Evening star., 1915-11-21

state treasury expenditures. These
items. therefore, might be properly de-
Quoted from the revenues collected from
taxes and various forms of internal
taxation.
The government monopolies. until If
teen months ago. were the main source
of the Russian revenues. and of these
the liquor monopoly was by far the
greatest The form of prohibition. en-
forced by the government in stopping
the sale of vodka, cut down the reve-
nues by more than $500. 000. 900. The
estimated receipts from the liquor mos
nopoly of the government, which now
is confined to distilled alcohol for me-
dicinal and industrial purposes only.
for the current year is only 100000.
while in the budget for 1914 il was
fixed at S4S2 200. 900. or more than one
fourth of the total ordinary revenue.
When the estimates for the budget
of 1915 We're made Russia was still in
possession of Poland. The loss of this
territory during Germany's military oc-
cupancy is estimated to mean a loss Of
SI5.000,000 revenue annually.
To make up for the deficiency caused
by the vodka prohibition and the loss
due to war conditions various other
forms of taxation have been resorted
to and further plans are under consid-
GRAFTON. The customs duties were in
creased by 80 per cent. and ii was es-
timated that this would insure a total
from this source of approximately
mined how far this estimate is work
ing out. since the fiscal year 1915 has
yet some time to run.
Special war taxes were also levied on
railway transportation. matches sugar
and numerous other commodities of
daily consumption. The probability is
that tea, sugar and match monopolies
will be created by the government as
additional sources of revenue Will.
textiles also will be taxed. The income
tax has been approved by the duma,
and the council of the empire is work.
ing out the details.
These sources of increased taxation
to replace the loss from the vodka tax
and to provide for the ordinary eX-
penses of the government in war times
are not understood to be the basis of
the credit operations for financing the
war proper. That comes back to the
loans which may be negotiated as dis
tinctly war credits. or war loans, based
on Russia's resources and the prospect
which the future offers for the devel-
opment of trade and industries
Trade, of course, has suffered and
suffered greatly, on account of the war
but in that respect Russia is no worse
off than Germany. The exchange of
commodities between Germany and
Russia ordinarily constituted about As
per cent of the total foreign trade the
exports and imports not being far
apart.
Germany needed especially Russia's
surplus agricultural products, and she
also needed the RUSSIAN market Ior her
manufactured products.
Russia in war times can get along
without these manufactured articles
while some of her agricultural prod
ucts which formerly went to Germany
have found other markets. the Unit
ed States mas been glad to take all il
could set of Russian WOOL flax and
several other commodities. special
arrangement was made under which
these Russian goods were consigned to
the Secretary of Commerce in order
that none of them snould find their
way back into the hands of Germany
or Austria.
While Russia has taken these meas-
ures to restore the sale of her prod.
ucts to the United States, she has been
ouylng very extensively of war muni-
tions IN this country. 1t also should
be Noted that not all these war pur-
chases are of temporary military
character. Much of the railway con-
struction and of the rolling stock will
serve the purpose of industrial and
commercial development when peace is
restored.
The internal finances of Russia have
received little attention as compared
with those of Germany, France and
England. But the Russian people also
save money. Mr.. Bark, the Russian
minister .of finance not long ago stated
that the deposits in the private banks
amounted to $4,000. 900. 600. and that,
while before the war. the average year.
ly savings deposited were from s15,-
100000 to s2o.OoO.oOo. they had in
creased after the war broke out and