Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-01
Farmers Are Contented.

The farmers of southern Russia are
quite contented with present conditions
They have always been loyal to the car.
but they applauded the constitution and
unanimously approved of the legislative
government. They are also very general
ly in favor of the platform of the con-
stitutional democratic party, which advo-
Gates making the ministry responsible TO
the duma instead of the car, and thus
having a parliamentary government, like
that of Great Britain.
The government has established string
of land banks in order to loan money TO
the farmers 10 buy land and to improve
their holdings When large estate Is
offered for sale the land is divided into
small farms by government appraisers,
who fix the value and make out the deeds
to the purchasers. The land bank al
vances the money and takes a mortgage
on the property for thirty-five years at
81 per cent, 2lz per cent being considered
as interest and y per cent being placed
in sinking fund to redeem the bonds
that are issued TO raise the purchase
money.
|. Interest Paid in Installments.
The farmer pays his annual interest
into the bank in four. quarterly INSTALL
ments / am told that the sale of the
lands belonging to the crown and to the
area belonging TO both has been sold. but
il was of comparatively little value. The
best quality and the largest proportion
of both church and crown lands have
been reserved, and will not be sold until
some future revolution compels the gov
eminent TO dispose of them.
The revolution of 1906 Is practically
forgotten. As soon the farmers of
southern Russia got a law passed allow
ing them TO buy farms of their own they
accepted the situation in good faith and
have relied upon the government to carry
out its part Of the agreement honestly.
AS soon as they have land that they can
| call their own they are perfectly con-
tented.
Most of these peasant farmers are de-
scended from serfs who were emanci-
pated by Alexander H. and they continue
to live upon the soil which their fathers
| worked as slaves and they recognize the
/ sons OF the men who owned their ances-
tors as their patrons
| Peasants Honest and Industrious.
| The average Russian peasant is honest
and Industrious: he pays his taxes and
gives one-fifth of all his income TO the
church. but he has a terrible appetite for
| strong drink. and vodka. the Russian
brandy made of potatoes, is his curse.
The government. however. has done a
great deal to promote temperance. 1t has
/ manufacture and sale, and its policy to
| prohibit the sale of liquor in agricultural
villages has been strictly applied to a
considerable section i'm southern Russia.
where no strong drink OF any kind can
be obtained. Some of the country dis
tricts. generally speaking. are strictly
prohibition. but the sale of liquor as. q
beverage is still permitted I'm the cities
and the larger towns and at first-class
restaurants, hotels and eating houses
1 A benevolent society, of which the Duke
of Orenberg. brother-in-law of the
car. is president. is doing a great deal
Of good In supplying substitutes for. sa-
lloons-temperance resorts and loafink
places where the peasants can spend the
long winter evenings amusing themselves
without getting drunk. Non-alcoholic
drinks are sold at these places. with a
sufficient profit to maintain them. and
they are now found in almost every vii
lage.
, Lack of Schools a Drawback.
|, The greatest drawback among the peas
l. ID Il, he Il