New-York tribune., 1909-09-26
REFORMS In RUSSIA
DOUMA'S LEGISLATION.
Many I'm portant Bills at the Coming
Session.

St Petersburg Sept. 14.-The order OF business
for the coming session OF parliament. which opens
on October 2s has been worked out in It's generai
lines nv the party leaders who have returned from
summer vacations for number OF conferences
Though a number OF eagerly desired reforms. such
as the law on involabity OF person. the new
statute covering the imposition of martial law IN
its several grades and the reform OF the local
self administration either not ready for discus
sion have been deferred for tactical reasons
the tentative programme comprises nuInDer OF
measures of high Importance headed by the con-
soldation rural holdings bill. the reform OF local
courts the inheritance and income tax measures
and the bill for universal primary education II
is hoped to make better speed than was the case
at last session. and 1t is proposed to increase the
number OF sittings each week, diminishing at the
same time the quorum requirements not to
interfere with important work in committee.
The experience gained in the discussion OF earlier
budgets will curtai the time devoted to the budget
debate, which, in previous years, Will furnish
the heaviest work of the autumn session. The
budget commission VII assemble in st. Petersburg
on September %. month in advance OF the
regular session. for the preliminary examination OF
the estimates in which, as last year, the ordinary
receipts will cover ordinary expenditures, with a
small surplus to apply TO extraordinary expendF
lures for railroad and warship building. replenish-
ment OF military supplies. etc The balance re-
quired win be raised by an internal loan next year
LEGISLATION BEFORE UPPER HOUSE.
The upper house will be busy with the great agra
which passed the DOuma at the spring session, the
several measures religious toleratiOn which only
await the formal third reading in the lower house,
and it's own bill reducing the long list OF religious
; and civic holidays. The agrartan Law, 1t Is ex-
pected, will be adopted without trouble; the tOlera-
ton bills, TO which the Douma against strenuous
conservative and Church opposition, gave thor
oughly liberal construction will probably be pruned
CT Of their progressive features and the pro-
posal for the reduction Of holidays, against which
the whole weight OF tho Orthodox hierarchy is
thrown. will probably fall though ministers. hnan-
cial and manufacturing classes and the general
weight of public opinion recognize It's urgency
The first work of the DOuma will be devoted to
important but nOn-cOntentiouS measure for the
reorganization OF fishery rights interior lakes
and rivers. The Committee Labor will then re-
port a for normal hours OF labor for hand
workers providing for twelve-hour day with two
hours deducted for meals and three hours for
school attendance for employees OF school age. The
maximum hours of labor may be increased by two
during the busy season. but not for more than
sixty days in the year. In its report the COMMITTEES
asks the Ministry of Commerce and Labor to sub
init without delay bills on child labor and appren-
ticeship
PLANS TO AID THE PEASANTS.
The consolidation of rural holdings bill, which
is next on the programme. will be pushed through
quickly possible to the Council of Frnnira in
order that 1t may be discussed with the other
agrarian measure The peasant holdings are at
present often split up and scattered in small
over the lands belonging to private owners or the
state. preventing economical working The bill
authorizes the consolidation OF these areas by ex-
change with owners of adjacent lands; creates the
necessary surveying and appraisal commissions
and even admits the principle OF appropriation
when owners Of intervening strips refuse 10 sell
1t is thought that fair speed may be made with
this important reform, in view of the thorough
thrashing out OF the agrarian problem in the pre-
vious session
The reform OF the local courts. which the second
DOuma had almost elaborated at the time Of its
dissolution. will be presented practically un-
changed. 1t Will probably be under discussion az
least month. and perhaps two. as, in addition 20
mass OF legal points requiring most careful con-
sideration, there several features OF a highly
contentious character. Financial measures includ-
ing the inheritance and income tax bills will round
are several hundred minor bills awaiting discus
sion. 10 which evening sessions and probably, ona
days sitting a week will be devoted and the
Council of Ministers at the last moment will Drob
ably pour in several hundred more measures
Some changes IN this programme are possible as
a result OF the national congress OF the Crtobrix+
party, which opens In Moscow October Il THIS
will be the first time that the members oe ,ha
Douma majority have been brought in direct r.
sponsibe contact with their electors since the con-
vocation OF the third DOuma. and the decisions or
the congress Will have most important bearing In
determining the fuctuating position Of the Octo
brist group In parliament, between their former
allies Of the Moderate Right party and the
progressive coalition into which they veered toward
the end Of the spring session. during the discusson
Of the religious liberation bills