LABOR IN RUSSIA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 105, 24 April 1908, Page 4

LABOR IN RUSSIA.

M. Vladimir V. de Sviatlowsky, 'Professor 4)f IVlitieal Economy at the Imperial University at St. Peter-dung, who is at prcseut visiting New Zealand for the purpose of investigating tiu> labor laws oi tin- Dominiou, accorded an interview to a representative of tin- Dominion. A commission, of which he was a member. was set up Ity tin- ilussiau (ioVi'innuMil to consider tin- imi ot . strikes and labor questions, and a good deal of inforniation regarding • tiou dealing with workmen w.i- broughi loiuai'd. I'rolessor Svi.Ulow>ky was instructed to collect intonuation in England, Canada, the United Stales. Au-ira-iia and New Zealand as to the dilicieni methods of dealing with labor disputes. The first lius>ian lalK>r enactment was promulgated in 11S2, when a faetory in spcetor was appointed, but since that time there has been a good tieal of legislation dealing with trail > unions. The trades \iuii>n movement began ia and at the present time in I In* various theie are about ! 4011.1100 -.killed workmen, (i;>.ou!t i f uhom ! belong to St. lVlei>bnrg, and bi.oiiO t" Mo-eow. The reMilt '.v,h tiiat con-Id erable pl'ogiV.-s had been m.Miv in t!ie lot of tiiat An etlort wa- made i.o get an eight-hour day, and in sow-.' trades -printing, bookbinding, and earjK'iitry — this was allowed, as tic le-ui' of strikes. Tlu* average, however. was about ten hours for laborers, Imii before this time, a* many as twelve, liiirteen. J and fourteen hours were daily worked. Another achievement was thai i»irvea>t .d wages, not very high increases, but a distinct improvement, were being paid. Moreover, there «as a Saturday iiaiiholiday, and holidays on Saints' da\s, which* are fairly frequent in Uusda. Each trade also iias its respective publication. As might, lie expected, ilk* unions are vigorously claiming recognition, but the demand is meeting with equally vigorous opposition, and recognition, fov the present-, at least, hopeless. There arc about 14,000,000 workers <out of a population of 142,000,(100. The great bulk of the people are engaged in agricultural and pastoral pursuits. Trade ruiincils have also been established ami Profes-or S\iatlow>ky was the lirsl president ot the St. Petersburg Council.

It i> a particular characteristic of Ru.-->i;i 11 MM-ial life that all intelligent ])lc. lawyers, physicians, etc. do ail tin I }' can ho help forward the movement. For example. each union will have a lawyer who works without payment, and physicians puisne their calling similarly where workers are concerned. The newspapers are on the side of the worker*. This. the Professor says, is due to the fad that during the l:u-t live or .six years a very high idealistic spirit has developed. The reporter here mentioned thai this information would surprise many in thipart of the world. The Professor laughingly implied that it was quite a mistake to suppose that Russia was in a benighted condition. Those stories were nio-ilv exaggerated. As to hooks, there wciv very lew good l*mks ahout Russia. and a number ot those published were translated into Russian a.- curiosities lor the amuse- . nient of waders. Then- was still an I occasional strike, hut things were in a I much more settled condition than forI merly. i Tiie first two Dumas had the GonsliI tntionnl Democrats as principal parly.

but in the present Parliament the Octobrists held the reins. In brief, the position was this: The (lovemment wantmoney for battleships, but the Oct-)-

bri<t> will not vote money for that purpose; they say that there is too much robbery by Government ollicials of money voted. It is impossible to say what will be the outcome— perhaps a new election. The. labor question is naturally the burning question in the Duma. There was now a high property qualification for candidates for election, and this made a great difference in the class of memliors elected. The Professor was a question in reference to thelt by ollicials. he replied: "but is it any worse than in America?" Intelligent jieople. he continued, ulways hoped that tin- would -ucceed in the late war. 'ihey realised lhat .liijian was not liussia. lmt tin" lUissian Coveniiuent. Due eon«e.menee of llit' w«v was the risin« "I the .lenple. ana this resulted in jieltinii tl.-> 1 after whieh fame more law au'l Oilier. File people ili.l not miml the fart that Japan secured half ol Sa£ lialien: their attention wa- not piven to it. Moreover, it wa - an i-laiel Unit >m|.,„lv like.l. a- prisoners were -ent men. I liev had nothing a»ain-t the -lapalie-e •it ill Russia had too much land as il I was. ami eoloni-ation was unpopular.