The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-03

all the undertakings OF houses in general
business at rates possible only under an
Arrangement for exclusive privileges. No
bank business may be done without the
mediation of that agency. and it exacts
toll for all enterprise. A house enjoying
the favor of the bank may skim the cream
of business in its line. for a suggestion
through the bank that orders be placed
through such a house amounts to a notice
that only in that way may the desired &C
commodation be had. 1t is no secret that
the bank has furthered various enterprises
on a Joint account basis, sharing in the
commercial profits therefrom. besides get
ting the commissions c~hargeable in the
regular way. There has been opportunity
already for individual fortunes as well
as for immense bank profits. but the
managers, while not lacking in zeal for
their institution, seem to have been strange
~ careless of chances for personal enrich
ment, and there is reason to believe that
their positions have yielded them nothing
except their salaries. They are all Rus
slams, a circumstance that makes the more
singular a case of self-abnegatiOn in a land
where the squeeze" abuse is fragrant,
where Russians have VIGOROUSLY out
stripped those past masters in squeeze,
the Chinese, and where the rare privileges
extended to branches of the Russo-Chinese
Bank have yielded fortunes to managers in
other places, as well as tremendous profits
to the bank. Some of those who think that
they might have made more Of the openings
for profit than have those in charge of the
local branch, say that the bank might have
owned nearly all the land here and might
thus have heaped up assets much more
valuable than have been acquired, in ad-
dition to large private fortunes. No doubt
a grab-all course might have been posi-
BILE had the managers felt so disposed, but
that effort would nave spoiled a record,
wherein a monopoly, organized purely for
gain, has been satisfied to confine itself, in
the main, to lines of banking customary
in the East, at a scale of charges that has
permitted customers to prosper. Exception
is to be noted in favor of the japanese in
the practice which calls for Russian regis
try of business partnerships. The Jap
anese are not yet engaging in large COM
merciaI operations here outside of ship
ping, but out of 1000 of them in this ad-
ministrative district 5000 are located in this
city, and they are subject to no commercial
restraint whatever. The official attitude
toward them is unaffectedly friendly.
CHINESE TREATED KINDLY.
Chinese. who come here in large num-
bers, nearly all of the coolie class, de-
velop into tradesmen with constantly in
creasing capital. Russian treatment of
these people is ordinarily commendable.
One would never suppose from it that there
had been such slaughter of them elsewhere
in the district so savage as to destroy
every vestige of the city of Aigun. and
blacken the Amur with the dead bodies of
the inhabitants. But this is in line with
Russian notions observed not so far north.
When they have occasion TO whip the
Chinese they do it as hard as possible; but
at other times they treat them kindly. A
coolie here may carry his head high and
act as if he were human and had rights to
be respected. and no one will modest him so
long as ne behaves tolerably. He is never
an object OF blows and curses, as at some
of the foreign ports in China. Thousands
of that class arrive every year from Che
foo. finding work here at good wages, and
some remaining TO go into trade or con-
tracts. They should be encouraged by the
authorities an larger commercial ventures
calculated 10 increase the prosperity of the
port. and il seems likely that Chinese cap
ital viii be brought in for permanent &C
count. Liberality in all lines is not to be
expected at once of a government bound
by tradition 10 practices the other way.
The tendencies observable in regard to
foreign help in shaping the progress of this
port. may. indeed. be credited less to a
change of heart toward foreigners than to
the unwillingness or inability Of Russian
enterprise to respond 10 the conditions
here presented. II men and money were
coming in abundantly from that quarter,
there might be a different story to tell re-
garding encouragement for the Chinese and
japanese. Capital or other cooperation
from those lands may be favored merely
as an agency TO be used only so long as
convenient for Russian plans, and after
ward disregarded. Probabilities look the
other way, for since the development 10 be
accomplished is continental in its magni-
tude. it would seem as If no one now above
ground could live long enough to see for
eign capital despised at this clearing house
for trade. But cynicism concerning the
ultimate intentions of Russia has sunken
too deep to be uprooted by the appearance
of such a tendency SIS that just pointed
out. so IL may as well now be attributed TO
] motives OF self interest. Probably no Rus