PRODUCTION AND INDUSTRY 1209

Salt production in Russian Empire for five years, in thousands of pouds : —

—

1906

1907

1908

190.9

1910

Rock salt

From salt marshes

From brine by evaporation

31,047

47,462 27,109

29,056 59,443 25,372

31,243 57,041 26,474

32,745 75,832 30,301

32,156 64,737 29,362

Total

105,618

113,871

114,758

138,938

126,255

The number of persons engaged in the making and working of metals was 530,165 in 1910,

IV, Manufactures,

According to the last statistics published by the Department of Industry of the Ministry of Finance, the number of all kinds ot industrial establish- ments under the inspectors of manufactories, in European Russia proper, Poland, and four governments of the Caucasus (Baku, Kutais, Tiflis, and Black Sea), was, on January 1, 1911, 15,721, employing 1,951,955 work- people : 1,227,360 men, 521,236 women, and 203,359 children (118,007 males, and 85,352 females).

Alcohol production of the last five years (ending June 30) :-

1907-08

2,610 115,106

1908-09

1909-10

1901-11

1911-12

Number of distilleries Production of alcohol in 1,000 gallons

2,625 123,211

2,809 114,278

2,881 133,454

2,916 121,088

Sugar production of the last five years (ending June 30) : —

—

1907-08

190°-O9

274

1,389,543

68,326

1909-10

277

1,666,108

85,556

1910-11

275

1,625,536

92,596

1911-12

Number of sugar works

Area under beetroot, in acres .

Sugar production, in 1,000 pouds

278

1,517,083

76,046

282

1,923,013

121,340

The share capital of various financial, manufacturing, industrial, steam- ship and other enterprises in operation in Russia, numbering 1411, was estimated, in 1905, at 2,156,986,021 roubles. (Nearly 20 per cent, repre- sented the capital of foreign companies).

V. Fisheries,

Russia ranks third among the fish and deep-sea food-producing countries of the world. The total yield of fish amounts to about 1,206,000,000 pounds per annum. This is, however, by no means sufficient for the ])opulation of the vast Empire. The shortage is made up by imports of all kinds of low-priced fish, especially cod-fish and herrings ; Russia's purchases of the former aggregate 90,000,000 pounds and of the latter 396,000,000 pounds.

A steady falling off' in the catch of all the various species of fish is noticed

in European Russia, According to oflacial data, the } jeld of fish in European