THE TRUE RUSSIA.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1644, 10 January 1913, Page 3

THE TRUE RUSSIA.

' ITS VAST AND SILENT PLAINS. HOW THE 'PEASANTS LIVE. "Excepting a: fow, commercial travellers, not many Englishmen go so far afield as to visit Russia in their wanderings," says Dr. J. Vargas Eyre in "Science Progress." "In a mcasuro this is because a belief prevails that travelling is rendered almost intolerable by the over-, bearing attitude of the police and other officials. Moreover, little, information is avuilable, in the ordinary way, whic'h bears tho stamp 'of personal knowledgo and the prospect of having to find his own way and shift for himself is not an inviting one to the tourist. ; In short, want of knowledgo of the country has led most people to regard Russia with, suspicion, iiy not as forbidden; ground. Visit the Peasant. "Those who wish to learn what Russia is should go there'with an open mind; they should visit the peasant, tho village, and the small; town, but not: the cities. Above all, thay should avoid St. Petersburg, which is the headquarters of officialdom—a city of 'Tcliin,' beautiful, but not Eussian. Tho, true Russia is to be found away in the vast and silent plains, where dwell the peasants, who form 75 per cent, of the entire population—one hundred and twenty million souls, mostly engaged in husbandry, thinly scattered over a vast Empire. , "To understand the position of Eussian agriculture, it is necessary to acquire an understanding of the peasant, and- to remember that servitude was 'abolished but fifty years ago. By the .emancipation of the serfs more than twenty-two' million people .were delivered from bondage, and a new era was. opened up.' .'- Freed from Bondago. ; "Millions of bondservants'became peasant agriculturists on the communal system,.and thousands rented land for themselves. Being a deeply religious people, but steeped, in superstition, having .few requirements, and knowing nothing of luxury, _■ they naturally made agriculture subservient to the", enjoyment of their freedom.. Withheld., from all knowledge of progress, and purposely kopt ignorant, they were scarcely-able to bear the burden of their oiin existence, let alone fight for betterment. Consequently it cannot be said thpt the hopes of the pioneers of ,1861 have been realised. The onus of failure must rest with the clergy and the bureaucracy. Had it not been for the ignorance and arrogance of a host of subordinate officials,' the peasantry would long since have'been'in a better condition. As it is, they-remain a sad monument of the past—crushed and kept, crushed.-' ~ "As, a class'they are careless and lazy, accepting defeat by any difficulty with a sigh of relief., Circumstances of- government and conditions of climate have moulded them a listless people, whose annual offioe it is merely to scratch, over the ground, sow seed, and invoke the aid of the Almighty to afford them sufficient supplies- to tido 'the ..mover from harvest to harvest. ': . .. Signs of Progress. ■ "Such are the majority of Russian, agriculturist's, but a minority, are. lifting themselves; and among tbese the pessimism and-apathy that have so long prevailed are giving place to a-spirit of hopeful enterprise; feigns are not wanting,' in- faft,', that Eastern languor 'is-depart-ing''before'the'''encroaching influence of. Western ideas.-. In some districts, . more' especially 'in' tho south and south-eastern has been raised- to quite a high..level, the'people,being no longer, satisfied to 'supply only the bare necessaries, of their own household or the -requirements of fho village community; but, on tho'whole, the standard of agriculture is still very low, onlj about .10 or 12 per cept. ;of peasant farmers be-, liii&Sablo' to -afford-ito sell part of 'their! produce. . *"' , "The Russian Empire is so vast in extent, and' includes so many varieties of soil and extremes of climate,, that to gen-, er'aliso further would f be to create' 'd'-falso'i impression. , A Hospitable Folk. "Russians are kind; hospitable folk, and the simple farmer is not beh'nd his richer countrymoii.in the matter of entertaining a gupsti although the means at his dis-' posal may. be.of the most primitive kjnd. ; There are few things they like better ihan manipulating th'o sizzling samovar and dispensing tea while the wife produces rye ■ bread, honey, fruit,' and, - as a particular luxury, some eggs. They offer all 'they .ha've, and sincerely hope it will be. accepted.: Their- soft eyes;' beam with pleasure .when they'are sipping hot weak tea with'a visitor at their little table. Sugar is seldom used, the tea, being "sweetened to taste by each person taking frequont niouthfuls of honey dug out from a big lump of honeycomb by means of a small spoon. '(■ " The Village Commune. "In this simple'manner the peasant farmers live; cultivating flax and oats, with which they trade, and small quantities of rje, hemp,, clover, and potatoes .for their own use. Here and there the cpmmune still survives, the village land, for which they"are taxed as a community, being divided up according to the number ofi souls -in. the "village at the time .ofdivision.; . "'his. is, done' by the village commune, or Council of Elders, • who not only allot the ground to the .inhabitants according to the working ability of the various households, but strictly supervise its cultivation, -deoiding when to plough, when to sow, and when to-reap. "Left to themselves, the peasants ! will not change,- but show them hpw to progress and they'will : progress up to the hilt. At the present time.it may be 6aid truthfully, that ,they are being shown how to progress/, , > ■ Success of- Co-operatiori. ■ ' ■. "The undoubted desire of the peasant is to become' an . independent agriculturist, to own his own land.' To this end assistance, is being-given by the operation of .the State Land I'und ana the Peasant Land Bank,, which jointly-work to bring "about tho change. 1 In: recent years the State has done much' to improve the condition of the'agriculturist, recognising in a practical manner the valuable constructive work-'done'■ by cooperative,societies. The possibilities that ?-,^ een , °P°Ded up and the progress that lias been made in'agricultural districts by the organisation of co-operative and credit: societies are quite remarkable. Judfjing from the present beneficial reS »' I 1 would »em that the Ministry 7,c " to the future when fostering the, growth of these institutions. -:,'