The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1904-07-06
HOW RUSSIANS LIVE
Farmers are way Behind The Times and
No Advancement Seems Evident

AAOAAOuA al COudbA 11CE duAudl
production of grain amounts to two
thousand million bushels. The
Russian government is by far the
greatest economic unit in the world
in the amount of business transac-
tions, agricultural products, to-
gether with the products of forest
and mine, hold first place. The
condition of the agriculturist him
self is most deplorable; he is forty
two years removed from serfdom
and his condition in that time has
not one whit improved. Fitted for
no other task, yet, be has no liking
for the cultivation of the soil. He
is pauper. His burden of toll
yields him no adequate return. He
is without joy. His life is as hope
less as that of the dumb brutes, and
the vodka he drinks gives to him
the only paradise he is capable OF
grasping.
The Russian farmer is not him
self land owner. He is a member
OF the village community, or the mir,
made up of the adult men of the
settlement. The mir holds the land
and the assembly of the mir parcels
it out to the families according to
the number of workers in each. In
all local questions the mir is SUI
preme. At frequent intervals it re-
apportions the land. It fixes by
resolution the time of blowing, of
sowing and Of reaping. It collects
the taxes from its own members,
and pay them to the central govern
ment 1t settles all questions con-
corning roads, schools and village
improvements. It elects it's own
officers, principally a chief elder
and council. It even decides by
vote whether or not one of it's mem
bers may remove to a different Sec
ton of the country. The mir, and
not the individual, is the Russian
unit.
This commune system may have
its advantages. It certainly has
great disadvantages. There is no
reward of industry. Each family
receives an allotment ofland accord
ing to number. Moreover the most
industrious and worthy may receive
the poorest soil. A new partition
is frequently made, and this re-
moves all Indictment to improve
ment of the land. No man is likely
to improve piece of ground, which
he knows is almost sure to leave
his hands the next year. Some few
of the most prosperous of the mou-
jiks have managed toacquire little
patch of ground outside the COM
munal holding, but I am told that
this is exceptional.
The land allotment of the mouiik
is frequently very small; too small
to support himself and family.
Just how this comes to be
[ do not know. The reason is Civ
en- as unequal distribution. 1t is
hard to understand why all cannot
have enough, inasmuch as there are
vast tracts of unoccupied land in
many sections of the empire. When
he has completed the farming oper-
ations on his own holding the farm
er goes off seeking any possible en-
ployment by which something may
be brought in.
AS may be Judged by what I have
already said the farmers live in vii
lage settlements. I did not see in
all European Russia what we would
call pretty village. Two parallel
rows OF wooden houses, most likely
built OF logs, without paint, with a
matched roof and no chimney; with
a miscellaneous group of like build
ings in the rear, this is acheerless
picture. The house is no better
than the stable, both are as poor
and cherries as can be imagined.
Every village is the same; wide
street or possible two, with from a
score to two hundred of these poor
structures. Even the house and
barn of rich moujik are no better.
Nowhere are seen the coy farm
house, the comfortable barn, the fat
stockyard, of Germany, England and
America.
There are many villages but