Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-08-07
UTMOST MISERY (
GRIPS MASS Of
THE R0uMANANs
Four Fifths Of the People Of Bal.
kan Country Are Doomed
-. to Beggary.
sexnEa.. - ~ ~
NATION RUN FOR THE RICH
Uprislno Of 1907, In Which 1900
Peasants Were Slaughtered, Ac.
complished Littie-Politlcal
Rights Only NomlnaI-War
d Interrupts Reforms.

a. UJUNtS VnIy NOWl00t-vvAT 4.
h. Interrupts Reforms.
BY RAYMOND E. SWING.
Correspondent Of the Chicago News.
Bucharest, Roumania. - Roumania
was the scene in 1907 Of a peasant IN.
%surrection, details Of whose extent
and suppression may never be known.
Hundreds of dwellings were burned
by the peasants, many middlemen and
landowners we're killed, and 1t 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 we're 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, 1t was economic. It was a re.
volt against degradation and starva.
ton. Eight years have elapsed since
the revolution, and as there is a con.
siderable discussion just Of Rou.
mania's right to rule over Roumar'
ians residing in other countries, it. II
pertinent to inquire into the causes
Of the revolt and into the changes the
revolt brought about.
F%our.Fifths Doomed to 6~egoary."
It was the liberal minister, Vasile
Lascar, who, in the days Of the revo'
luton, announced to the chamber
that fourfifths 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 NJ. Branestianu, editor Of
Adeverul, and brought up to date In
personal conversation with that able
and democratic journalist.
According to statistics given by NJ.
Branestianu, in 1906 the arabic land
of Roumania was so divided that $780,
939 peasants owned 46 per cent, while
5000 landowners had 54 per cent. OF
the 5000 landowners, 2,071 owned
nearly a million peasants. The sys'
tenn was almost feudal.
Gifts Of Land Fall to Aid.
The government has tried to rem
edy this situation by giving away
crown lands, and though a million hec-
tares "a hectare is about two and 9
half acres) were distributed, It de.
veloped that the peasants themselves
were in such a state Of degradation
that barely half administered what
land they owned, while still close to
half q million remained with no land
whatsoever. The problem was not
one to be settled by redistribution
alone. The real aim was to find some
solution by which conditions Of labor
could be 90 improved that the peasant
would receive a living wage and be
SO raised from helplessness that he
could do something when he at last
had land at his disposal.
The middleman system prevailing
In Moldavia, the northern province Of
Roumania. was the cause Of bitter
complaint from the peasantry. The
capitalist owning the land leased to
the %middleman, the latter dealt with
the %peasantry.
sweatshop Applied to Farming.
Now in the last 20 years the area
Of cultivated land in Roumania had
steadily increased, as had the prices
obtained for farm products. The cap
italist increased the rates which the
middleman paid him, and the middle
man in turn had to wiring the increase
from the peasants. The same middle.
nan who employed the peasant on the
capitalists lands, forcing him to great
toll at small wages, also bought his
products at small prices. It was =
sweatshop system applied to farm
Ing. The capitalist frequently netted
100 to 100 per cent while the peaal.
ant barely sustained life.
II good seasons the peasant could
raise enough food to keep himself
during the winter months, but in bad
seasons his plight was pitiful. for
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 Falrsr.
In Wallachia, the southern Prov
ince, the system was different. but
] not much fairer. There the peasant
paid his rent by working the land
Of the capitalist.
Here is q typical instance: The
peasant has six hectares to care for.
OF these two hectares are for tho
capitalist and he gets everything
which comes therefrom, and the cap
italist's hectares are. Of course. the
best land. On two hectares the peas.
ant donates partial service. undertak.