Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1900-1903, 1902-10-28
AGRICULTURAL DEPRESSION.
Report Of the Committees Receive
Wide Publication in st Petersburg

report OF the Committees Receive
Wide Publication in st Petersburg
st Petersburg, Tuesday, Oct 1.-THE
reports of the local committees on the
agricultural depression are receiving
wide publication here, whole pages Of
the newspapers being filed with them
The Russkya Vedomosti, one of the
ablest newspapers in Russia, has care
fully followed the work Of the local
committees and now prints a general
review.
The view has prevailed in most Of
the committees" says this liberal
organ, that the inquiry into the
causes Of the agricultural depression
rendered it indispensable to study the
fundamental needs Of the country
They undertook this task with entire
sincerity and in all seriousness. It
has been found that the aim in view,
agricultural Improvement, can be at
tanned through no agronOmic, technical
measures or special measures for the
benefit Of special branches of produc-
tion.
According to the majority of the
committees, no improvements in agri-
culture or in the economic life Of the
agricultural portion of the population
are possible without the removal Of the
main hindrances to progress. Such
h1ndrances are the low plane of civil
Izat1on and the legal status of the pop
ulation, on the one hand, and land
hunger, fnequitable taxation and exces-
sive protection of manufactures on the
other
Many committees have made uniyer
sal education their basic demand and
have directed attention to the insult
ficiencies Of existing schools. Many
have laid equal emphasis upon the ne
cessity of a change in the legal posi-
ton of the peasants, of the emancipa-
ton of the villagers from bureaucratic
tutelage, and of a thorough change in
the local court organization. According
to committees which lay stress upon
this side Of the problem, no considera-
bic economic improvement without the
moral, intellectual and legal uplifting
Of the peasant and without legal equal
1ty OF the peasantry with other classes,
can be hoped for.
The condition of our system of tax
alton has been generally declared un-
satisfactory and it has been stated that
the burden is too heavy for the great
majority of the taxpayers. In some
committees the proportional income
tax has been pronounced the most
suitable for Russia. Numerous COM
mittees have demanded the partial or
complete cancellation of the indebted
ness Of the peasants for their lands.''
Ihe reactionary press Is not particu-
larly pleased with this liberal propa-
ganda, but even in such papers as the
Novoye Vremya the need of radical
remedies is admitted.
The Journal of Commerce and Indus
try published by the ministry of
finance, finds useful information in the
reports of the American consul at
Newchwang on American commerce in
Manchuria. After recapitulating the
facts, it observes that Russia ought to
be able to wrest the kerosene trade
from the United States and to secure
a share Of it's textile trade
Crop failures are reported in various
parts Of Finland, especially Eleaborg.
River improvements at cost of $780,
900 for the benefit Of the suffering
population. VIII probably be under
taken by the Finnish senate.