90 SIBERIA 



Society, which has done splendid work in exploring 

 Siberia and other portions of the Asiatic continent. 

 The town possesses three libraries. Giving to the 

 favourable situation of the place as regards available 

 water-ways, both for purposes of imports and of 

 exports, the town promises to become a very im- 

 portant manufacturing centre. Butter is the most 

 important article of export at present, raw hides 

 and wool come next. Numerous butter merchants 

 have their offices at Omsk and most of them do 

 business in the sale of separators and other agri- 

 cultural implements. Last year the leading firms, 

 whose headquarters are in America, sold about 

 £150,000 worth of harvesting machinery among 

 them and made a good profit by selling to the butter 

 merchants, who re -sell the machines to the peasants 

 at a profit of from 25 per cent, to 30 per cent., or 

 more if exchanged for butter. 



Messrs. Deering & Company sell to the Govern- 

 ment, who send the machinery to Siberia at cheap 

 rates and retail it in Government shops, acting 

 as the sole buying agents and giving the peasants 

 a three years' credit, which is quite twice as much 

 as a private firm' can afford to give. The firm re- 

 ferred to is reported to have sold £60,000 worth of 

 machinery through the Government during ,1903. 

 The other two principal firms are also American 

 and have an estimated trade of £40,000 each, while 

 Messrs. Marshall, Son & Company and Messrs. 

 Clayton &' Shuttleworth — English firm's — run them 

 pretty closely in harvesting machines, thrashing 

 machines, and corn mills. There are, besides, several 

 other English firms competing in the trade. These 

 firms all find Omsk the best centre for their local 

 office, and from" here they send out their representa- 

 tives to all parts of the country. The machines 

 are well made and are frequently purchased by an 



