ctor of the Russo-Asiatic Corporation, which began its
development with Tanalyk, and has gone on to other and more important
developments still, told me that when local option was granted, two
years ago, he himself was given the sole right of deciding whether those
thousands of Russians should have _vodka_ or not, although it was at
that time a government monopoly, and important as a source of revenue.
He decided that _vodka_ should not be sold, but that a very light and
harmless beer might be provided for those who wished to have it. It was
only to be sold by one man, however, and if an instance of
drunkenness occurred he was to lose his right to sell. The amount paid
for rent has been spent on a People's House for the recreation of all
employed at the mine.

[Illustration: _Camels at Work--Summer._]

Another manager friend of mine told me that he had helped his people to
become more sober by selling _vodka_ at his own stores at a lower price
than that of the government. It sounds a strange way of doing it, no
doubt, but the sale was restricted to Wednesdays and Saturdays. When,
therefore, on the other days there came would-be purchasers anxious to
have _vodka_, with the plea that there was a wedding or a christening or
some other domestic festivity at which it would be needed just to
complete the enjoyment, they were always told that they could not have
it except on the stated days. This was not hardship, for the government
shop was open, though the higher price was demanded there. This they
would not pay and so went without it, and yet the christening or wedding
passed off no less happily--perhaps even more happily; and thus,
gradually, amongst the Russian staff, and through them the work-people,
there grew up the idea that the results of _vodka_ were to be avoided.

Nothing could be more encouraging than the experience of the management
of this particular mine in trying, by example and discipline, to lift
their foremen and subordinates of the staff out of what used to be
thought a perfectly natural and pardonable weakness, but now throughout
the empire is being acknowledged as a national sin.

It will surely and easily be seen by any thinking reader that this
initiative on the one hand, and responsiveness on the other, promise
well for our future relations with each other, and explains, perhaps,
how the Russian _Entente_ has passed quite naturally into an Alliance,
which some of us hope and believe will be perman