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VIZIJA I MISIJA

JEDNOG NAUČNIKA - DR KOSTA

STOJANOVIĆ (1867 - 1921)

pregledni naučni članak

dr Vesna Matić

Udruženje banaka Srbijevesna.matic@ubs-asb.com

Rezime

Ugledni srpski naučnik iz oblasti matematike, fizike, mehanike, sociologije i ekonomije, jedan od pionira kibernetike, Kosta Stojanović, bio je, kao što je to rekao publicista Dimitrije Boarov, "čovek koji se srećom bavio i srpskom ekonomijom" (Dimitrije Boarov, 165). U tom poslu bio je uspešan i dao je veliki doprinos realizaciji dva prioritetna pravca u njenom razvoju u drugoj polovini XIX veka - restrukturiranju privrede i ekonomskoj emancipaciji Srbije, u smislu otvaranja srpskog tržišta prema tržištima evropskih i zemalja iz drugih delova sveta.

Ključne reči: strategija privrednog razvoja, ekonomska emancipacija Srbije, restrukturiranje privrede, Carinski rat

JEL klasifikacija: N73, F51, L92

Rad primljen: 02.08.2011.

Odobren za štampu: 30.08.2011.

UDK 33:929 Stojanović K.

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VISION AND MISSION OF A SCIENTIST - DR KOSTA STOJANOVIĆ (1867-1921)

scientific review article

Vesna Matić PhD

Association of Serbian Banksvesna.matic@ubs-asb.com

Summary

A renowned Serbian scientist in the field of mathematics, physics, mechanics, sociology and economy, one of the pioneers in cybernetics, Kosta Stojanović was, as the publicist Dimitrije Boarov said, “a man who, fortunately, dealt with the Serbian economy”(Dimitrije Boarov, 165). He was successful in that work, having largely contributed to the implementation of two priority lines of its development in the second half of the 19th century - restructuring of the economy and economic emancipation of Serbia, in terms of opening the Serbian market towards the markets of other countries in Europe and worldwide.

Key words: strategy of economic development, economic emancipation,economy restrucruring, Customs war

JEL Classification: N73, F51, L92

Paper received: 02.08.2011

Approved for publishing: 30.08.2011

UDC 33:929 Stojanović K.

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Brojni talenti jednog od najuglednijih srpskih naučnika obogatili su njegovu životnu priču dobrim rezultatima

njegovog rada u praksi i koncept privrednog razvoja Srbije u drugoj polovini XIX veka podigli na nivo strateškog razvoja. Kao što je u naučnoj sferi svoje intelektualne napore usmerio u pravcu pronalaženja efikasne metodologije koja bi objedinila odvojene pristupe prirodnim i društvenim naukama, tako je i svoj potencijal naučnika matematičara, prirodni talenat i logiku razmišljanja, primenio u privrednoj praksi, vođen ciljevima strategije za ekonomski oporavak Srbije, koju je sam razvio.

Neobičan razvojni put jednog naučnika

Kosta Stojanović je rođen 1867. godine u Aleksincu, a diplomirao je na odseku za matematiku Filosofskog fakulteta Visoke škole u Beogradu 1889. godine, kao najbolji student. Školovanje je nastavio u Parizu 1893. godine gde je pohađao časove iz matematike, astronomije, mehanike i fizike, a potom i u Lajpcigu 1897. godine, gde je stekao zvanje doktora matematičkih nauka.

Kao honorarni profesor predavao je primenjenu matematiku na Visokoj školi u Beogradu 1903. godine, a potom kao pridruženi profesor na Filosofskom fakultetu, kada se Visoka škola transformisala u Beogradski univerzitet.

Političku karijeru počeo je kao radikal i član masonske lože "Pobratim", koja je formirala "Srpsku interparlamentarnu grupu" sa ciljem da se bori za "pravičnost u međunarodnim odnosima i upotrebu izbornih sudova u rešavanju m e đ u n a r o d n i h razmirica " (Dimitrije Boarov, 166).

Nakon deobe među srpskim masonima, Kosta

Stojanović pristupa novoj masonskoj loži "Ujedinjenje" 1909. godine, što istovremeno prati i promena u njegovim političkim uverenjima. Sve je bliži takozvanim samostalnim radikalima Ljube Stojanovića, da bi nakon prvog svetskog rata prešao u Demokratsku stranku.

Značajan deo svoga života Kosta Stojanović posvetio je naučnom radu i objavio mnogobrojne radove iz matematike i fizike. Sa istom strašću međutim, bavio se i praktičnim radom u oblasti ekonomije, u kom pravcu ga je usmerio njegov politički rad i podrška dr Mihaila Vujića, takođe umerenog radikala, visokog i uspešnog državnog poslenika i vrlo obrazovanog čoveka.

Borba za ekonomsku emancipaciju srpske privrede

Kosta Stojanović bio je čovek jasne političke i ekonomske orijentacije. Kao strastveni i do kraja opredeljeni poslenik ekonomske emancipacije Srbije, on je koncept ekonomskog osamostaljenja Srbije, gradio na tri bitna segmenta:• restrukturiranju srpske privrede, pre svega

industrijske proizvodnje,• ukidanju monopolskog položaja Austro

Ugarske u trgovinskim transakcijama sa Srbijom i pronalaženju novih tržišta za plasman robe iz Srbije, kao i

• razvoju železničkog saobraćaja, kao komplementarne privredne grane koja bi značajno pospešila razvoj trgovine i izvoza srpskih proizvoda na inostrana tržišta.

Kosta Stojanović je intenzivno radio u praksi na realizaciji ovog koncepta i zabeležio dobre rezultate. Na mesto ministra narodne privrede postavljen je 1906. godine, u vreme početka Carinskog rata sa Austro Ugarskom. Odmah je javno pokazao da ga ovaj rat ne brine preterano i da za novo nastalu situaciju postoje alternativna i bolja rešenja. Sa

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Numerous talents possessed by one of the most distinguished Serbian scientists enriched his life-story with

sound results of his work in practice, and raised the concept of economic development in Serbia in the second half of the 19th century to the level of strategic development. Just as he, in the scientific sphere, invested his intellectual efforts in the direction of finding efficient methodology that would combine the separate approaches to natural and social sciences, he also applied his potential of a scientist-mathematician, natural talent and logic of thinking, in economic practice, governed by the objectives of strategy for economic recovery of Serbia, which he had himself developed.

Unusual development path for a scientist

Kosta Stojanović was born in 1867 in the city of Aleksinac, and graduated in 1889 from the Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Mathematics, of the High School in Belgrade, as a valedictorian. He continued his schooling in 1893 in Paris, where he attended lessons in mathematics, astronomy, mechanics and physics, and subsequently in Leipzig, in 1897, where he gained the title of a Doctor in Mathematical Sciences.

As a part-time professor, he taught applied mathematics at the High School of Belgrade in 1903, and later on, as an associate professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, after the High School had been transformed into the University of Belgrade.

He began his political career as a radical and a member of the Masonic lodge “Pobratim”, which formed the “Serbian Inter-parliamentary Group” with the objective of struggling for “fairness in international relations and practice of selected courts in solving international disputes” (Dimitrije Boarov, 166).

After the Serbian masons split up, in 1909 Kosta Stojanović entered a new Masonic lodge “Ujedinjenje”, which was accompanied by a change in his political beliefs. He was leaning

towards the so-called independent radicals of Ljuba Stojanović, only to shift to the Democratic Party after the First World War.

Kosta Stojanović devoted a considerable part of his life to scientific research, having published numerous academic papers in mathematics and physics. With the equal passion, however, he dealt with practical issues in the sphere of economy - the direction he took due to his political engagement and

support by Dr Mihailo Vujić, also a moderate radical, high-ranking and successful state official and highly educated man.

Struggle for emancipation of the serbian economy

Kosta Stojanović was a man of clear political and economic orientation. As a fervent and fully devoted advocate of economic emancipation of Serbia, he built the concept of economic independence of

Serbia on three significant segments:• Restructuring of the Serbian economy, first

and foremost, industrial production;• Abolishment of the monopoly of Austria-

Hungary in trading transactions with Serbia, and finding new markets to place goods from Serbia; and

• Development of railway transport, as a complementary branch of economy that would considerably foster the development of trade and export of Serbian products into foreign marketsKosta Stojanović worked rather intensely

on practical implementation of this concept and achieved some sound results. He was appointed Minister of National Economy in 1906, at the time of outbreak of the Customs War with Austria-Hungary. Having publicly shown that this war does not worry him that much, he indicated that there are some alternative and better solutions for the new situation. With the precision of a mathematician, he supported his position by stating that Austria-Hungary is not the ultimate consumer of goods imported from

Kosta Stojanović

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preciznošću jednog matematičara svoje stavove potkrepio je podacima da Austro Ugarska i nije potrošač robe koju uvozi iz Srbije, već posrednik u njenom daljem izvozu na druga tržišta, i odmah počeo da praktično radi na njihovom pronalaženju (Grčka, Egipat, Italija). Sve vreme trajanja Carinskog rata, Stojanović je imao snažnu podršku svojih partijskih saboraca, velikana Radikalne stranke, koji su se upravo u tom periodu smenjivali na funkciji ministra finansija i sami zagovarali ideju ekonomskog osamostaljivanja Srbije - dr Lazi Pačuu i Stojanu Protiću.

Kao ograničavajuće faktore izlaska na druga tržišta, Kosta Stojanović je odmah evidentirao nedovoljno iskustvo domaćih izvoznika, koji su poznavali samo tržište Austro Ugarske, ali i veoma mali obim prometa domaćih dobara za izvoz preko Produktne berze u Beogradu (3,38% godišnjeg prometa berzanskih artikala), što je upućivalo na zaključak da Beogradska berza ne može da utiče na politiku cena, kako u zemlji, tako i izvoznih. Učeći na pozitivnim iskustvima drugih zemalja sa kojima je Austro Ugarska takođe bila u Carinskom ratu, Kosta Stojanović je već 1906. godine podneo Skupštini predlog Zakona o osnivanju trgovinskih agentura, koje bi omogućile lakši prodor robe iz Srbije na svetska tržišta. Već naredne 1907. godine osnovana je Glavna trgovinska agencija u Beogradu, 12 trgovinskih agencija u zemljama Evrope i jedna u Egiptu. Iako je ova vrsta državne intervencije izazvala nevericu kod domaćih trgovaca, vrlo dobri rezultati u osvajanju novih tržišta u potpunosti su potvrdili njenu opravdanost.

Drugu važnu potporu rastu srpskog izvoza,

Stojanović je video u izgradnji železničkog saobraćaja, posebno pravca prema Jadranskom moru. Na ovo pitanje je gledao kao strateški značajno ne samo za Srbiju, već i širi region, tim pre što saobraćajna podrška trgovinskim transakcijama Srbije u liku rečnog saobraćaja ni približno nije bila zadovoljavajuća. Zalagao se da se iz zajma za naoružanje i železnicu izdvoji 150 miliona dinara za izgradnju pruge Dunav-Niš, u kontekstu Jadranske pruge. Vidno razočaran što ova inicijativa nije uspela, jer je od traženih 150 dobio samo 16 miliona dinara, izjavio je: "Jadranske željeznice nema. Nema je, jer su važniji razlozi, koji treba da očuvaju koaliciju i da dadu satisfakcije bolesnim ambicijama kratkovidih umova. Dovoljno je za nas što ćemo se kao pijani plota držati fraze: "Balkan balkanskim narodima", i što ćemo govoriti o potrebi balkanskog saveza, ne hoteći uvideti nikada, da se od fraza ne živi." (Dimitrije Boarov, 171)

Kosta Stojanović je preko Ministarstva narodne privrede dao snažnu podršku restrukturiranju industrijskih preduzeća i razvoju industrijske proizvodnje u Srbiji. Izmenom čitavog seta regulative kojom su davane subvencije preduzećima, on je pojednostavio sistem davanja povlastica i favorizovao industrijsku proizvodnju. Rezultati su bili vrlo dobri, obzirom da je u periodu od 1906-1910. godine broj industrijskih preduzeća povećan sa 110 na 438, a broj zaposlenih u ovoj grani sa sa 5,6 na 16 hiljada.

Čvrst stav Srbije u Carinskom ratu sa Austro Ugarskom uz uspešno vođenje resora privrede od strane Koste Stojanovića i briljantno vođenje resora finansija od strane dvojice ministara,

Laze Pačua i Stojana Protića, dali su dobre rezultate. Srpska privreda ne samo da je opstala, već je izašla osnažena iz ove krize:• već 1909. godine državni budžet Srbije potpuno je konsolidovan i pokriven sa 103 miliona zlatnih dinara,• u periodu od 1906-1910. godine ukupan izvoz iz Srbije povećan je za 26,8 miliona dinara, a uvoz za 40,4 miliona dinara,• u posmatranom četvorogodišnjem periodu došlo

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Serbia, but only an intermediary in its further export to other markets, thus immediately undertaking some practical activities to find these markets (Greece, Egypt, Italy). During the entire Customs War, Kosta Stojanović enjoyed the strong support of his party comrades, the leading figures of the Radical Party, who at that same period took turns at the position of Minister of Finance and themselves advocated the idea of economic independence of Serbia - Dr Laza Paču and Stojan Protić.

As the restrictive factors when it comes to entering other markets, Kosta Stojanović promptly pinpointed the insufficient experience of domestic exporters, who were familiar only with the Austro-Hungarian market, but also the extremely small turnover of domestic export goods at the Commodity Exchange in Belgrade (3.38% of annual turnover of stock exchange items), which led to the conclusion that the Belgrade Stock Exchange cannot influence the policy of prices, either domestic or export-related. Learning from positive experiences of other countries with whom Austria-Hungary also waged the Customs War, Kosta Stojanović already in 1906 submitted to the National Assembly the Draft Law on Establishment of Trading Agencies, which would enable easier penetration of goods from Serbia into the global markets. Already in the following year, 1907, the Main Trading Agency was established in Belgrade, 12 trading agencies in Europe and one in Egypt. Although this type of government intervention caused disbelief with domestic traders, excellent results in conquering new markets fully confirmed its justifiability.

The second important form of support to the Serbian export, according to Kosta Stojanović, was the development of railway transport, especially the line towards the Adriatic Sea. He viewed this issue as strategically important not only for Serbia, but for the wider region, all the more given that the support to trading transactions of Serbia in the form of river transport was far from satisfactory. He campaigned for 150 million dinars to be allocated from the armament and railway transport loan for the development of a railway line

Danube-Niš, in the context of Adriatic railway line. Utterly disappointed because this initiative failed - out of the requested 150 he was allowed only 16 million dinars, he stated: “There is no Adriatic railway. This is so, because there are reasons more important than that, which are supposed to preserve the coalition and provide satisfaction to the twisted ambitions of short-sighted minds. For us, it is enough to stubbornly stick to the slogan: “The Balkans belongs to the Balkan peoples!”, and to talk about the necessity of a Balkan federation, being unable to realize that one cannot live on empty slogans.” (Dimitrije Boarov, 171)

Through the Ministry of National Economy, Kosta Stojanović provided strong support to the restructuring of industrial companies and to the development of industrial production in Serbia. By amending the entire set of regulations concerning the provision of subsidies to companies, he simplified the system of facilities in the favour of industrial production. The results were excellent, given that in the period from 1906 to 1910 the number of industrial companies increased from 110 to 438, and the number of employees in this branch from 5.6 to 16 thousand.

The firm position of Serbia in the Customs War with Austria-Hungary, accompanied with the successful government over the economic sector by Kosta Stojanović and brilliant handling of the finance department by two ministers, Laza Paču and Stojan Protić - yielded sound results. Not only did the Serbian economy survive, but it also came out of this crisis reinforced:• Already in 1909 the state budget of Serbia

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je do značajnog prestrukturiranja spoljne trgovine Srbije, u svetlu osvajanja novih tržišta i povećanja obima izvoza na ova tržišta - u Nemačku, Belgiju, Tursku,

• u periodu od 1906-1909 (period provizorijuma), izvoz u Austro-Ugarsku u apsolutnom iznosu iznosio je u proseku 81 milion dinara, da bi u 1909. godini porastao na 93 miliona dinara,

• u strukturi ukupnog izvoza Srbije u posmatranom periodu međutim, učešće izvoza u Austro-Ugarsku iznosilo je u proseku 29,2% u odnosu na 86,5% iz perioda kada je Srbija imala zaključen trgovinski ugovor sa ovom zemljom,

• takođe je zabeležen i trend pada učešća uvoza iz Austro-Ugarske u Srbiju u posmatranim periodima sa 56,0% na 24,0%.

Ovako dobri rezultati u radu Koste Stojanovića bili su zapaženi, pa je on postavljen

za ministra finansija u prvoj Vladi Kraljevine SHS. Na mesto ministra finansija Kraljevine SHS postavljen je ponovo 1921. godine u nadi da će on biti u stanju da svojim znanjem i stručnošću obuzda inflaciju u Srbiji. Na žalost, posle samo četiri meseca od postavljenja, Kosta Stojanović je umro, 4. januara 1921. godine.

Literatura / References

1. Dimitrije Boarov, Apostoli srpskih finansija, Stubovi kulture, Beograd 1997. godine

2. Petrović Aleksandar, Kosta Stojanović (1867-1921), www.mi.sanu.ac.rs/History/Stojanovic.htm

3. Dimitrije Đorđević, Carinski rat Austro Ugarske i Srbije 1906-1911, Beograd, 1962

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was fully consolidated and covered with 103 million golden dinars;

• In the period from 1906 to 1910, the overall export of Serbia was increased by 26.8 million dinars, and import by 40.4 million dinars;

• In the observed four-year period there was some considerable restructuring of foreign trade of Serbia, in light of the conquering of new markets and increasing the volume of export to these markets - Germany, Belgium, Turkey;

• In the period from 1906 to 1909 (provisorium period), the absolute amount of export to Austria-Hungary was, on average, 81 million dinars, whereas in 1919 it increased to 93 million dinars

• In the structure of total export of Serbia in the observed period, however, the share of export to Austria-Hungary amounted, on average, to 29.2%, compared to 86.5% from the period when Serbia had a concluded trading agreement with this country;

• A declining trend was also recorded in the

share of import from Austria-Hungary into Serbia in the observed periods, which fell from 56% to 24%.Such admirable results in the work of Kosta

Stojanović did not go unnoticed, and he was appointed Minister of Finance in the first Government of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. He was re-appointed Minister of Finance of the Kingdom of SCS in 1921, in the hope that, with his knowledge and expertise, he would be able to restrain inflation in Serbia. Unfortunately, only four months after this appointment, Kosta Stojanović passed away, on January 4th 1921.