Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-02
Lacks Roads and Railways.

cannot get at her gold with the facllity
necessary. She is hampered by legislative
and administrative orders that put serl-
GUS obstacles in the way of private VEN
lures, and she has not the superabundant
capital required to place the industry OF
gold getting on satisfactory footing to
compete with other gold fields the world
over.
The necessity of paying closer atten-
ton to the gold wealth of Russia is ar
gued on the following lines: Gold, alone
OF all the industries, Is capable OF ere
ating colonization i'll waste places or the
kind found over a great part of the re-
gions of the empire known to be aurifer-
Gus: il is an industry that is not subject
to the same uncertainties OF markets ana
prices as other productions OF all KINDS
are: on the contrary. 1t creates markets
for all other goods, for ii has been estl-
mated that for every unit of gold got
out of the earth. from loo to 2,JO units
of other goods must be provided for con-
sumption by the workers. Owing to re-
dundant harvests. Russia is now eXcep-
tionally well situated in the matter of
gold. which continues 10 come into the
country in return for grain and other
commodities: but this cannot be reckon
ed on to last forever. and Russia. with her
gold value, must get more gold out or
her own territory if she is to avoid diff
culties in maintaining her gold value.
new LAWS AOI S1OVA4u.
The measures proposed in this direction
are various-new laws for Siberia. In
volving either some form of local self
government or the placing of administra-
tive powers in the hands. of the gold-get-
tiers, whose organizations in fact. do
administer for all practical purposes no
small part of the wilder districts OF
Siberia. and the regularizing of the prac-
tice of 'goldrunning." which at present
rs Illegal. but so profitable as rarely to
incur penalties at the great distances
practiced. This 'goldrunning'' is treated
as highway robbery, and most severely
punished. In all other countries it is
called prospecting. and regulations of
a practical nature allow of the successful
prospector making his account of his find
within the pale of the law, instead of
being treated, as In Russia, is an outlaw
and thief
Yet most discoveries of new gold fields
owe their first suggestion. to the pros
pectors, who i'm Russia run their gold
across the Chinese frontier. being unable
legally to market it in Russian territory.
The gold runners" or prospectOrs.
should be encouraged IN every possible
way, that they may find it to their in
tereSt 20 market their discoveries and
their gold in Russia, and become pros
porous diggers instead OF hunted criminals
or sources of Illicit income to minor Of
ficials
Location Not Convenient
Russia has the gold i'm quantities known
TO be for all practical purposes illimit-
able: IL does not lie so conveniently. per-
haps. for getting as the gold OF the Trans
vaal. fOf instance, but the geological and
expert Investigations already made over
but IA small portion of the territory known
TO be auriferous have satisfied the Rus
sion government of the enormous wealth
they possess. But Russia does not pos
sess the second essential TO successful
working-ready capital. Labor can be
found. cheap and good If only some re-
cent mistaken Legislation be altered The
law prohibiting the employment of Ko-
reans. apparently a political enactment,
caused the decline OF many and the ruin
OF some prosperous goid-mining under
,akings IN Siberia.
Foreign companies I'm the past have
been less successful than might be ex-
pected, but the reasons are to be found
not in any lack OF gold. Partly it is
owing TO Russian regulations which
hamper free enterprise TO no small ex-
tent. These may be altered, and, indeed
steps have been taken already toward
altering the company laws of Russia I'm a
sense likely to be acceptable TO the prac-
ucal business mind of the world