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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 6, Issue 8 (April 1, 1932.)

Achievements in Transport

Achievements in Transport.

Before the revolution, Russia was the second country in Europe in regard to the length of the railway system. While Germany was possessing 40,766 miles of railways, Russia was coming next with 39,706 miles, as against France (32,924), Austria-Hungary (29,582), Great Britain (25,053), and Italy (11,304). Yet the Russian railways were inadequate. For every 10,000 of population the miles of line were only 3.2, the same as in Italy, while in France the figure was 8.4, in Germany 6.2, and in Great Britain 5.6.

Russia was always the granary of Europe, and the Continent obtained, before the revolution, no less than one-third of her staple food requirements in Russia. Just before the Great War Russia produced 34 per cent, of the world's wheat, 50 per cent, of the barley, and 90 per cent, of the flax. All these tremendous quantities of produce were transported by Russian railways.

There wab a striking development of railway construction and transport facilities, coupled with unprecedented progress in industrial and economic conditions in Russia during the years preceding the downfall of the Empire. During the ten years between the Russo-Japanese War and the Great War, Russia's wealth had doubled. Suffice to say that the money page 29 In banks and in circulation for that period of time, increased by about 111 per cent. Capital from foreign countries was freely flowing into Russia.