Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-25

in the ordinary revenues by passing a law
imposing an income tax from which ne e4-
poets to realize 25,000,0Oo rubles year
and upward, and to Increase the tax on
tobacco from which he expects 12,0O0,0OO or
more
Country in Desperate State.
But even with these new taxes 1t Is diffi-
cult to see how there can be any improve
ments In the revenues for several years.
The entire country is in most desperate
state Of commercial and industrial democrat
ization Half the manufactures in the en-
pire are closed or are running on nan
time. Half the business Is suspended, ana.
as have already stated, twenty miiilons OF
people are on the verge of starvation pc
cause Of failure of crops, and VIII nave
to be fed by the government until next
years crop Is harvested. Certainly no taxes
can be collected from them. ana at i es
10000, 600 will have to be expended Tor 1000
and seed to keep them until they can ges
on their feet again. The peasants. who are
the most consistent and reliable taxpayers,
are in a state Of insurrection. The land
lords are having their property and STOCK
destroyed. and many of the largest tax
payers Of that class will not be able TO pay
anything for years. Many or the sympa-
thizers of the constitutional democrats VIII
doubtless refuse to pay taxes. as advised by
the manifest of that party. 1t Is estimated
that 100000 workmen are out OF employ
ment in the empire. and not less than
alone. Their number is more likely to m
crease than to diminish, and 1t Will De
long time before they can contribute to the
public revenues. An epidemic OF strikes Is
prevailing In every part of the empire,
which reduces the pecuniary resources OF
both employers and employed.
The financial outlook Is therefore very dis
couraging. and, although the demands upon
the treasury will not be so great as they
have been during the war with Japan, they
certainly cannot be restored to normal
peace basis for some years yet. was lolo
yesterday that it would cost at least $too,-
O00. go to bring home the soldiers that are
still in Manchuria and Siberia, and that may
be reckoned as an addition to the ordinary
expenses. 1t is impossible to ascertain DELI
nitely whether the board bill of the Russian
prisoners has been paid to Japan. Nobody
of whom 1 have inquired seems to know
anything about it.
A Record Public Debt.
Russia has a colossal public debt, larger
than that of any other nation. 1t rose from
,423, coo 900 rubles in 1889 to 6,6G4, 1000
in 1903-fourteen years of peace. During
the war with Japan it advanced to 1.1OS,-
600, 600 and since peace was declared it has
been increased by two loans of 160,0O0,OOO,
which was borrowed in Germany year
ago. and $50 100000, which was borrowed
through the French banks last April. This
makes a grand total of about S4,25O,0OO,OO0
in American money, nearly all of which is
owing In France. Every French peasant
has a Russian bond. 1t Is estimated that
they hold at least 5000 OOOOOO, or more
than half the Russian debt.
The recent loan was negotiated with great
difficulty and many sacrifices. Four per cent
40-year bonds brought only So cents on the
dollar, and the syndicate charged a COM
mission of 8 per cent, so that the Russian
treasury actually realized only So. The
extra O0O0,000 is said to have been re-
tanned by the bankers. as fund to meet
the interest so that the buyers of the bonds
will get their interest for the next twenty
wears or so, even if the principal Is never
paid. Since that loan was closed other 4
per cent bonds Of Russia have dropped as
low as 1914
1t is also stated that the loan was con-
tingent upon the REIMBURSEMENT Of the
autocracy and the acceptance of parila-
ment by the car. A prominent st. Peters
burg banker told me that the reason count
de White was so jealous in advocating
duma was that the syndicate with which
he was dealing refused to give the govern
ment kopeck until after the duma had
been authorized, the elections had been held
and they had an opportunity to read and ap-
intrustfng 1t with the powers OF genuine
representative assembly. With grim smile
he added:
our precious duma will cost the peas
ants of France two billion francs
Big Liquor Revenue.
The chief revenue of the Russian govern
ment comes from spirit monopoly. Some
years ago Count de White abolished all
the saloons in the empire and established
a dispensary system similar to that in South
Carolina Private distillers and brewers
can manufacture as much spirits and beer
as they like, but the government Is their
only customer, and will buy none but pure
liquors which are sold at retail at reason
able prices The adoption OF this system
has Increased the revenues about 10OOOO.OOO
rubles a year during the last five years,
and it Is claimed that there Is less intem-
perance than formerly. Purchasers can
not consume the liquor on the premises. but
must take it away, and the government
has the power at any time to suspend the
sale of LIQUOR during the periods of public
excitement.
An income tax has not yet been adopted.
but will be in all probability. The land tax
ia very heavy and largely in arrears ex-
cent i'm the cities, where 1t is easily collect
ed and amounts to from 4 to 10 per cent
net of the revenues from rents and leases.
There Is a per cent tax on the gross re-
ceipts from all kinds of business and on
the capital used in manufacturing indus
tries. A capitation tax paid by every citi-
zen and the revenues from the issue of
passports are very large. Every adult IN
the 140OOo,O00 population Is required to
have a passport, which must be renewed
annually, and costs him two rubles. When
ever he changes his residence or makes
tourney he has to obtain a permit, which
costs another ruble, and the revenue from
those sources amounts to more than IOO,-
600, 900 rubles year.
THE sNOB ON HIS TRAVELS.