Part 7 (1/2)
The conference found it impossible to abolish the trade marks of German and Austrian subjects, for this would hurt the Russian consumer, who could be then easily cheated by false labels.
Two conflicting opinions prevailed in the conference. The one held that the commercial treaties between Russia and Germany (and Austria) have left the question of patents out of consideration, while the other pointed out that the commercial treaties had granted to German subjects equal rights and privileges with Russians as regards patents.
The decision seems to be a compromise between the two.
A delegation of the Moscow Merchants' a.s.sociation, consisting of Messrs.
N.N. Shustov, I.G. Volkov, and A.D. Liamin, will soon go to Petrograd to pet.i.tion the Ministers of Finance, Commerce and Industry and of the Interior for measures against German ”oppression.” The delegation intends to ask for the revocation of all privileges (franchises) and patents granted to Austrian, German, and Turkish subjects and for the granting to the Moscow merchants of the right to admit foreigners to the Merchants' a.s.sociation only at its own discretion.
Finally, the delegation intends to discuss with the Ministers the special fund created recently at the State Bank for the settlement of payments to foreign merchants belonging to the warring nations. With this fund Russian merchants are depositing money for their matured notes. Thus the payment for foreign goods is now better guaranteed than before. The German merchants are taking advantage of this arrangement, offering their goods to Russian consumers through their agents and branch houses and commercial agents located in neutral countries.
Therefore the new arrangement helps rather than hurts the German trade in Russia.
A Russian Income Tax
Proposed by the Ministry of Finance.
[From Russkia Vedomosti, No. 225, Oct. 1 (14), 1914.]
In the long list of new Russian taxes the income tax is the most interesting. It is still only a drafted bill. The Government hesitates to press it. Perhaps the Duma will take some steps to make this bill a law. Its main provisions are as follows:
All annual incomes of 1,000 rubles ($500) and above are to be a.s.sessed at a progressive rate ranging from 1-1/2 per cent. on 1,000 rubles to the maximum of 8 per cent. on incomes of 200,000 rubles ($100,000) and above. All persons engaged actively in the present war shall be exempt from this tax.
All persons freed from military service within the last four years are to pay an additional tax equal to 50 per cent. of their income tax, provided the incomes of the parents whose sons have been freed reach 2,000 rubles ($1,000).
All persons freed from military service having incomes below 1,000 rubles ($500) are to pay a uniform tax of 6 rubles ($3). A special war tax is to be levied in provinces where the whole population or certain groups of the population are freed from military service.
Note: For a poor country like Russia the minimum exempt from taxation is very high. The large number of able-bodied men in war would cut into this tax considerably. It has been figured out that the special 6-ruble tax on those freed from the military service would yield about 13,000,000 rubles ($6,500,000). The total revenue from this tax would hardly reach 50,000,000 rubles. Commenting upon this bill, critics have proposed to reduce the minimum exempt from taxation from 1,000 rubles ($500) to 750 rubles ($375) and to cut out the special 6-ruble war tax.
PING PONG.
By BEATRICE BARRY.
Faith, hear our soldier boys a-sighin'
'Cause Major General John O'Ryan Won't let 'em dance!
The hard-wood floors he's goin' to rip-- They may not hesitate or dip; I'm told that he was heard to say They're 'sposed to work and not to play Ping Pong!
Ping Pong!
Ping Pong!
No more about a slender waist Shall arm in uniform be placed.
He looks askance At signs of happiness and mirth; Soldiers were put upon the earth To sweat and dig in hard dirt floors, And so prepare 'emselves for war's-- Ping Pong!
Ping Pong!