REFUGEES 
and the Union will continue to carry them out under the direction 
of the Central Committee in the same manner and on the same basis 
as hitherto.”” The authorities, however, were stubborn, and the 
joint committee on refugees gradually lost its influence, though it 
had been able to accomplish a great deal during the first stage of its 
career. The work of the joint committee was carried on by the fol- 
lowing subcommittees: 
The subcommittee on evacuation aimed, in the first place, at in- 
troducing some system and order into the chaotic stream of the 
refugees in the interior of the country. It established a network of in- 
stitutions which provided the refugees with the most essential com- 
forts, helping them to find accommodation on the trains, supplying 
them with food, warm clothing, and underwear and furnishing 
freight cars with stoves and firewood. At the end of November, 
1915, when the stream of refugees had come almost to a standstill, 
the subcommittee devoted its attention to the general problem of 
establishing the refugees in their new homes, endeavoring to co- 
ordinate the efforts of the various local organizations. Much work 
was done in drafting rules and regulations concerning official sub- 
ventions to the refugees and the circumstances in which the further 
support of able-bodied men and women might be either curtailed or 
stopped entirely. Measures were taken to introduce a uniform sys- 
tem of registration; an office was also opened to assist the refugees 
in recovering the property lost in transit. 
The subcommittee on guides succeeded, during the period from 
September 10 to December 1, 1915, in furnishing guides for 822 
railway trains, to look after 1,100,000 refugees. The guides were 
selected from among the students of colleges and universities; they 
were coached in public health work, and equipped with portable 
medical chests for first aid. Altogether, there were 183 guides and 
44 nurses. The average cost of the guide service per refugee 
amounted to only 614 copecks. 
The subcommittee on information tabulated and elaborated a 
vast amount of statistical material concerning relatives from whom 
the refugees had become separated. Information was given on the 
spot as well as by mail. It was, of course, impossible to satisfy all 
applicants, but about 80,000 families were nevertheless enabled to 
obtain information about lost relatives. In addition to this, several 
" Isvestia (Bulletin), No. 28, pp. 58-67.