New-York tribune., 1906-06-12
RUSSIA'S LAND PROBLEN.

1t is not uniting that the Russian DOums
should put the agrarian question at the head of
the Legislative programme for there is no other
economic question in the empire comparable
with it in magnitude and urgency. Ireland has
been In a state of agitation for years because a
million or fewer peasants are tenants at high
rentals, instead of prOprietors, but in Russia
there are nearly forty million landless men. Some
recent statistics cited by the London Times
show strikingly the magnitude of the land hun
ger Of the Russian peasantry
According TO last years census, the peasants
hold under allotments, according to the law of
1861, only S356l 900 dessatines of land des-
siatine being practically 81 acres. That is
73,115.000 less than they should have according
to the law Of 1861. The number of peasants
who have no land, or who have an insufficient
area, is 37,5ST,000 1t is out of the question, of
course, 10 send all these to Siberia, where there
Is plenty Of unoccupied land. To do 50 would
depOpulate whole provinces of European Russia.
But how and where can the 73,115,O00 des-
siatines, or not far from 20O,OO0,OO0 acres which
they need be found and procured for them west
of the Urals?
We have heard much OF the state lands Most
of these are in forests, and it is essential for
the welfare Of the country that at least large
proportion of the forests should be preserved.
mains and appanages is only 5.363.OO0 dessIa-
tines. or only about one-fourteenth of what is
needed. If all the forests were taken. about 2S,-
000O00 dessiatines in all, there would still be
deficit of 40.000,0O0 dessiatlnes, or more than
100000 acres Then there are the domains Of
the Church and monasteries, but these are, in
fact an inconsiderable trife compared with the
total need II is quite safe TO say that all the
State and Church lands would not supply half
the demand.
Recourse must, then, be had TO private estates
Ii is reported that of such lands there are 49,
$4,000 dessiatines arabic and 1851 900 in for
ests These therefore. are sufficieEt TO meet the
need of the people. The remaining question is
how they are TO be transferred from their pres
ent ownership to that of the peasants Three
answers have been given. The Ministry SAYS il
must be by voluntary sale. The Constitutional
Democrats say il should be by compulsory or
forced appropriation, but, as many of them are
themselves owners of estates, they add that, of
course, there should be just payment to the pres
ent owners. The representatives of the peasants
finally demand forced appropriation without
compensation. Under the communal system
which prevails IN Russian villages IT has been a
familiar thing for all the lands of village 10 be
compulsorily redistributed in Il day and the
peasants now want TO know why all the lands in
the empire cannot be similarly disposed Of
The problem is of fundamental Importance
and lts right solution is essential TO the welfare
1 or the empire Its magnitude and compiexity
would make Ii difficult one TO settle even If all
! men we're In agreement upon it, With division
of opinion among the three courses we have
described and with obstinate passions rising
/ high In all three parties it requires faith in
h1uan progress and in the triumph Of Justice