172 THE ZEMSTVOS DURING THE WAR
the Central Committee of the Union for help. Locally, an intensive
organizing campaign was already in full swing and at the outset
funds were advanced from the treasuries of the local government in-
stitutions, from credits granted by the Zemstvo Union for other
purposes, and from special funds urgently sent from Moscow.
A large number of provinces (Kharkov, Tambov, Yaroslav, Sara-
tov, Ekaterinoslav, Vladimir, Ufa, and many others) had com-
pleted the elaboration of plans for the relief of refugees as early as
August, frequently dealing with the minutest details.’* While there
were some slight differences in the composition of the local commit-
tees the practical program was everywhere nearly uniform.
The refugees arriving in a given province were directed to a
clearing station for registration and medical examination. The sick
were admitted to the hospitals and the rest were sent on toward their
destination. Clearing stations were established mainly at important
railway junctions or in towns situated along the main routes fol-
lowed by the refugees. Upon arrival at their destination the refu-
gees came under the jurisdiction of the local rural bodies which,
while functioning under different names and with different composi-
tions, were all combined under the general direction of the local
committees of the Unions of Zemstvos and of Towns or of the dis-
trict zemstvo board. At some places special zemstvo agents were ap-
pointed to supervise the work of the smaller units. The distribution
of refugees was made either in proportion to the number of house-
holds, as, for instance, in the province of Kazan, or on a percentage
basis with reference to the total local population, or, lastly, in ac-
cordance with available accommodation and the ability of the resi-
dents to provide for the needs of the refugees. In the first place all
the vacant public buildings were used for this purpose, such as
school buildings, government liquor depots, besides uninhabited
buildings in country estates and unused factories. The next step
was to distribute the remaining refugees in the homes of the peas-
ants who were paid for their maintenance. Local organizations were
also required to watch over the condition of the refugees, and in
case of need the latter were supplied with food and shelter at gov-
ernment expense. Underwear, shoes, and other articles of clothing
13 For the plan of the provincial zemstvo of Vladimir, see Izvestia (Bulle-
tin), No. 25, pp. 101-107 ; the plan of the district zemstvo of Ekaterinoslav,
ibid., No. 27, pp. 141-149,
