The Washington times., 1903-02-18
COMMERCE SCHOOLS
IN RUSSIAN CITIES
Supported by Voluntary
Contributions and Fees.
GOVERNMENT ALSO HELPS
One at Tiflis Opened Two Years Ago
in Which Children Are Taught in
Thirty Different Dialects.

Ernest l.. Harris. United States com
mercial agent at Eibenstock, Russia, has
forwarded to the State Department a re-
port on the commercial school at Tifis
Russia. Concerning IT, he says:
The commercial school at Tihis was
founded by the merchants OF this city
and formally opened on the 18th Of Sep
TENDER. 1900 The scnOoI building cost
s1O7. $40. The expenses Of the institu-
tion are paid by tuition and by an an
nual subsidy of s.. $40 granted by the
merchants OF Tilis. When absolutely
necessary. the state also gives some
support The state pays the teachers
pensions. which are earned in Caucasia
after twenty years active service.
Throughout the rest or the Russian EN-
pire such pensions are granted after
twenty-five years teaching.
Children between the ages Of seven and
nine years are admitted without exami-
nation. Children coming from the pub
lie schools are usually admitted TO the
first division OF the general class.
Thirty Different Languages.
zone should not lose sight OF the fact
that the 10000, 900 inhabitants Of eau
casia are made up OF the remnants of
many ancient Eomadic tribes According
10 Russian statistics. only $500 900 are
Russians 1 900 900 are Armenians. H.
500 coo Tartars and Georgians. while the
rest are principally Mohammedan tribes.
II Is claimed that there arc thirty dit
fcrent languages and dialects spoken in
Csucasia. Tifis is an AsNtic city. II
- &c
with Persia. Turkcstan. Afghanistan. In
dia. and even China. Camel trains from
Damascus. Bagdad. and Arabia reach the
city from the south II is the object OF
the Tifis commercial school to draw SIS
recruits from all these adjoining coun-
tries to infuse into them Russian Gus
toms and business methods. at the same
time giving them instructionNJn their
owr language. religion, and traditions.
Such methods viii have powerful ef-
feet upon the destinies Of southern Asia.
Il is the hope OF those personally in
terested in the Tihis commercial school
that by the time il is completely estab-
hshed. the number of pupils will have
increased to 200.
Commercial Schools Abound
Commercial schools in Russia are
founded by the state wherever they are
thought TO be necessary. The initiative
IS always taken by commercial organiza
tions-that is. chambers OF commerce
and similar bodies-the members o.
which have previously appointed com
mittee which has thoroughly examined
The question. After definite information
has been obtained in regard TO the de
mand for a school. the number OF pros
peetive students financial contributions
etc. the government is petitioned Il
grant a license and 70 make good am
annual deficit which may occur. The
government. however. never goes beyond
granting p per cent OF the actual ex
penses OF any commercial school. Tn,
funds for maintaining these schools mus
come. in the first instance. from tn,
merchants and commercial bodies in tn,
city where the school is located
Support of Commercial Bodies
The empire is divided into districts
each OF which has an inspector who
works hand in hand with the director o
each SCHOOL There are forty-three com
merciaI schools in the Russian empir,
under the control OF the state. and TWEEN
ty private schools. similarly organized
with state supervision.
THE commercial school at Tihis is
very good example or the schools in the
Russian empire. Russian merchants
and manufacturers are alive 10 the fac
that these institutions viii be OF meal
culable value in The development o
the enormous material resources OF thei1
country The Russian chambers OF com
merce are following the example Of Ger
many. and are establishing these usefu
institutions wherever the needs and re
sources OF community viii admit o
a. The signs or the times are distinct
" in favor OF commercial education. AM
the extension OF these schools through
cut Russia will give many object les
sons 10 other nations which are inter
ested In this kind OF education"
bob" TAYL0R'S LECTURE ON