INDUSTRIAL WARSAW.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 5801, 19 January 1906, Page 2

INDUSTRIAL WARSAW.

Tl.i? hitherto prosperous ami busy cltv oi almost a million inhabitants, rii'se to Wc.-torn ICiiio[K> to havo adoptoil much <>i its spirit of cn-l*-!iir;ss* anti pn>;rressivo iclsu-, lorms a s-;r’ os r innootin;; 1:ti!; bof.vccn Rusmii in-or-r am! tho lost of Kinop--. Tm r;i i, hr-! r’.ont iom-il in history about tho y,,.;ir and is auppo-od liy many hist oi inn. to havo been lotimVai üboi.t tlio c!o-o of tho tv.vlitii contury. nt uldoii lin.o it ooii'istod only ot -.vliat is Ismo.vn as tho "Old City,' 1 tho sito ni an am-icnt. douse lorost. It was i»r a lour: time tho ro'hiojioo oi tin l Jfnko.s oi Masovta, tvhos-e pahuo sro ;t! at the southern end ol the city, surrounded by extensive suburbs, which became m time a portion oi the cite isolf. In 10-O, at the deal!i of the last ducal family tile ieudai Duchy oi Masuria, nml tvitli it t\ arsaiv. v.as rest orvtl to Poland. Later Warsaw was clto-on by Kant; Sittmuad li. as his residence, ' ami became thercauer the capital of Poland. For hundreds oi year.-. Warsaw ims played a most important part in the troublous history ol Poland, and lias boon a bone of contention in countless wans. Swedes, liussian-, French, Prussians, and Austrians have struggled tor post-cssion of it. taking it ami losing it in turn. Tho Clongr.sss of \ ionna, in 1810, linally awarded Warsaw to Uusshv and It was made the capita! of the newly.i«tablislud KinoUoin of Poland, which in IHdd was reduced to a Kussian province, Warsaw, hovvover still remainin;; the capital. in ISbl the Russians liberated the Polish peasants, gran ting them ownership oi a portion of the land they were living on and cultivating. From tlial time on, owing to tin- rapid development of tho entire Vistula province, a now era of prosperity began tor Warsaw. and it lias since continued to grow ( caddy in extent and importance. Improvements in tho appearance of the tit v have been constantly made, many handsome buildings erected, gardens ami sepia res laid out, boulevards cut through, and Warsaw is now a handsome modern caoital. It occupies a commanding position in a half-circle on the lelt. or western shore of the Vistula river, hero some 500 yards wide, overlooking the river from a height of about K)0 leet. On the opposite bank is the suburb Piaga, the Jewish quarter, dirty and squalid in comparison with Warsaw projH-r. Connecting it with tho latter is tho remarkable Alexandrovsky llridgo, an iron bridge built on the American system.

Owing to its advantageous situation, Win-saw is the chid industrial and business centre of Poland, and the fifth most important city of the Russian Kuipire. and forms riio eontrai point of five great railway- lines. Its distance from St. Petersburg is 700 miles, from Moscow 870 miles, and from Berlin -100 miles. It also has direct railway communication with Danzig, tho great Prussian seaport. Kielf and the southwestern part of Russia, and with Vienna.

The many and varied industrial enterprises, to a lueii the city chiefly owes its importance, provide employment for many thousands of workmen. 'I here are. according to tho latent statistics, published, about -100 factories amt mills, among which metal-working and imichiue-huildiug establishments come first in importance, followed by distilleries, tobacco arid match factories, che-_ mical works. lood manufactories, sugar’ refineries, flour mills, silver-plating works, carpet and carriage factories, etc. In spite of competition with the more favoured enterprises of the South of Ru&iia. tho iron and stool industry has steadily developed, aud there are some vcjy large-establishments for the production oi iron aud stool goods, steel rails figuring us one of the articles produced in the greatest quantities. It is estimated tlxat over 100,000 tons of steel goods are turned out annually from tho more important of those plants. Wood and leather-working establishments are also prosperous. The manual trades, however, have attained a still higher stage of development, doing a business of some live or six million roubles a year. Clothing, millinery, hosiery, and glove-making are largely followed. The products of tho Warsaw factories find an extensive market all over Russia. The minor couuuerce is almost exclusively in the hands of j the Jews, aud many of them are emI ployed as mechanics aud artisans. Tho i entire internal commerce of Roland, as j well as the Undo with Russia, centres in Warsaw. Tho foreign trade is ol less value. Besides the products already enumerated corn, leather, sugar and coal are staple articles of commerce. Two fairs lake place annually i which are visited ‘by many merchants | from western Russia, as well as Rol- | isli merchants. One. the wool fair, Italics place in June: tho oilier, for tliu |sale ol hops, in September. In tho surrounding country, agriculture is the principal occupation and ! the source of livelihood of the greater ! part of the population of the Government of Warsaw. Rye. oats, barley, |alid wheat, as well as largo quantities of potatoes, are raised. Horse, cattlo, sheep and pig raising is also engaged in to a groat extent, aud in some places oven camels arc bred. Industry, however, is also highly developed. Transportation lacilities for Warsaw’s enormous freight traffic aro provided by tho five groat railway linos already mentioned, aud to some extent by tlio Vistula river, which servos as a water highway to many important Prussian cities.

An to tho inhabitants of tho city, with tho exception of tho garrison and tho administrative officials, thoro is practically no native Russian population whatever. The garrison is composed of some 80,000 Russian troops, and the town is protected by fifteen forts situated on both sides of tho river, including a strong citadel, which makes it the chief military centre of Poland. Tho majority of tho inhabitants, of course, are of pure Polish blood, and of tho Roman Catholic faith. 'The next most important element in the population is tho Jewish. They form a third of the total population. A largo German contingent must not bo left tinmeutioned. aud ihe German language is used io a surprising extent in tile business world.

From an intellectual standpoint. Warsaw is tho centre at which conguv gato the brains and talent of the gifted Polish nation, and tiie home of music, I.ho drama art. literature, and learning. Its famous university is attended by nearly kTKX) students. With theincreased freedom which the- Russian Government t-oems inclined to grant to the Polish nation, and has already granted in the matter o: religion and language, and ownership of land, and the introduction of various other reforms which are already being planned ami discu-sed, it may be hojxjd that V. ursaw will once more take up its steady life of imacoful and progressive activ-rty.—’Thirr.s International Ho view.”