The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-17
W|TTE FIGHTS
 WITH DURNOVO Tells Emperor That One of
 Them Must to FRICTION IS TOO GREAT 
Witte Maintains That Durnovo's Re. pression Measures Are Llninq Up the Whole Populace Against
 the Government.

St. Petersburg, February 16.-Informa- tion has reached the Associated Press that the desperate struggle which has been raging in the government between the reactionary and the progressive forces Is approaching a continuation and must end within a few days in the resignation eith- CT of Minister of the Interior Durnovo who is leading the movement for thor ough-going repression. or of Premier Witte and several other members of the cabinet.
 The question at issue is the withdrawal of the extraordinary powers conhded in governors general throughout, which in many cases 1t is alleged have been exer- cised for the repression not only of polt- ical disorders, but also of the political activity of the parties. The discussion has reached such an acute and passionate stage in the cabinet, that no other issue than the fall of one faction or the other is possible. The chances of victory in cline to the side of Count Witte who in- sists that the governors general must be deprived of their extreme powers within fortnight, in order to remove the re- strictions upon a free electorial cam paign
 kutler Has Resigned.
 Minister of Agriculture Kutler the As- sociated Press has been informed on ex- cellent authority has resigned. The an- nouncement of the acceptance of his re- signation which was due to the influential opposition among the peasants may be expected shortly. It is said that M. Kut- Ter who like his predecessor. M. Yeremo- Jeff, Is possed of exceedingly strong pro- gressive tendencies, will leave the state serve entirely, not even receiving the usual promotion" to the council of the empire, the body which is reserved for discharged ministers.
 Runnor Busy Over Changes.
 Rumor is busy with other changes to follow the first break in the cabinet of Count Witte. The most persistent story is directed at the premier himself who according to general report, is credited with having bluntly informed Emperor Nicholas that he must choose between him and Minister of the Interior Durnovo, who through his control of the police machinery of the empire, has beeen push ing repression to the extreme, and throw ing all the clements of society into op- pOSlllDn to ulle government. The ASSOcldI- ed Press was authorized today at Count Witte's chancellerie to deny positively the report that Count Witte had already resigned; but the words of an official high in the premier's confidence that he could vouch for the fact that lat the present moment the report is untrue, is indicative that there may be some- thing in the wind
 Strikes at Heart of Problem.
 The project of Minister Kutler who, next to Minister M. Tisiareff, is the most liberal member of the cabinet, struck to the heart the agragrian problem which the zemstovists who are liberals and land owners. found too tic<lish to handle at the last Congress It provided for the appropriation of private estates in excess of a maximum acreage at a price de- pendent on actual market values and their distribution on easy terms of payment to the peasantry whose land hunger is too intense to be satisfied with the promises partition of crown and church lands.
 M. Kutler held that this was the only means of preventing augmentation of the agrarian sroubles, whose rising pillows are the chief source of peril to the govern ment but this proposal not only awakens the intense opposition and powerful cam arlla at court but also too drastic to suit the marshals of nobility, who sent a deputation from the convention at Mos COW to demand explicitly of Premier Witte whether he intended to accept the Kutler scheme The premier responded that the project was only a tentative sugges- ton of an individual member of the cab met and that the agrarian problem was too important to be settled without ref erence to the national assembly, How ever, the mere fathering of the proposi- tion seems to have been fatal to Min ister Kutler
 Should M. Kutler not be nominated the council of the empire. 1t will be the first instance of the kind since the retirement of M Krivoshen from the ministry of railroads who a decade ago was dismissed in disgrace for stealing.