Show ELlUS SIAN FARMERS official reports rep orts from russia show that years harvest was to a great tasse k ate past e iX tent t ft failure the shortage was wk mostly in the districts similarly iken en in 1891 and still struggling un their heavy indebtedness edn ess to the ament ment tor for supplies of food and it one e a veritable disaster crushing and hope for the future lg eor ing to a statement of acting 00 ansul smith the rural population of Y waty al tyone ty one provinces carrying a debt vp w are now u under the feces nty of making further loans to meet h deficiency of last years harvest 1 1 yaw situation to is depressing but to is be deved to indicate that the russian ftera ft ere ca cannot annot for a long time to come the financial independence need adfor for a successful competition with tae an farmers tiller of the ground is in mje virtually bally a serf his land is owned t e commune and it to is at intervals interval 7 buted to the families in proper aa haw to ule the men and women n capable of 3 ag M this g condition to Is due to of Ale alexander 11 II abolishing 4 4 S slavery but recognizing that the serfs owed some compensation to their former masters and providing the ransom should be paid in labor extending over a period of forty nine years or until 1910 to aid the farmers the government issued to ithe landlords bonds representing four fifths of the total payment leaving the remainder together with interest at five per cent on the government bonds to be paid by the people the commune is responsible for these payments as well as for all other taxes and dues and levies assessments sess ments on the people with crop failures and the necessity of making new loans the heavy burdens cannot decrease very rapidly the russian tiller of the ground pays heavy for his liberty and remains in the bondage of indebtedness |