The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-07-19

4; Moscow IS the commercial capital Of Rus
sla. Its business is scattered. and 1 have
| walked myself tired in going from one
| commercial quarter to another.
Many new stores are going up. and In
some American elevators and others Of our
! inventions are being introduced.
There Is one store here which sells moth
Ing but American goods. and. strange to
say. 1t belongs to an Enslishman who has
made a fortune In dealing in our special
ties.
His name is Block. and he has been doing
business IN Russia for the past twenty
years.
He started as an agent of the Fairbanks
sca.es. and pushed them so that the govern
ment adopted them and made them tho
standard scales of Russia.
Block then took the agency for other
American goods. and continued increasing
his business. until now he handles American
typewriters. furniture from Cincinnati and
Grand Rapids. office desks and files unit
bookcases cameras. bicycles stoves, and.
indeed. everything American.
He has big establishments in St. Peters
burg and in others of the larger Russian
cities.
His sales amount to tens of millions of
dollars year. and the profits are so great
that he has. am tod. become a millionaire.
II is pity he is an Englishman
Some of the biggest openings hero are
in the electrical field
St Petersburg has about million and a
half people and 1t is still run by horse cars.
Moscow has 100000, and has gained almost
$4,000 within the last ten years.
1t likewise has horse cars, and poor ones
al that. Warsaw and other cities are lit
tie letter off. 80 that electric railway con-
cessions would be of enormous value
There are several American parties who
are trying to get such concessions. includ-
ing the Westinghouse Company, and Mr..
Murray A. Werner OF Pittsburg.
A story that Is going the rounds is that
the Pittsburg man has the inside track
and that owing to the influence of an ex-
sweetheart of the Gar
RUSSIANS GRANT CONCESSIONS
ON BUSINESS PRINCIPLES.
L asked Mr.. Werner about this matter. He
replied:
There is nothing in any Of the stories
about concessions being granted to myself
or to any other American through such in
fuence
Il have been In Russia for several years
devoting my time to this matter. and / do
not know the name of the man or woman
alleged to be interested in this case
Besides. the Russians do not do business
that way. They know all about street rail-
ways and what they are making In other
parts of the world. They understand what
it costs to build and operate them and what
the probable profits will be-
IF they give concession 1t will be on
business principles and in a business way
My proposition Is that OF plain, business
American. 1t is for the exclusive right to
build and operate electric roads In St. Pc
tersburg. the concession to run for 100
years.
THE Gar has ordered a commission of
his Ministers to pass upon the proposition.
I hope that we may get the concession"
Americans who are coming to Russia to
engage in business should look into the
trade laws and taxes.
These are peculiar to tho country. Any
one can open store or factory with the
exception Of priest or Protestant minister
who has charge, or a foreign Jew.
All persons employed in trade or industry
have to pay special professional tax and
all commercial undertakings are subject to
tax.
The different branches of trade are d.
rided into twenty sections. each of which
has its own tax or license, ranging from
500 down.
Every trading establishment of the first
section pays $3.50 and every store about s16
Industrial enterprises pay more.
There Is tax on capital amounting to
5 per cent Of the profits when the profits ex-
coed 10 per cent Of the capital
ALI persons who engage in trade are bound
TO keep certain kinds of books, and that !
without corrections or erasures.
If there are any mistakes the entry must |
be bracketed and a note made Of the cor ]