Dec. 1896.] 



FOREIGN OFFICE REPORTS. 



345 



The demand is very large, but the purchase of such machines 

 by the farmers, already much ground down by the low price 

 which they actually get for their grain, and the heavy burdens 

 on land, is rendered still further dilfficult by the very high 

 duties, varying from 7^ to 80 per cent, of the original cost of 

 the implement, and by the enormous prices which they are 

 charged by the sellers of the machines in Russia who make a 

 very handsome profit on the sale of each article. 



English and American machines have the highest name, and 

 are obtained by those who can afford to pay a high price, but 

 their very high price puts them out of the reach of many. 

 German machines are bought by those who cannot afford 

 English, or go in for cheap bargains. Russian-made machines 

 are found unsatisfactory. 



Several district councils (Zemstvos) are now setting about 

 importing agricultural implements themselves to save the middle 

 man's charges, the implements to be sold on credit to the farmers, 

 but the terms on which they are allowed to lend money to 

 farmers for the purchase of implements exact the repayment of 

 the money within 3 years, which is not found a good arrange- 

 ment as the time that it takes to earn back the cost of an 

 implement differs, as, for instance, a plough can pay itself back 

 in less than 3 years, w^hereas a portable engine would take 

 double that time, so tliat the buyer would have to borrow after 

 3 years to repay the rest of the purchase money. 



Strong representations are now being made to Government, 

 on this subject, and also with a view to the large diminution or 

 total removal of the import duty on agricultural machines, as it 

 is pointed out that these duties benefit only a very small number 

 of manufacturers, whilst causing large loss to the many million 

 agriculturists, and further, that these duties are highest on those 

 articles which are not produced at all, or hardly at all in Russia, 

 and lowest on those which are made in some quantity, so that 

 the present duties are not even well arranged for the Russian 

 manufacturers for whose benefit they are imposed, and it is 

 hoped that the Government, which is known to be paying much 

 attention at present to the pitiable condition of the rural popu- 

 lation, will shortly make other arrangements, in which case a 

 wide field will be open for English agricultural machine manu- 

 facturers. 



The German farm implements sell better amongst the less 

 educated farmers as, in addition to their being much cheaper, 

 they are got up to attract the eye, or something of the sort, with 

 a picture painted on them, whereas the English manufacturer 

 puts on a coat of red paint and leaves the machine to sell itself 

 on its merits ; which, however, require to be known to induce 

 buyers to pay a higher price than for a German article which 

 looks the same or better, and is much cheaper. 



[Foreign Office Report, J\^o. 1,615 Annual Series. Price 2d.] 



