Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-08-07

nlne Gays hauling. The peasant,
therefore, has to produce the remain
Ing two hectares.
The peasant Ia required to do the
capitalist's work before doing his
own. His land being poorer than the
capitalists. It often happens that hs
gets only half the profit from his two
hectares. which the capitalist makes
from his two. And the whole system
30 works out that the peasant pays u
rent from 15o to zoo lei $3.50 to $40)
for what costs the capitalist 20 to 30
lei "a to $s).
Mud Houses for 100000.
The living conditions of the peas
antry were appalling. Two hundred
and fifty thousand peasants e liv-
ing in $4,000 holes in the ground,
dwellings unft to be called by any
other name. OF 1000. 900 dwellings
only 10000 were Of brick. 29S,000 were
Of wood, the rest Of mud. Most Of
these were Of one room, where the
whole family lived, ven with domes-
tic animals.
Under these conditions mortality
was high. especially infant mortality.
which was more than 40 per cent.
The chief food was polenta, Z corn.
meal mush. and many peasants had
only one meal . day, being unable to
spend more than two to three cents
per capita daily for food. Epidemics
were frequent, especially of pellagra,
which resulted from the exclusive
consumption Of corn.
Despite compulsory education.
schools were scarce in many regions
and many children who otherwise
might have attended school were kept
at home by their parents. who needed
the extra hands In earning the mea.
ger family living. M. Branestians ed.
timated the illiteracy of that time 1t
81 per cent. .s&
Political Rights Only Nominal.
To crown It all, the peasants had
practically no political rights. They
had nominal representation In the
chamber of SO out of $50 members.
though constituting four-fifths of the
population. These members were
not elected directly, but so peasants
voted for an elector, who, with his
colleagues and with the state-named
teachers and priests, chose the mem
bers Of parliament. Ne.
Such a system resulted in much cor
ruption and in the preponderant con.
troll of elections by the government,
which often put up candidates in dis.
tricts where these candidates were ut
terly unknown and elected them
through its superiority of power.
The land owners controlled, and the
government was only a change from
faction to faction Of land owners,
with the peasant left out Of any con
s%ideration which was not charitably
bestowed upon him.
Little Change Since Revolution. j;
Such was the sRoumanian peasantry
in and preceding 1907. , What IL Il
today? What did the revolution &C
complish? For what did 10000 peas
ants lay down their lives?
The revolution did much to attract
the attention of intelligent Rouman.
ians to the conditions. Two reforms
were soon afterward instituted. 4
system of communal pasture lands
was introduced, and these had q bene-
fetal effect in increasing the owner
ship Of live stock among small. peas.
ants, which under the former system
was impossible. A law passed BY
which districts we're established In
which land owners, middlemen and
peasants fixed the minimum wage for
farm labor. The law has not been Ia
force long enough to show whether
1t will be a success.
The conditions Of labor are practi,
cally as before. Tbs housing is With
out improvement. The unequal dis
tribution Of land il much as ever. Il,
literacy is still very high. probably
about SO per cent, though convincing
statistics are lacking. The holding 81
elementary schools for army recruits
Is still necessary. but these schools
are rapidly reducing .illiteracy among
young men.
The political system Of 1907 Is still
existent and the peasant still has no
proportional voice In his own affairs
and no real chance Of speaking
through the small representation that
is allowed him. Roumania IL gov.
erned by and for the rich. even to,
day. m
Reforms Interrupted by Wal.
But one still has no right to impum
Roumania's good will In this matter.
The war interrupted reforms, as II. has
interrupted much else. The weighty
machinery which amends the Rou'
manian constitution had been set 10
motion last year and . constitutions
al convention had been called. which
was to consider and draft an amend
ment permitting the government e
con6scate and partition large estates,
This needed legislation it has bean
necessary to postpone.
Reform Of the, electoral system also
was intended. The present liberal
government is pledged to carry out
these reforms and can be counted
upon to do it best when the war ID
over. But even these reforms did
mot inclnda fhn, adYfn1 of riRhta 70