Russian local government during the war and the Union of Zemstvos

Bibliographic data

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 XV. The effects of the war upon the work of local government

Collection:: Economics Books

298 THE ZEMSTVOS DURING THE WAR 1914. The only exception was veterinary service, this item evidently having been reduced in consequence of the mobilization of veteri- nary surgeons, whom it was exceedingly difficult to replace. In this connection we have to note the fact that appropriations for public charities rose sharply from the first year of the War, owing to the necessity of helping the families of mobilized men, invalids, orphans, and other victims of the War. Those for schools and economic meas- ures were slightly reduced (compare the reference made above to the reduction of government subsidies for these purposes), whilst there was a slight increase for medical service. As for the increase of the appropriations for these purposes in 1917, the explanation must be sought in the general rise of the cost of living rather than in any extension of these activities. In 1916 and 191%, on the other hand, the increase in the zemstvo budgets lagged considerably behind the advancing cost of living. As has been previously noted, the zemstvos were in the habit of prepar- ing their budgets, and therefore also the assessment of taxes, for one year in advance, the district zemstvos during October and No- vember, and the provincial zemstvos during December and January. In preparing the budgets, the probable rise in the cost of living was naturally taken into consideration; but the rate of this advance, or the rate of decline in the value of the paper ruble, was so rapid as to make it absolutely incalculable, and it usually was found to have exceeded the most pessimistic estimates. This circumstance accounts for the fact that the zemstvos were already in 1916 beginning to experience serious financial difficulties, in spite of the fact that the taxpayers, at least in the black soil belt of south Russia, still had considerable surpluses of cash and were still paying taxes regu- larly. Effects of the Revolution. To cover their rapidly rising expenditure, which was far in excess of the budgets as originally drafted, the zemstvos were compelled to borrow heavily from their own capital and as early as 1916 to spend the proceeds on current needs. The Revolution of 1917 still further aggravated their financial situation, since the more backward ele- ments of the peasantry, interpreting their newly won freedom ac- cording to their own lights, stopped paying taxes, both to the Gov- ernment and to the zemstvos. As regards the landlords, so many of

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