COTTON GOODS. 



19 



Annual average prices for cotton yarns and calicos in Moscow, from quotations 

 (i:i the ;j[oscow exchange. 



The Russian cotton manufacturing- industry benefits by a large customs tariff, 

 levied to protect it from foreign competition. It is possible that this protection has 

 caused consumers to make sacrifices to the Eussiau manufacturers, but these sacrifices 

 are doubtless recompensed by a visible gain to the native industries. Cotton manufac- 

 tured goods are articles, supplying not a whim, fashion or luxury but an actual 

 necessity, and the fabrication of them gives large earnings to the inhabitants, as in 

 the cost of production wages occupy the first place. Considering that each, workman 

 earns annually about 200 roubles, it may be seen that the amount of wages 

 paid yearly by cotton manufacturers to 211.000 workmen amounts to about 40,000,000 

 roubles. Besides supplying the people with work the trouble taken by the Government 

 to develop home manufacture is amply rewarded, as may be seen by simple calcula- 

 tions. The requirements in raw cotton, as before stated, may be reckoned at 

 11,500,000 pouds; out of this amount 8,000,000 pouds are imported over the Euro- 

 pean frontiers, to the value of 80,000.000 roubles, wliich sum forms approximately 

 22.5 per cent of the total value of the imports. But this considerable sum appears 

 small when compared with what would be paid by the country to foreign manu- 

 facturers if, instead of raw material, finished goods were imported. In reality, if it 

 is granted that 11.5 million pouds of cotton consumed by the Eussian manufactories 

 would approximately give 10,000.000 pouds of finished goods, further allowing 



