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 I. Origin and organization of zemstvo institutions

Collection:: Economics Books

ORIGIN AND ORGANIZATION 17 provinces of the Empire. None were established in Siberia, Turkes- tan, the Caucasus, Trans-Caucasia, Poland, the Baltic provinces, and the Cossack territories. Nine provinces in the west and north- west, where many of the big landlords were Poles, were also denied zemstvo government. But even where the zemstvos were established they were considered “not as links in the machinery of government, nor as authoritative organs of public law, but as private corporate associations formed in order to satisfy such local interests as are distinct from the interests of the State.” This way of regarding the zemstvos as mere civil law corporations competent to concern themselves only “with local benefits and needs,” as the law put it, persisted in government circles till the revolution of 1905, serving as a source of incessant recriminations and conflicts between zemstvo and government. This was inevitable because the activity of the zemstvos, even though carried on within the limits of their own particular districts or provinces, was es- sentially of nation-wide importance and rested upon principles far exceeding the narrow confines of the “local benefits and needs” deliberately imposed by the Government. The competence of the zemstvo institutions was wide from the outset, nevertheless. The law of 1864 left to the zemstvos the charge of public education, health, welfare, agricultural development, stock-breeding, trade, industry, construction and upkeep of roads, bridges, and harbors, fire insurance and measures of fire preven- tion, food supply, local postal service, and similar matters. In short, there was hardly a branch of local activity that was left out- side the competence of the zemstvo. In addition to the care for local needs, the zemstvos were en- trusted with a number of duties and obligations of an official nature. Thus, they were required to maintain Jails, pay the expenses of traveling police authorities and judiciary officials, and assume other similar responsibilities. In case of war the zemstvos were obliged to assist the families of men called to the colors from the reserve, in accordance with regulations provided by law. The zemstvos were empowered, moreover, to issue certain ordinances of a police char- acter, and, upon confirmation by the government administration. these ordinances acquired all the force of laws. ® Kisevetter, Mestnoe Samoupravlenie (Local Government), Moscow, 1910

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