Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - XXIV. Material and Spiritual Culture in Siberia
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has been proofread at least once.
(diff)
(history)
Denna sida har korrekturlästs minst en gång.
(skillnad)
(historik)
steamer was brought to Siberia by the “vodka-king”
Poklevsky in 1843 for the transport of vodka and grain
to and from the Irtish. At present there are in Siberia about
100 steamers large and small, and about 200 other craft.
A considerable number of these steamers are chartered or
owned by the well-known M. Sibiriakoff, who of all the
capitalists of Siberia has done most towards the economical
and spiritual development of his country.
Characteristic of the primitive economical conditions of
this part of the world is the flourishing system of usury.
According to official statistics, the average interest on loans
in Irkutsk, for example, is 5 per cent per month, while it is
occasionally as much as 200 per cent per annum.
Under such economic conditions industries cannot flourish,
and Siberia is for these entirely dependent on European
Russia, the products of which—often of inferior quality—
fetch fabulous prices. The principal commercial transactions
between Siberia and European Russia have hitherto taken
place at the annual fair of Irbit (1st of February to the 1st
of March). During the period from 1890—1896 the Siberians
on an average bought six times as much from Russia as
they sold to her, and a great part of the raw material
which they exported to the mother-country, such as tallow,
hides, flax, etc., they again imported in the shape of
manufactured articles.
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
