182 THE ZEMSTVOS DURING THE WAR 
located to the Special Council on Food Supply a sum of 30,000,000 
rubles for the supply of foodstuffs to the population, and this fund 
was used to grant loans to the institutions of local government. Up 
to February 5, 1916, the sum of 3,510,000 rubles had been ad- 
vanced from it to 9 provincial and 50 district zemstvos. By May 4, 
1916, the number of zemstvos which had obtained loans from the 
Special Council had already risen to 88, and if we add to this num- 
ber those zemstvos which had previously obtained loans out of the 
ore-war food supply fund, we obtain a total of 120 out of a grand 
‘otal of 483 provincial and district zemstvos. 
By the beginning of 1917, the food supply operations of the zem- 
stvos had developed to such an extent that neither their own ap- 
propriations nor the government loans sufficed any longer to finance 
them. The zemstvos found themselves compelled to seek large short- 
erm loans from private banks. Such loans were concluded in the 
majority of cases under government guarantee. 
Operating capital for the purchase and the distribution of sup- 
plies reached considerable sums and steadily increased. Thus, the 
provincial zemstvo of Kostroma bought between September 1, 1915, 
and September 1, 1916, goods to the value of 8,655,224 rubles, and 
sold goods to the value of 8,775,621 rubles; in the course of the next 
three months it was able to sell goods to the value of 2,001,318 
rubles. 
The figures of the appropriations, loans, and government ad- 
vances varied greatly as between the different zemstvos. Naturally, 
the zemstvos in the north, having to supply the population with 
grain as well as other commodities, had to spend more money than 
‘hose in the south, where the problem of food supply had not yet 
arisen. Thus, we find that the provincial zemstvo of Tver received 
from the Government a loan of 500,000 rubles; that of Vladimir of 
75,000 rubles ; the district zemstvo of Yurev in the province of Kos- 
troma of 48,000 rubles; that of Uglich in the province of Podolia 
of 50,000 rubles; that of Lipetsk in the province of Tambov of 
25,000 rubles; and so forth. 
The Moscow provincial zemstvo was the first to undertake the 
supply of foodstuffs to the civilian population, doing this as early as 
in May, 1916. Foreseeing an increase of prices in the near future, 
this zemstvo appropriated 1,000,000 rubles for the purchase of 
four and other foodstuffs. Its example was soon followed by other