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900,000 roubles; in 1858, after some reform in
the previous year, but before the considerable reform
of 1859, 1,300,000 roubles; in 1863, 2 million roubles;
which amounts must be multiplied by at least four to be
converted into marks. The amount estimated in the
present budget of 32⅓ million marks is too low if we
may judge from the 35 and 36 millions of 1898 and
1899, and nearly 40 millions of 1900.
How far the financial situation allows of a complete
reform of the customs duties is seen as soon as we
examine the composition of the total. Notwithstanding
the decrease in the duty on sugar imported from
Russia, which causes a loss to Finnish finance of some
millions, sugar and preparations of sugar contributed in
1900 12 millions, or 28½, per cent. of the total; coffee
gives between 3⅓ and 3½ millions, or about 10 per cent.;
tobacco, 3 millions, or about 9 per cent.; wines and
spirits, notwithstanding the prohibition of the import of
brännvin, about 2½ million, or 7 per cent.; fruit, one-half
to three-fourths of a million, or 2 per cent.; tea, one-third
of a million, or 1 per cent. Together with the excise
duties on brännvin and malt, these duties, which are,
or at all events can be made, purely fiscal, produce about
three-quarters of the total. If we remember the good
result of the last budget, as well as the by no means
excessive duty now demanded on articles so well able
to pay duty as alcoholic liquors and tobacco, we find
that it would be quite possible to abolish entirely all
the other duties. In fact, they are all detrimental to
the economic life of the country, and they are causing
difficulties at the custom-house. Such a total reform
would be possible without increasing the duty on such
an article as sugar, which is a good financial resource,
but which for other reasons had better be free or
slightly taxed. There is nothing to hinder the
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