Locomotives on Highways. 



371 



who urged the necessity of retaining the existing highly protec- 

 tive rates, the main argument used by them being that it was 

 absolutely necessary to continue the protection now afforded 

 them under the customs tariff in order that the manufacture 

 of agricultural machinery and implements should become 

 firmly established in the country. 



The decision of the Minister of Finance has not yet been 

 made known, but it is thought that it will be in accordance 

 with the declaration of the chairman, at the final 

 sitting of the committee, to the effect that he would recom- 

 mend the entire abolition of duty on some machines and 

 implements, the reduction of duty on others, and the free 

 importation into Russia during the course of the next five 

 years of certain machines not made in the country, such as 

 sheaf binders, steam ploughs without engines, compound 

 threshing machines, hay scatterers, sorters with spiral 

 cylinders, potato sorters, cream separators, brick-making 

 machines, manure spreaders, horse rakes, etc. ; and further, 

 that agricultural machines and implements newly invented 

 and adopted in use abroad, be also allowed to be imported 

 free of duty into Russia during the next five years. It is 

 expected that this question will be disposed of by legislation 

 by the Council of the Empire by January i, 1898. 



During each of the last three years the value of the 

 agricultural machinery imported into Russia has averaged 

 considerably over half a million, being no less than £588,000 

 in 1895, and £573,000 in 1896, exclusive of agricultural 

 implements ; including the latter class of goods, the importa- 

 tion from the United Kingdom amounted to £168,000 in 

 1895, while in 1894 it was £237,000. 



[Foreign Office Report, Annual Series, No. 1998. Price 4^.] 



The Locomotives on Highways Act, 1896. 

 The twenty-sixth annual Report of the Local Government 

 Board states that this Act, which came into operation on the 

 14th November, 1896, exempts certain light locomotives from 

 some of the restrictions contained in previous Acts on the 



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