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Show PEASANTS RULE WITH FIRM HAND Politically and Industrially, Farmers of Bulgaria Surprise Sur-prise Old Heads SOFIA. Bulgaria, Oct 20. (CorreK ponden.ee of the Associated Press.) Probably wO other European countrj Offers B more striking example of the rule of the peasants or farmers than I Bulgaria. Politically and Induatriallj ili- arc today the mosi powerful lac-tors lac-tors In the life of the nation. They I enjoy s majority representation in the government, and the whole future Joi Ihe country may be said to rest In 1 their hands. Of the prepent cabinei of seven members, six are peasants, Including M Stanibuliwsky, ilia, prinio iininisUr. In tin Bulgarian parlianicui there ii. no deputies wlni are men of tlv soil." They call themselves the As Irarian p;:rty The next strongest political po-litical roirp comprises lets than 40 members. Not only do the peasants ctmlrol the government, but the whole economic structure of the country has Its basis in their, toil. For Bulgaria i- an agricultural country. There is little manufacturing, mining or ship ,pinc While the peasants are- in pow er there is little danger of the :is cendency of bolshevism, for each in- iiiaunaiii oxyii bm own lanu auu is j content with what he has. I A the peasants havt c ome inio con- trul the professional politicians ha - passed oui The BO-Called intellectual j classes have had their way. and Ihe population Is content now to give the ! peasants a chance They are doing well They hae taken hold Of ih-'coun'r ih-'coun'r a) the most rrilical economic !and financial period in iis history and are making wonderful strides toward , bringing ihe kingdom back to normal. I Old-time politicians and statesmen are viewing the scene with amazement U not wiiii admiration Led by iheir powvrlul leader, M Btambuliwaky. who is a mau of great i wisdom and practical common sense, iihe peasants are introducing many re- I forms and numerous innovations in the government. Perhaps the mogt novel Scheme ihe have is ihe so-called la bor army, whose ranks include every j able-bodied inhabitant of Uio country. !The underlying priuctple of it la thai every man above 20 and every woman above IS shall contribute hi or her proportionate share of labor lo the re-construction. re-construction. de clopuie.nl and mi provement of the country One group of workers, for example give a certain pari of their time to ihe building if railway?, bridges and roads, another lo ihe drainage of lowlands or the development de-velopment of irrigation, a third to Improvement Im-provement of the soil, a fourth to ihe study of go i niuiental and adminislra-Uvi adminislra-Uvi problems, and so on. Another idea introduced by the pens ants Is ibe purcha-e ;(nd sale by the govemmenti at minimum prices, of all things needed for the life of the people. peo-ple. This is Intended as an emergency measure to relieve the present high prices and improve the rate of ex-i ex-i hange. The purchasing is done large ly in foreign markets and In such quantities as to insure the lowest prices. Distributing these goods direct to Ihe consumer the government eliminates elim-inates the middleman, and the people c- the goods at the lowest prices. |