Russian local government during the war and the Union of Zemstvos

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Monograph

Identifikator:: 1794855874

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-179223

Document type:: Monograph

Author:: Polner, Tichon I. http://d-nb.info/gnd/172311195

Title:: Russian local government during the war and the Union of Zemstvos

Place of publication:: New Haven

Publisher:: Yale Univ. Press

Year of publication:: 1930

Scope:: XXV, 317 S.

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

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Chapter

Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Chapter X. Participation of the Zemstvos in the work of supply

Collection:: Economics Books

oe w } THE ZEMSTVOS DURING THE WAR Measures Taken by the Zemstvos. Under these circumstances the zemstvos in nearly all provinces found themselves compelled to help the rural population to obtain commodities, such as sugar, kerosene, matches, soap, nails, steel and iron goods, textiles, and a variety of other articles. There was an- other reason why the zemstvos desired to undertake this work. In many district towns an acute scarcity was experienced in the most indispensable articles, but the authorities did not everywhere prove sufficiently enterprising to organize an independent system of sup- ply of such articles. It was important either to insist that these au- thorities should do something quickly, or to assume the entire bur- den of procuring the necessary articles for the population of both town and country through the zemstvos. At the outset many zem- stvos took a rather simple view of the high cost of living and of the way in which it ought to be combated. First of all they emphasized the importance of such methods as price regulation, prosecution of speculation, control of shopkeepers’ and traders’ stocks, requisitions, and measures to influence the banks, which were said to be encourag- ing speculation. Later, having lost confidence in the effectiveness of such measures, the zemstvos took the view that the campaign should be conducted not so much against the high prices as against the scarcity of commodities. The organization of wholesale purchases was now considered as the most important problem, and, in view of ‘he vast reduction in the number of small traders, it was proposed to encourage cooperative societies. Accordingly, the representatives of the cobperative organizations were enlisted to take part in the campaign and in the discussions of plans and methods. They also investigated the requirements of each area within their district, at- tended to the local distribution of the commodities, and obtained large loans to enable them to buy the goods supplied by the zem- stvos. In some places, where the codperative movement was still un- jeveloped, the zemstvos went so far as to endeavor to organize co- »perative societies. At the same time they did not hesitate to utilize any other local distributing agencies; they also dealt with private merchants, although the latter were given assistance only on condi- tion that they agreed to submit to the supervision of the smaller volost organizations. The latter were known by various names, such as volost food councils, food committees, food subcommittees, control

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