280 iMANUFACTUUES OF KUSSIA. 



t'ectiou, beiug- camod on in the niocluanical laboratory of the Institute of Civil Engin- 

 eers of the Emperor Alexander I, under the direction of Prof. A. A. Belelubsky, 

 whose scientitic works and railway bridges are well known abroad. This laboratory 

 has seut to the Columbian Exposition at Chicago a collection of data and specimens 

 which cannot fail to interest foreign engineers, and will serve as a capital sup- 

 plement to all thit is already known by them, concerning the work done by this 

 St. Petersburg Institute, and which is so important to Eussia. 



As regards the price of the Russian Portland and Eoman cements, the follow- 

 ing table, giving the prices of cement at the Riga works at various periods, may be 

 taken as the normal for the internal production. 



The average price for fourteen years is thus 4.85 roubles per barrel of Portland 

 cement, and 2.26 roubles per barrel of Roman cement. At the present time the 

 average prices remain approximately the same, or slightly lower; thus, in 1890 Port- 

 land cement cost 4.75 roubles per barrel, and Roman 1.85 per barrel of about 7pouds; 

 and in May, 1^93, the price of Portland cement was 4.70 roubles; in the case of 

 large orders a considerable deduction is made. 



The average price of Portland cement per poud, including barrels, is thus 45 

 to 46 kopecks paper, or about 30 kopecks gold, which corresponds to about 60 shill- 

 ings per English ton, or 73 francs per metric ton. On comparing these prices with 

 those of foreign cements imported to Russia, and including the customs duty, it is 

 found that the Russian cement works do not take advantage of the full difference 

 of 9 or 10 kopecks, which is given by the customs duty upon the foreign article, 

 but that they only appropriate a portion of this difference. This not unimportant 

 circumstance indicates the growth in recent years of a considerable home compe- 

 tition between the Russian producers; and this again confirms the fact that the Rus- 

 sian cement industry has already, under the protective system of customs tariffs, 

 obtained the desired development, and is now firmly established in all its independ- 

 ent branches. 



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