Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-13

of bank and drug store. There was .
network In front of the counter and on the
shelves at the back were bottles OF differ
ent Sizes from little ones as big a wine
glass to some holding half a gallon. The
bottles were round and white. and they
seemed to be filied with water. They really
contained vodka. or Russian whisky, which
is as clear as crystal
Behind the counter stood a nicely dressed
Russian woman dealing with her custom
ers through window in the wire network
like the teller OF bank. No liquor is al
lowed to be drunk on the premises. There
were chairs lounging places, and
one Is expected TO leave soon as he
makes his purchase. i asked to prices.
and was told that the smallest bottle cost
cents. but that cent would be paid back
on the return of the bottle. Each bottle
was tightly corked and waved with gov
eminent stamp The ordinary peasant buys
a bottle. takes il outside and gulps down
the contents. He then returns the bottle
and gets his rebate OF = kopeks. or / cent.
I bought 12-cent bottle. and for that sum
I got almost a tumbterful of vodka.
have not opened IT yet
Russian Brandy Drinkers
The Russians are great brandy drink
ers for after an vodka Is a species or
brandy. Drinking Is common all over the
empire. and I many drunken men.
do not know that they bad as tho
English IN this respect. but they certainly
drink more than the Americans. The
above figures are the profits Of the business.
and they give a small idest of the enor-
nous consumption. which will probably IN
crease as the people grow richer.
The English are the greatest drinkers on
earth They have more than billion dol
lars invested in breweries and distilleries.
and their annual consumption Of liquors
costs more than so for every man. woman
and child in their country. Next TO them
come the Germans, and at the bottom OF
the great nations come the Americans
Nevertheless. drink bill Is big one.
We produce from 100 0ooooo to 13e OOO.OOO
gallons of distilled spirits every year and
count our beer by the millions OF bar
rels. Every one knows that the business Is
a most profitable one, and were it not for
licensing evil and the creation of an
enormous government service we might
copy Russia and cut down our taxes at
least one-half.
Russian Taxes.
The Russian government. however. 10
like no other on earth. 1t raises its reve-
nues in all sorts of ways. II has both direct
and indirect taxes and government monopo-
lies. 1t has heavy customs duties, which
bring it in something like hundred mil
lion dollars year.
There is tax on matches which produces
more than $4,000 900, and one on sugar
which is expected to yield S3S,0c0OOO in 1903.
Then there are stamp duties and inheri-
lance taxes. II you transfer a piece of
real estate per cent of the value OF the
property goes to the government, and IL you
do any banking you must use government
stamps.
The taxes are different In different parts
of the empire There is a wagon tax, a tax
levied on the natives of the Caucasus noun
tains by which they are freed from mill
tary service, and a tax on cattle owned by
the Tartars who live In tents. The taxes
on real estate are comparatively light and
the customs duties comparatively heavy.
There are a large number of licenses.
and also certain taxes on incomes and on
Industrial establishments. large part Of
the revenue. however, comes from the gov
eminent monopolies the car being the
greatest land owner and the greatest capi-
talist of the world.
FRANK G. CARPENTER.