The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1895-10-04

|
dertaking and who are mutual
ly responsible. They are not
mere labor unions; some are for build
ing railroads or working mines, for
cultivating land or cutting wood, but
others are for arranging picnics and
balls, and even for begging. The insti-
tuition dates back to the tenth century,
when the Dnieper Cossacks formed
themselves into bands to plumber the
surrounding country; then associations
for hunting or fishing, and, in time, for
other purposes. All artels are organ
lied in the same way; number OF men
agree to work together and share the
profits or losses. They pledge them
| selves TO act fairly to one another, TO
look out for each others interests, and
to stand by one another. The earnings
and expenses are shared equally among
them. They choose one man among
them TO be their starosta, or leader,
and put the entire management Of
affairs in his hands. His authority is
absolute as long as he holds the office.
Any member who refuses to obey hts
orders Is expelled from the association,
and forfeits his share in it, but at the
end OF six months the starosta must
give an account of his management.
All grievances are considered, and, If
he is judged unworthy, he is removed.
The position is one chiefly of honor,
as he receives only a small sum more
than the others. Some of the artels are
permanent, others only temporary, but
I perhaps more interesting. When the
snow mclts, all the laborers in village
who are needed TO till the village land
form themselves into an artel and send
out their starosta to find where work
is needed. The starosta agrees with
some landowner that his artel shall do
piece of work, the ploughing and
sowing, or perhaps all the farming,
and In return receive either a sum OF
money or a share in the crops. The
artel then goes TO the estate, and Is
responsible not only for its work, but
for the safety of the crops and the farm
buildings during the appointed time.
II the crops are burned each member OF
the artel is personally responsible to
the proprietor. They keep watch over
one another to see that the artel is not
cheated Of work due IL or loses by their
carelessness. The starosta acts as over
seer, caters for the men, who live and
eat together while the job lasts, and
divides the money among them equally
after deducting the expenses. When
| tins are hard, artels are formed for
begging, and go from village to village
asking for charity, which Russians dis
like to refuse for fear of the saints. St.
Petersburg has thirty exchange artels
with 1900 members, who load and I'M
load all the merchandise that comes to
the city; some supply banks and COM
mercial houses and railroads with
clerks and messengers; others provide
walters. A man is thoroughly exam
ined before he is admitted into per-
manent artel; physical strength and in
some cases mental capacity and trust
worthiness are needed, as the whole
artel becomes responsible for any
crime or blunder he may commit, and
looks out for him for year if he is
sick. New members pay an entrance
| fee varying from Is cents to $3.50.
Though the poorest and most ignorant
peasants can form an artel, no associa-
ton formed under government patron
age has ever proved successful.