The San Francisco call., 1905-04-15
CAR PLANS
TO BETTER
CONDITIONS
Great Reforms for
Peasants and
WOrkmHn.
Laws Under Consideration
to Relieve the Dis
trGSS.
At Same Time RsvolutiOniSts in the
Empire Prepare for Uprising
on First Day of Nay.

81. PETERSBURG. April 15.-In re-
ceiving delegation Of workmen from
Moscow yesterday Friday) Finance
Minister Kolovsof gave notice to the
workmen Of Russia that q Government
commissioa is now formulating lezisla-
ton 10 remedy The greater part of their
grievances, including state insurance
against sickness. accident and death
and for shortening the hours Of labor.
abolishing prohibition Of unions and
criminal punishment for strikes. and
Tor the establishment of an Industrial
court in which employers and employed
shall be represented The Minister
pointed out TO the delegation the i'm
possibility Of celebrating in a moment
legislation OF such weighty and far
reaching character. He declared that
The energy with which the commission
is working gave it the right to demand
sufficient time for the preparation and
consideration Of the proposed laws
sSoA said that industrial disturbances
SUCH as have occurred hamper instead
Of further the work
The Moscow workmen presented a
petition OF rights under eleven heads,
nV7- Of which are covered ia the fore
going statement Regarding the others.
The Minister said the commission was
considering the widening Of the sphere
u action Of the factory elders on
the lines Of the factories commissions
OF Germany in regard 10 restrictions
ss 10 overtime, but on the further
points Of technical education of work
men. extension Of factory legislation
10 cover handiwork industries and the
revision Of existing laws so as to place
Norkmen and employers on an equal
footing, he declared that education
was not in the province of the Minister
Of Finance. Handiwork legislation, he
said, was big question, which would
have TO be approached later and the
workmen must be prepared TO accept
equal responsibility with equal privi-
leges.
This interview with the Minister of
Finance. lasting an hour and a half.
IS another indication of the general
conciliatory spirit of the Government.
The evident desire to cure. wherever
possible, the maladies Of the empire is
manifested by the peasant commission.
the Finnish and Polish concessions and
the estab blishment of the BOuligan COM
mission. The Government throughout
takes the stand that all these reforms
are TOO great to be lightly or hastily
handled, and that premature and ILL
considered legislation would be worse
than none at all. It appeals TO the dis
satisfied 70 give their rulers a full and
fair chance TO accomplish the legisla-
ton they demand.
NEW LAND COMMISSION.
The imperial rescript addressed yes
terday to the Minister Of the Interior.
NJ Bouligan. creating a special COM
mission under his presidency to dis
cuss the questions relating to peasant
tenure Of lands, is a direct RECOGNITION
OF the grave peril involved in the
spreading peasant agitation. which
threatens not only the big estates. but
the imperial domains.
The instructions in the rescript to
work out a system clearly marking off
peasant land from the land Of other
owners, in order TO inculcate in the
people a perception Of property owner
ship" amounts to an imperial refuta-
ton OF the stories current among the
peasants that the Emperor had de-
creed a new division Of the land II is
feared, however, IL may have exactly
the contrary effect to the one desired
among the ignorant peasantry. and
that shrewd agitators will be able to
employ the rescript bearing upon the
general subject Of the increase OF pea
SAINT lands as being a confirmation in
stead Of a denial Of the reports that
the agitators had previously circulated
distribute the land. Two methods of
relief are proposed by the rescript-
the purchase of additional land by the
aid Of a peasants bank and the coloni-
zation Of Siberia.
The creation of the new commission
sounded the knell Of the old Witte COM
mission, which is simultaneously abol-
ished. Whites commission, which was
Of a much broader character, covering
all questions relating to peasant admin
istration, created a tremendous stir two
years ago. being the signal for much
outspoken criticism Of the present re-
ein7e on the part Of the Zemstvos, no.
tabIy that Of Tver, which was revised
out Of existence by the late Interior
Minister Won Plehwe. An immense
amount Of material was collected by
the commission, but its work became
so diffuse and ii accomplished so little
in the way Of tangible results that its
passing away has aroused no regret
MAY ALL COME TOO LATE.
The supplanting of one commission
by another serves TO emphasize the
criticism Of the Liberals in regard to
the futility OF reforms conducted by
commissions. The Gov
eminent claims, however, that as the
work Of the new commission is being
restricted solely to the question OF de-
vising ways for supplying the peasants