New-York tribune., 1906-06-03
PEASANTS AND LAND.
PARLIAMENT DIVIDED.
Agrarian Glass Not Likely to accept
Moderate Measures.

st. Petersburg June 1.-Two days of debate
on the great and burning question in Russia
the satisfaction of the land hunger of the peas
ants-has demonstrated that the lower house Of
parliament. which expects TO solve the question
irrespective Of the wishes of the government.
has no longer plain sailing ahead With the dis
cussion even of the general principles which the
house laid down In its address in reply TO the
speech from the throne divergence Of views
has developed which threatens to split the ranks
of the Constitutional Democratic majority and
possibly wreck the party.
The government. in it's enjoyment of the spec
tacle of its enemies lighting among themselves,
seems oblivious to the fact that failure to find
solution OF the question. matter on whose
shoulders the responsibility falls. will arouse
the peasantry to fury. All reports agree that
the mouJiks in the interior land mad and
are thinking and talking of nothing except the
coming allotment. Even the door porters in St
petersburg, who belong to the peasant class,
are arranging to return to the villages as soon
as the grand distribution is made.
The divisions which have developed in the
lower house are signs of resistance to the pro-
gramme of complete, forced appropriation of
church, crown and private lands, and of a re-
1usal to give way to the socialistic demand for
the abolition of the rights of private property
and the national ownership of land Even soma
or the peasant members, who at first held that
the land belonged to those who titled it, no
longer attempt to defend the idea that they
should not pay for it.
There is, ample evidence that some of the
leaders, like Professor Hertzenstein the member
from Moscow, who has made himself popular
hero among the peasants by his radical speeches.
merely playing politics. believing they must
win the support of the peasants at any cost In
the case of Professor Hertzensten, who is sac
rifcing his reputation as the foremost economic
expert in Russia, suspicion is not lacking that
he is seeking. by advocating realization of the
widest dreams OF the peasantry, to promote
favorable legislation for his co-reIigionists.
Several points of the programme in the lower
house are already clear. The scheme of the gov
ernment. denying all right to forced expropra-
ton. and offering instead to purchase lands for
peasants through the peasant banks and emigra-
ton to Siberia. will be rejected. The right Of
forced appropriation will be insisted upon. but
whether the land fund" thus created will be
distributed In fee simple or by lease, as the ad-
vocates of national ownership desire, are mat
ters which are still TO be fought out. as must
also questions of payment These are whether
| landlords shall receive payment in government
| bonds. and whether repayment shall be made by
| holders or lessees of land, or by general taxa
| ton.
The landowners of the central provinces
headed by Prince Voll1onsky, together with the
landowners of Poland and the western provinces
under the leadership of Prince Poniatowsld and
| Baron Ropp. while admitting the necessity for
| a certain amount Of appropriation, take strong
| position against division of the big estates
which. they contend would mean ruin; and they
equally oppose the national ownership of land
as step backward They take the position that
with political liberty and abolition of vexatious
| state control the measures projected by the gov
ernment will practically suffice. Another group
of owners headed by the Constitutional Damo-
Gratis M. Petrajikki, of ST Petersburg. and
Prince Lvoff. of the Province Of Tula, advocate
appropriation of crown. church and private
lands, but say they never Will consent to ma
tional ownership. They believe a state fund
for leasing OF land would only strengthen the
power of the bureaucracy over the peasantry
and result IN new form of serv1tudeL
The peasants of the borderlands. especially
those in the Baltic provinces, although insistent
on appropriation, oppose naturalization, believ-
ing that this would result IN civil war. Several
of the Constitutional Democratic leaders, like
NM Roditchef and Milukoff. although support
ing partial decentralization which is included in
their plan really believe In private ownership.
They say the lease system would be merely
temporary. The extreme peasant workmen
group will hear OF nothing except the complete
private ownership.
The debate on the general principles will
hardly be completed before the end of next
week when the results will be embodied in a
bill.