The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-22

aAACAA5 WAtAfOOI MA0Akl HO lIIuuSLTldl uIlueT~ taking can have any great success.
 In Siberia there is one river-navigation school situated at Blagovestchensk. It is only able to supply graduates for the Amur river
 The scope of Russia's new Department of Commerce and Navigation is seen iIi its relation to other ministries It has representation in the councils of railroad administration and rates, in the different railroad communities, in the direction ot all matters of internal water ways and roads, in the committee having charge of tarin matters, and in railroad build. Ing, governmental and private. Reciprocally, representatives of other ministries arc to have a seat in the committee of lnercan- tile marine. A representative of the Min istry of Foreign Affairs will ba pfeseut when international questions are discuss ed and decided.
 It will be readily seen 55w important such department may bco3me in faclli- tating the despatch of ceeaain matters, where; the formalities of presentation, ref erence. confirmation, reporting back. etc.. tend to delay, The convenience is all ready evident in the tariff department and In the various railroad interests.
 The aim seems to be to have cnly prac- tcal,. experienced men called ;n for con- sultation, and men uf large. private ex- perience have been freely summoned to It's meetings.
 Another innovation is the determination to open the department to. the erploy- ment of women as bookkeepers, corre- spondents, and typewriters,, independent of the proportion of men employed.
 By a decree of June 25, 1908 the board was officially created. Among its func- tions are: d) To lay the foundation of improved shipbullding yards for repair of vessels; @ to build new ports, har- bors, and quays; (3) to foster shipbuild- ing and navigation-ir short, to do every thing which may be done to assist in the development of the Russian mercantile marine so as to render 1t independent of foreigners.
 The program. worked out is supposed to be founded upon the soundest economic principles. One of the officials of the new board has visited Vladivostok, made quite a stay, and conferred with all who could give him expert information.
 Ills inquiries were directed to the chances of developing Russian trade, or at least marine communication between these ports and those of Korea, Japan, and China. and the measures necessary to this end.
 He tried to find out whether the in- terests of local trade are sufficiently pro videA for by the present system of steam communication and by what Ineans, and to what extent, the government should lend its aid. He also examined how the combination of the Chinese Eastern Rail- road and the seagoing service affects local interests and its effect on the economical and commercial needs of trade and industry. The last two mat ters were discussed at Vladivostok's Board of Trade. The board showed that for the past thirty-seven years, under free port, there had been considerable trade between Vladivostok. on the one side. and Korea, Japan, and China on the other. Foreign and Russian steam CTS helped to keep up Vladivostok and, with the opening of the Ussuri Railroad, to build up this city and the adjacent country. The introduction of customs, the building of Dalny, and the apparent policy of the Chinese Eastern Railroad to discriminate in every way against Vladivostock had almost destroyed all marine trade with adjacent countries. It was now a minimum. Efforts we're made. in spite of all disadvantages. to maintain trade relation with the neighboring coun- tries; but owing to the lack of free com
 nunication between Vladivostok and the
 main line of the Chinese Eastern Rail- road the attempt failed.
 Trade and passenger traffic between the maritime Province and its neighbors is now almost dependent on Japanese en- terprise. The Chinese Eastern Railroad service sends one boat to Shanghai quar- terly. This touches at Japanese and Ko- rean ports. Owing to diminution of ex- ports and imports with the neighboring countries, the Japanese governments sub sidized lines were ample to satisfy local necessities.
 It would certainly be desirable to devel- op Russian commercial enterprise by again establishing regular steamship lines in connection with the Chinese Eastern Railroad; but to insure the success of such ao undertaking the city of Vladi- vostok must be connected with the main line by express trains now operating sole Iy on the southern branch.
 The new Department of Commerce and
 Navigation rules that merchant vessels to be entitled to fly the Russian flag.
 must belong to Russian subjects. A Joint | Sock company may also have this right. providing It's managing bureau and chief | oflces are within the confines of the Rus ] sian Empire and a majority of the di- rectors are Russian subjects.
 The vessel forfeits the right to fly the | flag if a foreigner becomes possessed of
 a share of the stock except by inheri- tance Even in such case the foreigner
 must sell his share within two years to