The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-08-01
TROUBLES WEIGH
DOWN THE CAR
BY Ousting Douma Russia s Ruler
Got Rid of Only One Of
Many Troubles. 4

Chicago, Aug. 1.-William E. Curtis
writing to the Record-Herald from st.
Petersburg under date of July Ia gives.
a succinct but graphic picture Of the
burdens resting upon the cars shoul-
ders. He says:
By dissolving the douma the car got
rid Of only one of his many troubles.
His empire is already suffering from
numerous calamities and is threatened
with more:
Industrial paralysis; IT,.
Financial depression;
Uprisings of the peasants;
Mutinies in the army and navy;
FAMINE In five provinces, with a pop
ulatlon OF twelve millions of people on
the verge of starvation, and
Thlrty-fye thousand UNEMPLOYED
workmen In st. Petersburg, most Of
them armed, and a corresponding num-
Der in other cities.
And yet Pharaoh will not let Israel
Always Too Late.
Occasionally he makes a concession,
but it always comes too late. Therefore
1t has no effect in quieting public
clamor and he gets no credit. Yester-
day he sent to the douma fair and
liberal solution of the land problem. Six
months ago, or even three months ago,
1t would have been welcomed with
gratitude, but now it. is rejected with
antry thruout the entire empire are
asking their representatives in the dou-
ma whom they may begin to pillage
and destroy the estates of the mobiles
and other rich supporters of the car.
No army could stop such a movement,
and the soldiers upon whom the car re-
lies come from the very classes of the
community which they will be ordered
to shoot down. One Of the members Of
lula province reports that the peasants
in that district have struck for three
times the wages they received last year,
and refuse to harvest the crops unless
the advance Is paid. Such a concession
would increase the price of grain so to
100 per cent thruout the empire. but il
the strikers insist upon it the advance
will have to be paid or the harvests
must be abandoned. They are very stub
born. The peasants have learned les
son from the strikes in st. Petersburg
alone, but all other trades, are strik.
ing-even the soldiers.
The Unemployed. 81
The number of unemployed In the
city Of St. Petersburg is estimated from
$4,000 to $4,000, most Of them opera
tives in manufactures which have shut
| down or are running on half time. AL
Russia Is suffering from a terrible In.
close of the war caused cessation Of
government work, and contracts fol-
supplies that were being filled by pri
vate manufacturers and corporations
were Cancelled. This threw hundreds OF
thousands Of artisans out Of work. The
political agitation, the apprehension Of
a revolution and the uncertainty Of flu.
ture events have caused an almost uni
versal suspension of business. Nobody
buying goods; the public is living from
hand to mouth, and everybody who !,
able to do SO is withdrawing his capital
from business and turning it into for
eign securities or gold.
l. The result need not be described. The
working people and wage earners OF
every class Of course feel the effect OF
those who are dependent upon days
wages are now entirely destitute. Some
10000 persons are being fed daily by
the municipal authorities of ST. Peters
burg. There are boats fitted up as SOUP
houses upon the rivers and canals which
intersect the city, and they move from
place to place as ctrcumstances require
Workmen who show written testimon.,
ials that they have been discharged
from the factories or from other en-
ployment are given tickets which en-
title them to bowl Of cabbage soup
with big chunk Of meat in it, CUBE
of the black bread of which the peas
ants are SO fond, and a mug of tea
This may be eaten on the boat or may
be taken to their homes. Destitute
women and families are fed in the SANE
way-one meal a day Of wholesome
nourishing food.
The Poor Are Fed
This is all paid for from the edt,
treasury. The system was adopted las
winter during the strikes and more tina,
half a million dollars has since bee,
expended for the purpose. An add
| tional appropriation Of 100000 ruble
(about 900 in our money! was mad
Yesterday. Various other methods o
. relief are being supplied by benevolen
associations and private individual:
| The Russians are q very charitable pee
3 pie. They have many hospitals, asJ
0 iums, homes and other institutions fo
the care of the poor and sick an
:, friendless, and even permit professions
= beggars to stand at the doors of thei
: churches-long rows of men and wome
q whom the police know to be impostor
: able to take care Of themselves. tn
i newspapers only few days ago CAV
q an account of the death and burial {
9 a professional beggar who left an q
T tate of more than 100000, nearly ever
- xlal h. hat w