The sun., 1881-10-30
The New Gar and the Peasants.

Seven months ago, when the present Car
asccndcd the throne, many Russians be-
lieved he would turn out TO be genuine
popular monarch; that instead of needing
the burcaucrats, he would seek the co6pera-
tion of the true popular representatives and
that. instead Of upholding the pretcnsions
OF the privileged classes. he would take
particular interest in the peasantry, who
constitute over threc-quartcrs OF the one
hundred million people of Russia, and on
whose toll the prosperity of the whole coun-
try largely depends.
Fully aware that the peasants, or Mt least
a great proportion OF them, were without
the means OF rcdeeminG their land from
their former masters, the Car at once de-
cided to appropriate from nine to twelve
million roubes annually for the final re-
demption o, the holdings allotted to the
former serfs. The result will show what
can be accomplished with that amount OF
money. AS there are at least ten millions
OF peasants who need Government assist
ance, the appropriation by the Car practi-
cally means nothing beyond the annual re-
duction of one rouble in the tax upon each.
The population OF Russia is very unevenly
distributed over the country, and the Gov
ernment is at last persuaded that 1t cannot
stop migration hither and thither. As the
peasants, who try to find more and better
land than they have had, often suffer heavy
loss, the Car has ordered the formation OF
n Committee of Migration, whose pre-
scribed duty Is to furnish all required in-
formation to those seeking for new homes:
and II that committee be not composed Of
bureaucrats, it may bring light to the be-
clouded people," as the Russian peasantry
usually style themselves
Twenty years have passed since the late
Car freed the serfs from their old masters,
and now the peasants have new masters OF
their own caste. The village usurers have
become formidable and an evil power,
threatening to impovcrish and demoraliZe
the peasantry; and consequently the Gov
ernment has now decided to counteract the
Vaccinations Of the usurers by establish
ing village banks, based on mutual credit
Drunkenness, the chief curse OF the Rus
Sian peasant, is at the same time the prin-
cipal source OF Government revenue, and
SO the attempt to diminish the ravages of
Russian vodka, a most fiery sort of spirits
has never been seriously undertaken by
the Cars Government. The present Gear.
however, prefers to reduce the ex-
else. which brought 2j5,0OO, 900 roubes
in 1880, rather than to encourage the wide
spread habit of chronic intoxication.
committee, composed of representatives
from the different provinces, is now sitting
at tine Cars capital, charged with the duty
OF saving the peasant from his vodka.
The military establishment is tho prin-
cipal burden of Russia, and the exigencies OF
mi t,p Ittty Yttip 70
peasant family. Now the Car is about to
reduce both military duty and the military
establishment The military expenses have
in fact already been reduced, even during
the seven months OF the present Cars
reign, by ten million roubles. The con-
scription for this year is less by thirteen
thousand men than that OF last year. The
standing army is TO be further reduced, and
the term of service in the army diminished.
In order to combat the Nihilist propa-
ganda among the peasantry, and also in
view of keeping them well informed of all
Government measures, the Car has ordered
the issue of weekly paper, the .SelskOy
Iestnik Village Messenger, which began to
appear on the 1st OF September
In Russia, failure OF the crops means fail
uro in everything else. In view OF that fact,
the Gar has ordered that the Department
of Agriculture and Village Industry shall
twice year, in spring and in fall, make an
Official report on the state Of the crops. the
condition Of the cattle, and tho wages of
laborers. From the latest report it appears
that the department had received news
from LIPS official and private correspond
ents, residing in 81 provinces. 1t is caIcu-
lated that this year the Russian crops OF
wheat and rye have yielded about 46j,oa),-
900 bushels. 1t appears that while Uncle
Sam was praying for rain, Ivan Ivanovitch
got all the rain he needed, not only for his
crops. but also for the anuihilatioa OF grain
destroying insects.
According to the report. scarcity of cattle
Is one OF the greatest evils that beset the
Russian peasant. As To wages, it appears
that, after Chinamen, the Russian peasants
are satisfied with the least. Day wages
iluctuate from ten kopecks dive cents To
one rouble ulfty cents. but the usual wages