The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-02-18
RUSSIAN MINISTRY
IS IN A TURMOIL
Count Witte Demands the Dis.
missal of Minister of the
Interior.
PREMIER WANTS TO CURB
THE G0VERNOR-GENERALS
Czar Bluntly Told That His Re-
preSsiOniSts Do Not Suit
the RefOrmer.

ST. PETERSBURG, Feb 17.-Infor-
nation has reached the Associated
Press that the desperate struggle which
mas been raging in the Government be-
tween the reactionary and the progress
siVe forces Is approaching q culmina-
uon and must end within a few DAYS in
the resignation either OF Minister of
the Interior Durnovo. who is leading
the movement for thorough going re-
preston, or of Premier Witte and sew
eral other members Of the Cabinet.
Inc question at Issue is the with
drawal Of the extraordinary powers
conflded In Goyernor-Generals through
out Russia, which in many cases, II is
alleged, have been exercised for the re-
preston of not alone political disorders
but also of the political activity OF the
parties.
One Faction Must Fall.
The discussion has reached such an
acute and passionate stage In the Cabi-
net that no other issue than the fall of
one faction or the other is possible
The chances of victory inclines 10 the
side OF Count Witte who insists that
the Governor Generals must be de-
prived OF their extreme powers within
fortnight in order TO remove the re-
strictions upon a free electoral cam
paign.
Minister of Agriculture Kutler has re-
signed But the announcement Of the
acceptance of his resignation, which
was due to influential opposition to his
project for appropriation OF private
lands and their division among the
peasants has not been made.
Another Will Be Fired"
1t is said that NJ. Kutler. who. like
his predecessor, NJ. Yermoloff, is pos
sessed OF exceedingly strong progress
siVe tendencies, Will leave the state
service entirely, not even receiving the
usual promotion to the Council OF the
Empire, the body which is reserved for
discarded Ministers.
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 Dur
novo, who through his control of the
police ministry of the interior has been
pushing repression 10 the extreme and
throwing all the elements OF society
into opposition of the Government,
Witte Still in Power.
The Associated Press was authorized
today at Count Whites chancellory to
deny positively the report that Count
Witte had already resigned, but the
words OF on official high in the Pre-
mier's confidence that he could vouch
for tho fact that at the present mo-
ment the report is untrue, indicates that
there may be something In the wind.
The project OF Minister Kutler, who
next TO Minister TizZiareff. is the most
liberal member Of the Cabinet. struck
TO the heart Of the agraran problem.
which the Zemstvoists. who are Lib
erals, but land owners, found too
tlckllsh TO handle at the last congress,
1t provided for the appropriation of pri-
yate estates in excess of a maximum
acreage at a price dependent on actual
market values and their distribution on
easy terms Of payment to the peasan-
try. whose land hunger Is too intense to