GLASS WARES. 199 



plain, 4 roubles, and for moulded, 2 roubles gold per pond ; such are leaden glass goods, 

 heavy and strong. Belgian plain half-crystal, such as Val St. Lambert, are also much 

 imported; they cost in St. Petersburg, not including duties, 4 to 9 roubles gold per 

 poud, each containing 80 to 280 pieces. French leaden glass, as well as the Bohemian 

 plain and faceted, which is a little cheaper than the French, is much admired 

 in both capitals; large tumblers cost 6 to 7, and small wine glasses, 10 to 14 

 roubles gold per poud. Foreign coloured and decorated glass is in much less 

 demand than the plain white. Bohemian crystal of cheap facet is also much imported. 

 The faceting industry in Bohemia is, since ancient times, divided into many brandies. 



The next article of trade importance is the Belgian plate glass of large dimen- 

 sions, as also Belgian and French looking-glasses. Window glass costs, according to 

 the size, from 3 to 8 roubles per poud; a looking-glass of medium size, as is generally 

 the Belgian of second quality, is priced at 5 to 6 roubles gold per square metre, not 

 including the duty. The tax on looking-glasses in general is high, and depends on 

 the dimensions of the surface. Thus, when the size of the looking-glass is 1 square 

 metre, the duty is 10 roubles per square metre; if it is two square metres, the duty is 

 13 roubles gold, and further in like ratio. In the same way the duty on ordinary 

 sheet glass, when the surface is less than 1 square metre, is 1.50 roubles, and 

 exceeding these dimensions, 3 roubles per poud. 



By comparing the data showing the cost of the home glass industry with those 

 which give the value of the import, it will be seen that the yearly consumption of 

 glass in Eussia amounts to the sum of the two totals, which ranged in 1889 to 1891, 

 from 13 to 14 million roubles a vear. 



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