TOMSK 123 



Government engineer inspects the mine and makes 

 sure you put the machinery down in working order ; 

 he then gives you a certificate to get the rebate, 

 which it takes about a year to accompHsh." 



" How does Siberia compare with Klondyke? " 



" There are no difficulties here to compare with 

 those of Klondyke. The regulation claim is 5 versts 

 long and 700 feet broad. By the new law of 1902 

 we pay 50 kopecks (is. ofd.) per dessiatine (over 

 two acres), but the tax in other places is one rouble 

 (2s. ijd.), according to the quality of the mine. We 

 own 21 miles of mine and water rights. Before 1902 

 the Government tax on gold was 3 per cent, in the 

 south Yeniseisk district, and 4 to 1 5 per cent, in other 

 places, but this has been abolished and we now pay 

 an industrial tax according to the profit made. In 

 addition to the cost of the convict labour you hire, 

 you pay a police tax for each of the men. We are 

 paying 500 roubles for 160 men, which is 6s. y^d. 

 per week each. In Western Siberia there are about 

 10,000 miners employed, and in Eastern Siberia they 

 number over 30,000." 



" .Where do you sell your gold? " 



" The Government was the only legal purchaser 

 until 1902, since when a' free circulation of gold is 

 permitted, except in the case of the Czar's mines and 

 some districts in Trans-Baikal. We used to receive 

 a certificate of weight from' the district engineer and 

 then brought the gold to Tomsk. A six -months' 

 bill was given us on the Treasury, after deducting 

 the cost of transport to the mint in St. Petersburg, 

 and a tax of 3 to 15 per cent, was imposed on the 

 raw material. The State also levied a tax of one 

 rouble (2s. i|d.) per dessiatine on land conceded, 

 but this has been abolished since 1902, because the 

 miners escaped a lot of taxation by filling up incorrect 

 returns, through which the Government lost heavily. 



