Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-04-17

ST. Petersburg.-Nichola II hopes
to restore his lost authority by estab-
fishing control over all the financial
resources of his vast empire. The aim
Of his present policy and of the policy
of his court and ministers, is to create
a money trust with political ends.
This fact has long been suspected by
Russian economists. who ascribe to
such motives the vast growth in Rus
sia's revenue and gold reserve, and
the increasing grip which the state is
getting on private industry. The sus-
picion that this is conscious state pol
icy is confirmed by the revelations
published in Vienna by an ex-ofticial
of the ministry Of finance.
The state money trust scheme is the
creation of the state comptroller, M.
Kharitonoff. M. Kharitonoff is one of
the ablest of the more rcactionary
high officials. To the public he is best
known by the Intentionally lax man
ner in which he exercises his func-
tions of controlling state expenditure,
and by the pliancy with which he al
lows money voted for specific pur-
pose to be spent on different aims.
Kharitonoff four years ago presented
to the czar memorandum declaring
that the financial independence of the
local governing bodies is a menace
to state security, and that the only
way to check the growing power of
these bodies is to starve them OF
funds. The taxes which they could be
prevented collecting for local needs
would easily, said Kharitonoff, be di-
verted into the central treasury.
Money" said Kharitonoff in his
memorandum, is the chief power in
the modern state. Your majesty's au-
tocracy was threatened in the past
mainly by the rise of a wealthy and
Independent bourgeois existing with
out favor of the state. The ideal
should be rather relatively poor peo-
pie and rich state, and everything
should be done to attain this aim.
The first thing is to continue the pol
icy of concentrating wealth. and in
creasing ctate control over wealth
Which is in private hands.
This program for a state money
trust was approved of, continues
Kharitonoff, by Count Witte. When
minister of finance in 1900, Witte got
forbade the zemstyos, or provincial
administrative council, to increase tax
alton more than limited amount an
nually. Whites aim was thus to di-
vert money, which might be taken in
the form of taxes, into the central
treasury. The more starved the
zemstvos the fatter the imperial
budget. In many other respects Witte
concentrated money in the hands of
| the state, and did everything to pre-
vent concentration in private or in
local government hands.
AS result of Whites policy and of
the policy outlined by Kharitonoff,
Russia, which is the poorest country
in Europe, is the richest state. The
| economist, Afanasieff, shows that the
| average annual peasant income is
only 1880; and peasants of this kind
make up four-fifths of the population.
Although Russia has 100000 900 popu-
lation, her total wealth, including land
at present sale prices, is only $35,000,.
| 100000; while England with fourth
of that population is worth $65,000,.
100000, and Germany with a third
population is worth 100000, 900
The national income Of Russia is less
than half that of England or France
Yet of all European states Russia has
the biggest annual budget. Her pres
ent budget is over one billion five hun,
dred million dollars; whereas the Brit
ish is $3.50, 100000, and the French and