The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-14
SERGIUS WHITE, RIGHT HAND
MAN OF THE RUSSIAN GAR.

+, eminent manufactures its own bottles and
| FORKS.
| 1t supplies a better liquor than was sold
! In the past and at n lower rate. and at the
same time makes an enormous profit for
| the Gar.
In 1901 the receipts from this source
amounted to $s1,OOO,O0o, In 1902 they were
more than 1881 900. and this year. 1t is
| estimated, they will be over a quarter of q
| billion dollars.
| They will be more than the estimated
| cost Of the army and navy and ten times
| all the courts.
II the percentage of Increase keeps up as
| it has been doing they VIII in time largely
support the Government.
There is some talk of extending tho mo-
nopoly to tea, which Is universally drunk in
Russia, and II so the Gear will have money
to burn
/ went into one Of the Government sa-
! looms the other day and bought bottle OF
| brandy. Just to tell you how 1t is sold.
| The saloon was not far from the American
| Consulate
! 1 saw the sign No. 6 over 1t. with Russian
| characters below 1t. and ] pushed the
| double doors open and entered a room which
| looked much like mixture of bank and
drug store.
There was network In front OF the
counter. and on the shelves at the back
were bottles of different sizes, from little
| ones as big as O wineglasa to some holding
half a. gallon.
| The bottles were round and white, and
| they seemed to be filled with water.
They really contained vodka. or Russian
whisky, which is as clear as crystal.
Behind the counter stood nicely dressed
Russian woman, dealing with her CUSTOM
ers through window in the wire network,
| like teller of a bank.
No liquor is allowed to be drunk on the
premises There were no chairs nor ioung-
| Ing places, and one is expected to leave
| as soon as he makes his purchase.
asked as to prices, and was told that the
smallest bottle cost cents. but tnat
a cent would be paid back on tho return OK
the bottle.
Each bottle was tightly oorked and waxed
with Government stamp.
The ordinary peasant buys q bottle. takes
| It outside and gulps down the contents.
He then returns, the bottle and gets his
| rebate of 2 kopeks. or cent.
l bought l2-cent bottle. and for tnat
| sum 1 got almost tumblerful Of vodka
! have not opened it yet.
VODKA Is A FORM
| OF BRANDY.
The Russians are great brandy drinkers
| for after all vodka is a species OF brandy.
Drinking is common all over the Empire
! and I see many drunken men.
| j 90 not KNOW tudl they arc CO SoN -
| the English In this respect. but they GER
| tainly drink more than the Americans.
The above figures are the profits OF the
| business, and they give a small idea OF
| the enormous consumption. which VIII PROP
| ably increase as the people grow richer.
The English are the greatest drinkers on
| earth.
They have more than q billion dollars IN.
vested in breweries and distileriec, ano
| their annual consumption of liquors costs
| more than $50 for every man. woman ana
| child in their country.
| Next to them come the Germans, ana at
| the bottom Of the great nations come the
Americans.
| Nevertheless, our drink bill Is big one.
! we produce from 100000 to 1Soo0o,1p GAL
| Ions of distilled spirits every year. and we
| count our beer by the millions of barrels.
| Every one knows that the business Is
| most profitable one, and were 1t not 1or
! licensing an evil and the creation OF an
! enormous Government service we might
/ copy Russia and cut down our taxes at
| least one-half.
| The Russian Government, however, Is like
| no other on earth.
| 1t raises it's revenues in all sorts OF ways.
| 1t has both direct and indirect taxes and
! Government mononOlies.
| 1t has heavy customs duties which bring 1t
| in something like hundred million dollars
| g year.
There is a tax matches which produces
| more than $1S,010900, and one on sugar which
is expected to yield $3S.00o,O00 in 1908. Then
| there ara STAMP duties and Inheritance
taxes