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National Geographic : 1904 Mar
Contents
THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE own. The building cost 200,000 rubles ($103,000). The business of the bank has increased 30 per cent during the past year, and its daily transactions, exclusive of railway and other govern ment accounts, amount to 400,000 rubles ($206,000). The bank makes no loans on realty, but advances from one-third to one-half capital for current substantial business. It is inaugurating a very effi cient and active system of credits to Chinese merchants purchasing Russian goods for sale in Manchuria. In some cases as much as 200,000 rubles ($103, ooo) have been given in letters of credt to Chinese for purchases in Russia. These experiments are proving profit able and satisfactory. The largest suc cess is reported in cotton goods. Many large orders are now being placed in this line and a substantial trade is being cre ated. These goods are brought into Manchuria via Vladivostock free of duty. So far, sugar has been the only article purchased on which the Chinese have lost money. This system of advancing credit to Chinese merchants for the purchase of Russian goods prevails now generally throughout Manchuria, and it is by this method and by imports free of duty and favored rates over the railway that Rus sian cotton goods are likely to capture the great trade of Manchuria that is now largely in the hands of American manu facturers. The Russo-Chinese Bank is also very generous to Chinese and Russian mer chants in encouraging the purchase and shipping out of native products, but it is exclusive in its methods and will not encourage foreigners. INDUSTRIES OF HARBIN The leading industry of Harbin is the manufacture of flour. Eight mills are now in operation, all with modern Euro pean machinery with one exception, and that is a small one constructed with American machinery. Applicationshave been made and granted for the construc tion of two more large ones, and by the middle of 1904 io mills will be in opera tion, producing 25,000 poods (902,800 pounds) of flour per day. They pay from 30 to 35 cents gold per bushel for their wheat delivered at the mills, and the wheat-producing area can be in creased enormously. The present value of the flour mills in Harbin is 1, 200,000 rubles ($618,000). In the immediate vicinity of Harbin there are 200 brick-making plants, the cost of which was 500,000 rubles ($257, 500). Two of these plants were con structed by the administration, at a cost of 200,000 rubles ($103,000). Most of the brick produced are used in the con struction of the city. A very good grade of red brick is produced and sold for 6.50 rubles ($3.35) per i,ooo. Most of the work is done by Chinese, who are paid 35 kopecks (18 cents) per day. The next industry of importance is the production of the Russian liquor, vodka. There are eight manufactories, constructed at a cost of 200,000 rubles ($103,000). Several of these produce vodka from spirits of wine and sugar brought from Russia. Some produce only the spirits of wine from the local wheat, while others produce their spirits from local wheat and the vodka from their own manufacture of spirits. The consumption of vodka in Harbin alone is i,ooo vedro (2,707 gallons) per day, and the consumption throughout Man churia is something enormous. In Russia the production is very heavily taxed, and it costs io rubles ($5.15) per vedro (2.707 gallons), while in Harbin it sells at from 1.50 to 2.50 rubles (77 cents to $1.28) per vedro. This is for 40 per cent alcohol. To make I vedro of 96 per cent of spirits of wine requires 82 pounds of wheat. The bottles for this vodka are at present brought from Japan, but at Imonia, in Manchuria, the Russians are now build ing a large bottle and glass factory. 118
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