MACHINES AND IMPLEMENTS. 



183 



The decade 1880 to 1890 was in general not very favourable to tlie manufacture 

 of machinery in consequence of the instability of tlie tariff and of the general stand- 

 still of affairs due to the painful events Eussia had to undergo during this period, and 

 to the solicitude of the Government to bring the Russian finances to a more satis- 

 factory condition, which was influencing greatly tlie decrease of Crown and railway 

 orders. Owing to these conditions the activity of the largest and most productive of 

 the manufactories was lowered, but the number of small establishments, called fortli 

 by the pressing needs of life, increased considerably. 



The conditions of Eussian machine building at the end of this period with 

 regard to foreign competition were as follows. The custom duties upon the imported 

 unwrought metals were: upon cast iron, 15 kopecks in gold per poud, 4.785 dollars 

 per ton, and upon iron, 40 to 60 kopecks in gold per poud, from 12.76 to 19.14 

 dollars per ton. The custom duties upon imported machinery were: for agricultural 

 machines, 50 to 70 kopecks in gold per poud, from 15.95 to 20.90 dollars per 

 ton; extra parts of such machines were imported with a duty from 1.8 to 2.4, and 

 in some cases to 5 times that above mentioned. The duty upon iron and cast iron 

 machinery, excepting agricultural machines and locomotives, and upon the extra parts 

 of such machinery, the brass parts excluded, was 1.20 roubles in gold per poud, 

 38.28 dollars per ton. The duty on locomotives was 1.40 roubles in gold per poud, 

 44.66 dollars per ton. Brass machinery and apparatus in which brass forms the 

 cluef materia], with regard to weight, as well as extra parts of such machinery, were 

 imported with a duty of 3.50 roubles in gold per poud, 111.65 dollars per ton. 

 On comparing these duties with those first established in 1868 in paper roubles, 

 it will be seen that they were four times as large, and considering that the duties 

 were levied in gold, six times higher than the former. 



The import of foreign machinery during this decade was as follows: 



YEAES. 



M 



E T. 



Agricultural 

 machines. 



Tons. 



Dollars. 



All kinds of 



machines except 



those mentioned 



separately. 



Tons, 



Dollars. 



Locomotives. 



Machines and 



apparatus whollyi 



or principally 



made of brass. 



Tons. 



Dollars. 



Tons. 



Dollars. 



1881 

 1883 

 ; 1885 

 1887 

 1889 

 1890 



136,678 

 15,984 

 7,837 

 5,629 

 9,548 

 7,435 



4,053,220 22,774 

 2,367,755| 30,065 

 1,260,320 21,693 

 897,130 21,629 

 l,523,370j 33,516 

 1,297;285 31,048 



59,225 

 96,305 

 42,745 

 18,540 

 35,535 



107^ 

 80 

 113 

 177 

 161 

 177 



60,255 ' 



52,530 



60,255 



105,060 



107,605 



125,660 



In these figures the import of locomotives in 1881 is included. 



