ii8 The National Geographic Magazine 



own. The building cost 200,000 rubles 

 ($103,000). The business of the bank 

 has increased 30 per cent during the 

 past year, and its daily transactions, 

 exclusive of railway and other govern- 

 ment accounts, amount to 400,000 rubles 

 ($206,000). The bank makes no loans 

 on realty, but advances from one-third to 

 one-half capital for current substantial 

 business. It is inaugurating a very effi- 

 cient and active system of credits to 

 Chinese merchants purchasing Russian 

 goods for sale in Manchuria. In some 

 cases as much as 200,000 rubles ($103,- 

 000) have been given in letters of credt 

 to Chinese for purchases in Russia. 



These experiments are proving profit- 

 able and satisfactory. The largest suc- 

 cess is reported in cotton goods. Many 

 large orders are now being placed in this 

 line and a substantial trade is being cre- 

 ated. These goods are brought into 

 Manchuria via Vladivostock free of 

 duty. So far, sugar has been the only 

 article purchased on which the Chinese 

 have lost money. 



This system of advancing credit to 

 Chinese merchants for the purchase of 

 Russian goods prevails now generally 

 throughout Manchuria, and it is by this 

 method and by imports free of duty and 

 favored rates over the railway that Rus- 

 sian cotton goods are likely to capture 

 the great trade of Manchuria that is now 

 largely in the hands of American manu- 

 facturers. 



The Russo- Chinese Bank is also very 

 generous to Chinese and Russian mer- 

 chants in encouraging the purchase and 

 shipping out of native products, but it is 

 exclusive in its methods and will not 

 encourage foreigners. 



INDUSTRIES OF HARBIN 



The leading industry of Harbin is the 

 manufacture of flour. Eight mills are 

 now in operation, all with modern Euro- 

 pean machinery with one exception, and 

 that is a small one constructed with 

 American machinery. Applicationshave 



been made and granted for the construc- 

 tion of two more large ones, and by the 

 middle of 1904 10 mills will be in opera- 

 tion, producing 25,000 poods (902,800 

 pounds) of flour per day. They pay 

 from 30 to 35 cents gold per bushel for 

 their wheat delivered at the mills, and 

 the wheat-producing area can be in- 

 creased enormously. The present value 

 of the flour mills in Harbin is 1,200,000 

 rubles ($618,000). 



In the immediate vicinity of Harbin 

 there are 200 brick-making plants, the 

 cost of which was 500,000 rubles ($257,- 

 500). Two of these plants were con- 

 structed by the administration, at a cost 

 of 200,000 rubles ($103,000). Most of 

 the brick produced are used in the con- 

 struction of the city. A very good 

 grade of red brick is produced and sold 

 for 6.50 rubles ($3.35) per 1,000. Most 

 of the work is done by Chinese, who 

 are paid 35 kopecks (18 cents) per day. 



The next industry of importance is 

 the production of the Russian liquor, 

 vodka. There are eight manufactories, 

 constructed at a cost of 200,000 rubles 

 ($103,000). Several of these produce 

 vodka from spirits of wine and sugar 

 brought from Russia. Some produce 

 only the spirits of wine from the local 

 wheat, while others produce their spirits 

 from local wheat and the vodka from 

 their own manufacture of spirits. The 

 consumption of vodka in Harbin alone 

 is 1,000 vedro (2,707 gallons) per day, 

 and the consumption throughout Man- 

 churia is something enormous. In 

 Russia the production is very heavily 

 taxed, and it costs 10 rubles ($5.15) 

 per vedro (2.707 gallons), while in 

 Harbin it sells at from 1.50 to 2.50 

 rubles (77 cents to $1.28) per vedro. 

 This is for 40 per cent alcohol. To 

 make 1 vedro of 96 per cent of spirits 

 of wine requires 82 pounds of wheat. 

 The bottles for this vodka are at present 

 brought from Japan, but at Imonia, in 

 Manchuria, the Russians are now build- 

 ing a large bottle and glass factory. 



