number of 1.000.000; horses 150.000; buffalo 300.000; camels 12.000; sheep and
goats 1.500.000, etc.
The territory of Azerbaijan, in addition to its mineral naphtha wells
possesses other sources of wealth. Unfortunately, only a very few mines arc worked.
Several smelting works produce yearly about 300.000 pounds of copper.
There are also strata of pyrites, sulphur, asbestos, silver, manganese, cobalt,
etc. The country abounds also in mineral waters, especially sulphurous and
chalybeate. There are vast forests.
Not only in the country but also in the towns, the real estate is owned by
Azerbaijanians and nearly all the trade and industry are concentrated in their hands;
the town of Baku is the most important center and the principal spot of transit with
Persia and Central Asia. All these things are, of course, safe sources of revenue for
the Stale. If we add to these more than 4 millions of inhabitants liable to income tax,
we may easily infer that all the necessary expenditures of the Azerbaijanian Republic,
will be more than covered by the revenues.
Some data of the budget of 1919.
We see that, in spite of the disorganisation produced by the war and
bolshevism in the economic life of the nation and in the finances of Azerbaijan, the
yearly budget has nevertheless reached 665 millions of roubles, though wc see in
estimates such provisions as the following: for the restoration of towns and villages
and devastated farms; 130 millions of roubles; temporary grants for Public
Instruction, 30 millions of roubles; army equipment, 80 millions of roubles.
A supplement called “The Finances and Economic Situation of the Republic
of Azerbaijan “will contain more details than the statistical tables given on the next
page.
Republic of Caucasian Azerbaijan
BUDGET
Estimated Revenues and Expenditure for the year 1919
REVENUES
NOMENCLATURE OF
REVENUES
SUMS IN ROUBLES
I. Direct taxations : Land taxtes,
inhabited house duty, income tax,
tax on war profits, prbates
15.000.000
II. Indirect taxations: Duties on
petroleum, kerosine, grease,
benzine and other productsfrom
naphtha
120.000.000
100.000.000
CUSTOMS
III. Stamp duty, duties on freehold
sales, on shipping, on transit of
passengers and goods, insurance
on goods, sundry entrance dues
IV. State monopolies.
258.000.000
V. Tax on the exploitation of
petroleum field, forests, cotton
growing land, fish trade...
VI. State, railway profits...
50.000.000
TOTAL REVENUES
665.000.000
E
STIMATES
NOMENCLATURE OF
EXPENDITURES
SUMS IN ROUBLES
ORDINARY EXPENDITURE
1. Higher institutions of the State. -
Parliament....
7.000.000
2. Home office
20.000.000
3. Exchequer
30.000.000
4. Ministry of justuce
3.000.000
5. Foreign Office
10.000.000
6. Board of Education
45.000.000
7. War office and admiralty
60.000.000
8. Local Government
75.000.000
9. Ministry for Agricultural, State
lands
45.000.000
10. Ministry for provisions
17.000.000
11. Labour Board
10.000.000
12. Posts and Telegraphs
15.000.000
13. Commerce and Industry
32.000.000
14. Poor law Board
15.000.000
15. State control
6.000. 000
16. Unforeseen expenditure
15.000.000
TOTAL
ORDINARY
EXPENDITURE
415.000.000
EXTRAORDINARY
EXPENDITURE
Restoration of towns and villages.
Sundry
expenditures
for
Agriculture
130.000.000
Struggle against epidemics
10.000.000
For first armament of the army
80.000.000
Provisional grants for Education
30.000.000
Total Extraordinary Expenditures
250.000.000
General Total of Estimates
665.0
AZERBAIJAN HAS A RIGHT TO INDEPENDENT
POLITICAL EXISTENCE. RELATIONS WITH THE CAUCASIAN
REPUBLICS
Right to social andpolitical autonomy.
The material and intellectual forces of this country, its conditions so very
favourable from an economic point of view, its situation on the direct line connecting
the European markets with the Caucasus, Turkestan, Khiva, Bokhara, Persia,
Afghanistan and Central Asia and India, its industrious population, fond of trade and
capable of helping civilisation and social life to progress the struggle this population
had to keep up in order to gain its national and political liberty, the fact that for a year
it has formed a steady State, all the points answering the conditions of self disposal of
nations, according to the principles of President Wilson, give us a right to believe that
the Azerbaijanians of the Caucasus, like the other small nations have an
imprescriptible right to free and independent life and this right should be sanctioned
by the Conference of the Peace and by Powers of the Entente. Two questions will nat-
urally be asked to explain better what has just been said :
1
How is Azerbaijan, till recently a part of the Russian Empire, to consider
the past and present obligations of Russia;
2° What must be its relations with its neighbours, the other Caucasian
Republics?
Relations with form er Russia.
We have described hereabove how the tsarist government acted towards the
population of Azerbaijan. The russifying tendencies of the Government were based on
profound mistrust of Azerbaijanians. This mistrust showed itself especially in the
question of military service, from which the Mussulmans were excluded, instead of
which they were obliged to pay a special tax. Yet this same Government declared
even in their official documents that the Mussulmans are a peaceful, loyal, safe
element. It is obvious that this same tsarist Government, so short-sighted generally,
could not deny such certain facts as the participation and voluntary help offered by
the Azerbaijanians each time the State was in danger.
It will be sufficient to mention the Russian-Japanese and the last wars. The
Azerbaijanians, who, through the suspicions in which they were held, were not
admitted in the ranks of the Russian army, have equipped a detachment of volunteers,
a part of which fell in the fields of Mandshouria. The collaboration of the
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