92 SIBERIA 



very tired after the long journey, as they trudged 

 slowly into the town. 



The hotel at Omsk is a. very good one, but, as 

 in all Siberian hotels, the proprietor stared at me 

 when I asked for pillows and bedclothes, it being 

 customary for travellers in Siberia to carry these 

 articles about with them. After a good rest I paid 

 a: visit to the leading butter merchants, who were 

 very numerous. Most of them are buying agents 

 for English and Danish firms, and they told me that 

 they make more by selling machinery than by buying 

 butter. Their commission on butter varies frorn 

 IS. 6d. to 2s. per cask. 



The quality of the butter from' this district requires 

 to be carefully watched, as it is, on the p.verage, 

 much inferior to that of Kourgan. In 1902 most of 

 the merchants of Omsk lost heavily on consign- 

 ments of butter to English firms, but they had not 

 then learnt the art of making consignments, which 

 has since been evolved, and which now allows the 

 English merchant to lose instead. Some of these 

 butter merchants are very smart men, with plenty of 

 energy and good business qualities ; their example of 

 hard work should be of benefit to the Siberian natives. 



As several writers about Siberia have stated that 

 English firms are behind the times in supplying 

 agricultural implements, I made inquiries from 

 several Omsk merchants as to the reason. One 

 agent for a large American firm of agricultural im- 

 plement makers said : " English firms will only give 

 six months' credit ; they want to send the goods in 

 spring and to be paid for them at the end of the 

 summer, while American firms will send a consign- 

 ment of machinery a;nd, if they are unsold at the end 

 of the year, will wait until the end of the following 

 season, and in many cases even two years, during 

 which time the farmer pays by instalments," To 



