The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-03-30
TRADE IN AsIATIc RUSSIA.
Prospects for a Market for Products of the United States Through
 VladivoStock

Washington Special to New York Times
 The growing interest of the United States in the trade of Asiatic Russia and the countries tributary thereto lends es- pecial interest to a statement received by the Treasury Bureau of Statistics fl om a report of the Belgian Commercial Agent at Vladivostock. recently pub lished in The Bulletin Commercial fBrus- portant in view of the fact that the com mcrce of Siberia recently has been brought under the general customs laws of Russia. The statement is summarized by The British Board of Trade Journal as folows:
 "The Vladivostock Custom House. as Is well known. commenced its functions on the ist of January, 1901. This measure has had a characteristic effect on the trade of the port. the import duties af- fecting principally manufactured articles, and scarcely touching products of prime necessary except flour and rioe), which are not produced in the country.
 The following Is a list of articles that can be imported into Vladivostock free of duty: Fruits, fresh and dried; pine apple preserves. fresh oranges, kidney preserved. rice not decorticated, bread. mushrooms. cltron, salt, brick tea, chic ory, beef and mutton, steel, steel and iron needles. steel. iron, and tin-plate ar ticles; iron and steel scales, (excspi finely balanced kinds used by chemists); iron and steel machinery, iron and wire nails iron and steel scythes, iron in bars. sheet iron. tin plate, cast iron, rivets. tools, wheels. locks. tables. sewing ma- chimes, carpets and rugs. furniture, glass and glassware. alabaster. asphalt. bicy- cles bottles. bricks, maps. books. straw baskets for flowers, leather straps, driv- ing belts. musical instruments, and pieces of music.
 "Upon the closing of vladivostock as free port. the traders in the place, who are few in number. and whose means are very limited. do not delay in turning this circumstance into account by increasing the price of articles which enter free in the same proportion as those upon which duty is paid. Toward the end or lSDo large quantities of goods were imported into Vladivostock in view of the ap, preaching closure of the free port, and at the present time the place Is still o&erstocked with various articles which will take some time to be disposed of.
 ''The greater part or the mercnanulss ,dna imported into Viadivostock m 1901 was sent by way of the Amur and Manchu- ria. Commercial relations between this latter province and Vladivostock are de- veloping rapidly. for, at the present tune, Manchuria by way of the Rivers Amur and Sungari and by the Trans-Sibertan Railway. which is already hnished as Tar as Harbin. Goods destined for Manchu ria pay import duties at Eiad,vosto.e,k, ., but the amount is refunded after the goods have crossed the frontier. rms, 1t Is evident. compllcates the transit trade and 1t would therefore seem 10 pc of advantage in these circumstances to use Port Arthur for goods able to bear the expenses of transport Heavy mei chandise. however. such as iron, etc. probably will continue to be sent va Vladivostork. the expenses of transport to Northern and Central Manchuria be- inc much less onerous than from Port Arthur. ., l.. .ho
 lowing to the great fluctuations Tn tne rates for transport into the interior, ex- norters will do well to fix their prices, Costs of insurance. and freight. to Vlad- ivostock or Port Arthur, so as to avoid ,i,..r si, ,r rail. The articles imported into Mauchuria are the same as those usu- ally exported to China. viz, manufac-