The Washington herald., 1908-06-21
CZAR'S VAST WEALTH.
imperial Domains Larger Than Ire
land-Other Sources of Income.


The imperial family Of Russia is the
richest royal family IN Europe. and de-
rives its vast wealth from three sources
the state treasury. the imperial domains
/ formerly church lands) and the so-call-
ed cabinet properties" The state treas
ury provides for the Car as the SOW
ereign' the imperial domains are the
Joint property OF the members of the
House Of RomaHon. but administered by
the head Of the house. and the cabinet
properties are the personal property Of
the reigning sovereign as such No data
are available for estimating the amount
of property held by the Car and other
members Of his house in their private
capacity as individuals but Il IS known
TO be considerable both in land and In
gold
The state treasury pays out $1,000 900
per annum for the needs of the imperial
house, principally for the maintenance of
the palaces and the officials and servants
attached to them. The reignng Empress.
Tor example, has an allowance Of 100000
per year, and the Dowager Empress the
same. Every child born 20 the Czar re-
ceives from birth TO the age OF twenty
one nearly $4,000 year. while the heir
10 the throne receives annually. I'm addi-
ton 10 the maintenance Of palaces. $50
Olo. Daughters receive a dowrv of 1O01
900 rubies when they marry. The figures
under this head are comparatively mod
est and the total expenditure charged
10 the state treasury is less than / per
cent OF the annual budget
The imperial domains, originally church
lands, are the main source Of the wealth
OF the Romanoffs says Harpers Weekly.
In the Middle Ages the church in Rus
sia filled the role OF a bank. and the
wealth amassed in the course of centuries
was enormous. The Russian Church Is
not poor now. but the bulk of rs pos
sessions passed 10 the House Of Roman
OF century ago. The imperial domains
comprise 2l32N.c0O aCTes-an area larger
than all Ireland About two-thlrds of
thls area Is forest, out OF which comes
soodly revenue The timber exported
from Archangel is known all over the
world while the estate Of Bleovezh. that
magnificent forest where still are pre-
served herds Of the aurochs. Annually
provides for sale two million cubic feet
OF timber Another estate In the Eologda
province produces 100000 of the largest
timber trees annually for the imperial
sawmills there.
The largest vineyards. producing the
oesl WINE IN all Russia, belong % the do
mains. and about $4,000 worth of wine
annually is sold from this source In
The province OF Samara Is "A sugar plan
tation, the factory Of which produces
li0O tons of sugar every year. Mineral
wealth is worked In a hundred places.
1000 Hour mills 1000 fisheries. 100 wharves
on various rivers and $50 trading CON
Germs OF various kinds are among the
minor undertakings belonging TO the i'm
perial domains. But the greater part Of
the cultivated area Is rented There are
1900 lots for agricultural purposes and
1909 for viticUlture.
The clear profit derived from these
various sources is over aQ0JOOOO per an
mum. During the past lG0 years since the
church property was converted TO the inn
perial use, a sum OF Sl25, 10000 has been
paid out 10 various members OF the inn
perial house Under the head of impe-
rial domains Is also included certain can
ital accumulated by various Emperors
and TO this must he added the S25. Ooo 00O
paid by the peasants who were serfs on
the imperial domains as the price of
their freedom
The third source of income is the cab
met properties" which belong To the
reigning Car personally as Czar. The
only figures obtainable for assessing the
value of this. the greatest source of
present and future wealth, IS the area OF
the landed property. which is $50. 900 600
acres, or about the size of France. This
property is almost entirely IN Siberia. |
but IL includes the best and largest OF |
the gold and silver mines, worked and
unworked besides a fabulous amount of
uneSplored wealth both above and below /
the surface. Copper, iron. platinum. and
other ores besides gold and silver are
only awaiting the development Of this un-
explored territory 10 yield many more
millions annually. Russia may not have
money enough for all her national de- |
sires, but her rulers are not poor.