Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-26
RUSS|A'S LAW MAKING
important Measures on LegiS-
Iative Program.
INTERNAL LOAN PROPOSED
Ordinary Receipts to Cover 0rdi-
nary Expenditures.
SURPLUS FOR NEW WARSHIPS
Twelve-Hour Labor Day Proposed.
Rural Holdings Bill-Reform
Of Local Courts.
INTERNAL LOAN PROPOSED
SURPLUS FOR NEW WARSHIPs

ST. PETERSBURG, Tuesday. Septem-
Der 1.-THE order of business for the
session Of parliament, which opens Oc-
tober 20. has been worked out in its
general lines by the party leaders.
Though a number of eagerly desired
reforms-such as the law on inviolability
of person, the new statute covering the
imposition of martial law in its several
grades and local acknowledgements
either not ready for discussion or have
been deferred for tactical reasons, the
tentative program comprises a number Of
measures of high importance, headed by
the consolidation of rural holdings bill,
the reform of local courts. the in
heritance and income tax measures and
the law for universal primary educa-
ton.
The budget commission will assemble
in St. Petersburg September %, over a
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 ex-
penditures, with a small surplus to apply
road and warship building, replenishment
of military supplies, etc. The balance
required will be raised by an internal
loan next year.
Great Agrarian Law.
The upper house will be busy with the
great agrarian law for the dissolution of
duma during the spring session: the sew
eral measures on religious federation,
which only await the formal third read
ing In the lower house. and its own
bill reducing the long list of religious
and civic holidays. The agrarian law.
it is expected, will be adopted without
trouble, though prolific of debate.
The first work of the duma will be de-
voted to an important but non-continuous
measure for the reorganization of fish
cry rights on interior lakes and rivers.
The committee on labor will then report
a measure for normal hours of labor for
hand workers, providing for a twelve
meals and three hours for. school at
tendance for employees of school age.
The maximum hours of labor may be
heightened two hours during the busy
season. but not for more than sixty days
in the year. In It's report the committee
asks the ministry OF commerce and labor
to submit without delay law projects on
child labor and apprenticeship.
Rural Holdings Bill.
The consolidation of rural holdings bill,
which Is next OH the program. will be
pushed through as quickly as possible to
the council of empire in order that it may
be discussed with the other agrarian
meas sure. The peasant holdings are at
present often split up and scattered in
small areas among the lands belonging to
private owners of the state, preventing
economical working.
The bill authorizes the consolidation of
these areas by exchange 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
to sell.
The reform of the local courts, which
the second duma had almost elaborated
at the time OF it's dissolution, will be
presented practically unchanged. 1t prob
ably will be under discussion at least a
month. and perhaps two, as there are
several features of contentious char
acter.
Financial measures. including the in
heritatce and income tax bills, will round
out the big work of the session. In adj
dition there are several hundred minor
bills awaiting discussion.
Some changes in this tentative program
are possible as a result of the national
congress Of the octobrist party, which
opens in Moscow October II.