The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1912-03-07
MONEY WASTE IS
GREAT IN RUSSIA
Departments OF the Govern
nent are Mismanaging
Countfy's Affairs.

ST PEpERSBpRG. Mar. IA
rather strong indlctment OF state
ownership. as FAR as Russia is con-
cerned, was made recently in the
Duma. when the shortcomings in var
ious branches Of the Russian state
management were illustrated in the
report Of a committee of'inqulry read
BY Deputy Godneff. ~
The navy headed the list for
ruinous neglect of the interests Of
the treasury as well as those OF the
service. One fragrant instance of lack
Of business method was given. In re-
pairing the icebreaker Yer1nak in
England, one of its engines. costing
100000. was removed. AN offer was
made. but the Russian naval officers
thought that a low price and ship
ped the engine to Reval at cost Of
$4,000. There 1t lay in the open for
seven years and was finally sold for
$500. Excessive allowances and in
accurate bookkeeping on voyages OF
Russian war vessels abroad were very
frequent. The committee discovered
that on the same day in the same port
different. vessels purchased coal at
prices ystyipse from $40 to $3.50.
per. ton. 's y
The army showed Similar misman-
agement. In one case the treasury
was the gamer because of the irreg-
MARTY, At the Tchita stores sss,ooo
horseshoes were Inscribed In the
books, while the COMMITTEES discovered
by counting that the actual supply
stored was 100000. The supply Of
nails to go with them was also moro
than double that entered. The usual
experience, however, was to find the
stocks far short of the amount re-
corded.
In the budget of the Ministry Of
Railways next largest after the Min
istry OF Finance with its Spirits Mo.
nopoly, there was a deficit Of $751;
900, 600 for the year 1908 on budget
OF $3.50, 500. 900. This chronic deficit
Is ascrihed to the greater cost of con-
structipn over that prevailing on prl-
vate railroads and to other similar
causes. On an average the state spent
s1o,1o1 50, more per Verst tabout rs
sprlongs5 than private railroads. The
Amur railroad is costing 10 to is per
cent more thar the estimates. This
line around Lake iBaikal. cost $1,000
ooHnore than the estimates, that be-
ing 90 per cent Of the entire Cost. !,
The state iron works on the Trails
show a similar unsatisfactory record
fifth. a deae!t totaltng $5.OOo,Ooo for
The last ten years. Rep. Godneff re-
ferred to the fast mat this deficit sec-
CURED despite the membership of
these state works III the Combination
of iron works which kept an tinnat-
urally high level Of prices; which RVS
not the province of the governments TO
encourage. n
Naphtha-bearing lands in the eaus
casus were in affears on their pay
:ment of the land-rent to the state.
The sum now due from them amourit-
er to $4,000, 900.
/. "A particular cause OF grievance was
the ,ineradtcable habit Of most minis
tries to obtain appropriations under
one head and expend the money for
other heads, thus depriving the Duma
of a good deal OF its effective control
on the budget. Sums totaling $780,
100000 were thus transferred from
one head to another in one years
budget alone.
Scarcity OF supply of the precious
metals in the gotdsmiths' and jewell
erss trade has forced the government
to undertake the retail sale OF gold
and silver, This so-calied f''gold
famine" has caused heavy inroads TO
be made on the specie in circulation.
Russian law threatens with heavy
punishment the reconversion of coin
into metal by private individuals as
well as the clipping q. coin or it's re-
duction. Nevertheless, goldsmiths
have recently been melting coin in
large quantities, particularly at points
distant from the principal government
minis. This Is done especially In the
"ta!ga" the large. marshy forest which
covers a great part of Siberia, Hth-
.erto, gold in bars could be bought
only at the mints in st. Petersburg.
Moscow and Odessa. To meet the
legitimate demands of the trade, the
Ministry of France will hereafter sell
gold in bars. planchets and sheets
500 per thousand pure, at a fixed
price, and allow the mint at st.
Petersburg to sell pure metal in guam,
titles UP to IS pounds of gold and &c
pounds Of silver per applicant, to pri-
-vate individuals and government off,
GERS. A special distributing agency
through the medium OF government
Offices at points conveniently situated
throughout the empire is now being
organized.
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