, unlooked-for impOsi
| tion OF duty has led to many conjectures.
At present there is no duty on the COM
, mon brick tea," the poor mans drink.
A duty of $1.55 per pound was also i'm
posed on Chinese silver coin. Stringent
orders are issued TO prevent smuggling in
every portion of the maritime province,
| this extensive coast line being difficult to
guard effectively.
With the new tax comes the periodical
rumor of the closing of the port and the
establishment of a regular custom house.
Al u DOaFu OF eSciSe PERFORMS llc
work for the few articles dutiable. The
rumor of the establishment of customs
is denied by officials, but good authorities
assert that the plan IS already matured.
1t is thought the policy of the government
is TO place the duty gradually on one or
two articles at a time naturally, first On
those most likely TO compete with products
of Russia or Siberia.
The new law relating to the coasting
trade, which prohibits foreign vessels sail
ing from one Russian port to touch at an
other, though situated in different se-s,
will give rise 20 complications so far as
Talieuwan tDalnyl is concerned. The law
took effect January /, 1900. II Dalny be
strictly a Russian port and within the
scope of the new law, this will prevent it
being considered a free port" II it il
not subject TO the new law, then it must
be regarded as a Chinese port. Besides.
there is grave doubt whether there is Rus
sian capital of sufficient magnitude 10 build
steamships, which DO not pay more than 3
or per cent profit in the worlds market.
Siberian papers continually refer 10 the
time in the natural course of events when
the vast and rich fields of Manchuria will
become part of the Russian Empire in
the East. Here is a territory with an
area of 10, 900 square miles and popula-
tion OF 1000 900 oaly awaiting the trans
forming process which has made Liam
doom formally Russian territOry-the
same process which occupied the Amur
and the maritime provinces,
ManchuriR at the present time is the |
promised land toward which all specula-
tive eyes I'm Siberia are turned On the
west. north, and east, Russian frontier |
enfolds 1.-THE Arnur since 1858 and the |
maritime province since 1S60-all original |
parts Of Manchuria. The Russian Empire |
now has a firm grip at the south, not at |
all likely to be loosened, and no uprising |
or tumultuous advance say Siberian writ
ers, Is needed to hasten the time when |
the ripe fruit will fail into the hands
calmly waiting to receive II. The Cossack
guards (4,200 infantry. !. 500 cavalry. and
4 coo friends OF China" gangs of Chinese
oficered by Russiansl, now patrolling the
line OF the Eastern Chinese Railroad and
the cost of the railroad itself are all big
items of national expense; but they are
worth the outlay and show the foresight
and resistless energy OF the Russians.
Much is said about the immense mar |
kets OF the future TO be formed among !
these Manchurians. There are wild tales
OF gold and the wonderful productivity of
the soil. The natives themselves are
hardy. stalwart race. differing widely
from their Chefoo and Hongkong and
the details of the grants OF land and right
Of way. the Chinese Home Government is
obliged TO use greater caution in dealing
with its northern subjects.
The Chinese Eastern Railway Is some
lines ironically called the Manchurian
branch of the Siberian Railway (twenty-
wo sections of the main line are now
completed, making more than 1880 miles;
donkden to Port Arthur is already finish
|
'e finished). 1t is no longer irunical; Ii
S sober fact
There lately passed through Vladlvo-
took a representative OF the st. Peters
'urg British Embassy. This gentleman
lad visited Habin the great railroad CEN
re of Manchuria, town of 5000 people. |
which sprang up in eighteen months The
ranch of the RussianC Chinese Bank at
his place had 900 taels on hand, and
900 600 additional had been sent within
week.
He had inspected the line. noticed the .
rend of improvement and the rapidity {
18th which all the railway work through {
ianchuTia was being pushed. He saw
luch waste of material; the helpless Bald
in locomotives sent with fireboxes for |
ood in a country where there is no wood :
nd compound engines instead of the Or 7
mary ones. These were sent last winter e
ON Vladivostock to Niuchwang, and aft J
a series of accidents reached the Shan {
al kuan- -Niuchwang line, the most rick I
" and dangerous place perhaps on the y
hole railway.
But whether government property is T
.operly handled and accounted for, or t
'odigally used. the road is progressing. d
is thoroughly guarded; the Chinese +,
emselves are being transformed into p
orkingmen, guards, etc. W