Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1915-07-15
UTMOST MISERY
GRIPS MASS OF
THE ROUMAN|ANS
FOur.Fifths Of the People Of Bal
kan Country Are Doomed
: to Beggary.
NATION RUN FOR THE RICH
UprIsins Of 1907, In Which $4,000
Peasants Were Slaughtered, Ae-
complished LIttIe-PoIItical
Rights Only NomInaI-War
Interrupts Reforms.
nx RAYMOND E. sWlNo.


Correspondent of the Chicago News.
= Bucharest, Roumania. = Roumania
was the scene in 1907 Of peasant an
surrection, details of whose extent
and suppression may never be known.
Hundreds of dwellings were burned
by the peasants, many middlemen and
landowners were killed, and it is esti-
mated that 10000 peasants were
slaughtered in the struggle to re-
establish order.
The governing classes of Roumania
were willing that the world should be-
lieve that the peasants rebellion was
against the Jewish middlemen, but,
though Jews were attacked in the
uprising, the outrages in districts
where no Jews lived were as frequent
as in the regions where they were
numerous. THE revolution was not
racial, it was economic 1t was re-
volt against degradation and starva-
ton. Eight years have elapsed since
the revolution, and as there Is a con.
siderable discussion Just now Of Rou'
mania's right to rule over Rouman-
ians residing in other countries, 1t is
pertinent to inquire into the causes
of the revolt and into the changes the
revolt brought about.
Four-Fifths Doomed to Beggary."
1t was the liberal minister, Vasile
Lascar, who, in the days Of the revo
luton, announced to the chamber
that four-f1fths Of the Roumanian peas
antry suffer chronic hunger and are
condemned to beggary' Other in
formation concerning Roumanian con
ditions is drawn also from Roumanian
sources, chiefly from articles written
in 1907 by M. Branestianu, editor Of
Adeverul, and brought up to date In
personal conversation with that able
and democratic journalist.
According to statistics given by M
Branestianu, in 1905 the arabic land
of Roumania was SO divided that 800,
939 peasants owned 46 per cent, while
5000 landowners had 81 per cent. OF
the 5000 landowners, 2,071 owned
nearly a million peasants. The sys
TEN was almost 1euQal.
Gifts Of Land Fail to Aid.
The government has tried to rem
edy this situation by giving away
crown lands, and though million hec
tares Ia hectare is about two and 6
half acres) were distributed, it de
veloped that the peasants themselves
were in such a state of degradation
that barely half administered wha
land they owned, while still close t.
| half million remained with no lane
whatsoever. The problem was no
one to be settled by redistribution
alone. The real aim was to find some
solution by which conditions of Labor
could be SO improved that the peasant
would receive a living wage and b.
SO raised from helpIessness that hi
could do something when he at las
had land at his disposal.
| The middleman system prevailing
in Moldavia, the northern province o
| Roumania, was the cause of bite.
complaint from the peasantry. Thu
capitalist owning the land leased tt
| the middleman, the latter dealt will
I the peasantry.
sweatshop Applied to Farming.
| Now in the last 20 years the ares
of cultivated land in Roumania hat
steadily increased, as had the price,
obtained for farm products. The cap
italist increased the rates which thu
middleman paid him, and the middle
man in turn had to wiring the increas'
from the peasants. The same middle
man who employed the peasant on thu
capitalists lands, forcing him to grea
toll at small wages, also bought hi
| products at small prices. 1t was
sweatshop system applied to farm
ing. The capitalist frequently nettet
100 to 100 per cent while the peas
ant barely sustained life.
In good seasons the peasant coult
raise enough food to keep himsel
during the winter months, but in bal
seasons his plight was pitiful, TO
then it was that he went to the cap
italist for assistance, selling his serv
ices at low wages for the coming sum
mer in return for the means Of live
lihood for the winter.
Other System Not Much Fairer.
In Wallachia, the southern prov
ince, the system was different, bu
not much fairer. There the peasan
paid his rent by working the lam
| of the capitalist.
Here is typical instance: Tn
peasant has six hectares to care fol-
! OF these two hectares are for tn
capitalist and he gets everything
which comes therefrom, and the CAP
italist's hectares are, OF course, tn
best land. On two hectares the peas
ant donates partial service, undertak
ing the moving, harvesting and haul
ing. The peasant gets maximum 0
four decaliters (1,136 bushels> o
grain from these two hectares, thu
] capitalist gets the rest. In addition