Page:The Russian Review Volume 1.djvu/78

62 development of Siberia. This vast territory is one of the richest parts of the earth in natural resources. But it is very sparsely settled, and its enormous wealth is practically untouched. The Bureau is especially interested in encouraging Americans to invest in railroad construction, iron and gold extracting industries, construction of refrigerating plants, ware-houses, grain-elevators, etc. It is interesting to note that the Lena Gold Mining Company, the largest in Siberia and one of the largest of its kind in the world, is controlled by English capital.

The Municipal Council of Samara, the birth-place of the late Michael Tchelyshev, the noted champion of prohibition, partly through whose efforts temperance was introduced in Russia, has petitioned the Ministry of the Interior for permission to erect a monument to Tchelyshev.

The former Procurator of the Holy Synod, Sabler, has received permission to change his German name to Desiatovky, winch was the maiden name of his wife.

The Procurator of the First Department of the Senate has issued permission to a group of Senators to organize a Cooperative Consumers' League. Almost all of the Senators have become members of the League, which, however, could not be organized without the permission of the Procurator.

The Municipal Council of Saratov has petitioned the Government for a subsidy of 650,000 roubles for the purpose of establishing a municipal bakery and inaugurating other means of combating the high cost of living.

Several "governments," particularly that of Smolensk, experience a shortage of salt. In some parts of the government salt is selling at ten copecks a pound, which is about ten times more than the ordinary price.

It is estimated that the amount of coal mined during the current year in the different parts of Russia will be 29,520,000 tons, of which 9,770,000 tons will be anthracite.