The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-19
Pressing Agrarian Reforms


Great steps have been taken by the
present Russian administration TO foster
the creation of small peasant farms The
separation of the peasant holdings Is the
first step toward this desirable consum-
nation. The greatest obstacle to the COM
pletion of Russian agrarian reform lies
In the prevalence of the three field sys-
TEN of rotation of crops and the lack OF
pasture lands. After the agrarian dis
turbances of 1906 the government began
its reforms by allotting pasture lands
to the peasant communes. without hesitat-
ing to appropriate private property when
necessary for this purpose. Whenever a
peasant community has sufficient pasture
lands. it can very easily break up its
arabic lands into separate homseteads.
When pasture lands are deficient or lack
ing the partition of the arabic lands be-
comes an extremely difficult matter.
Therein lies the fundamental difficulty of
the Russian asrarian matter
Another mistake, which, however, can
be remedied, is the insufficiency of train
ing and advice in scientific farming and
the defective organization of credit TO
small farmers The development of peas
ant cooperative associations has afforded
material assistance to the peasants, but it
is to be regretted that the government
has not yet acted upon the proposal of
the ministry of agriculture to found a
improvements.
1t is perhaps too early TO expect da "A
showing the influence of the reform upon
the productive capabilities of the land and
the prosperity of the present farmers All
indications point to satisfactory develop
ments in this direction. The yield of the
land under ndividuai ownership has more
than doubled. The general progress made
by the villages is shown in the vast in
crease of cooperative companies dealt
With in another article.
although IF comparatively recent origin
In Russia, the cooperative movement is
spreading rapidly II has engendered
much enthqsasta among The intellectual
classes and among the men Of the better
educated peasants who have taken up the
cooperative idea M its various forms aud
are trying to apply it in their every day
lice. Millions of Russian peasants who are
improving their methods of farming lind
III cooperation a great help. But the an-
thusiasm of today implies more than the
organization of facilities tor bnving sell
Ing, or banking-it aims at the mental
moral and economic upifting of the Rus
sian peasantry, and in this lies The source
of its idealism and attractive power. The
success of the cooperative movement IS
therefore closely linked with tho progress
of civilization in Russia.
The financial inefficiency of the Russian
peasant. his permanent dependence on the
village usurer has for years been dis
cussed by the Russian Press and has in
dueed the government to offer helping
hand. Village banking societies had been
formed here and there and the state bank
afforded them a credit corresponding to
their operations These were. however,
very modest, the masses of the peasan-
try being slow to move. Three or four
years ago the position changed. and there
was a sudden rush for cooperative vii
lage banks. Thousands have since been
opened. the membership has gone up 10
millions, the deposits are constantly in
creasing and the credit opened by the
state has already approximated $4,000. 900
d75,000,000 rouhles). At the present mo-
ment there exist about 10000 various CO.
operative banks with a membership of
1860, ,S33. and capital of $3.50 5S2, 600 at their
disposal, of which the state contributes
$91, ,110. $50.