CHAPTER XII 
THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE UNION OF 
ZEMSTVOS IN THE THIRD YEAR 
OF THE WAR 
The Organization of Supply. 
Tae supply work of the Union of Zemstvos began, it will be re- 
membered, with making purchases for the needs of the zemstvo hos- 
pitals in the interior of Russia. Then the Army Supply Department 
placed with the Union orders for warm clothing and underwear 
worth millions of rubles. The organization for the prompt delivery 
of these articles was being built up and improved at headquarters, 
whilst at the front the work undertaken by the zemstvo institutions 
in new directions was constantly expanding and growing in impor- 
tance. 
At first the zemstvo organs at the front were still able to find in 
the local markets (Poland, Galicia, and Tiflis) many of the articles 
that they required, and in particular foodstuffs; but with the re- 
treat of the Russian army, a large number of markets were lost. 
Agents from the front then began to appear in the interior prov- 
inces to make purchases, giving rise to undesirable competition 
among themselves, as well as with the agents of the Government. 
This led the Central Committee of the Union to intervene in the 
organization of the supply for the committees of the front. It be- 
gan to insist upon the preparation of estimates, and, after overcom- 
ing a great many difficulties, succeeded in obtaining them. 
At this stage the Committee was confronted with the difficult 
problem of supplying the front not only with articles required by 
the hospitals, but also with foodstuffs, metals, tools and machinery, 
ete. Conditions had by this time changed considerably, for most of 
the markets were now entirely dependent upon the dispositions of 
the government commissioners. The prices of many articles were 
either regulated or fixed, and the result was that goods began to 
disappear from the markets. Purchases in foreign countries were 
rendered difficult by the restrictions imposed by the Government