ORIGIN AND ORGANIZATION 27 
country with the advice and counsel of popular representatives. But 
the young monarch, addressing the deputies at their reception, told 
them that these wishes were only “senseless dreams.” 
Controversy over Taxation on Schools. 
The zemstvo reform of 1890 affected the educational activities of 
these institutions just as little as it changed their political aspira- 
tions. In spite of its antiquated political organization, the Russian 
Empire made rapid strides along the path of cultural and economic 
progress, the wants of the population correspondingly increased, 
and the zemstvos could not but endeavor to satisfy these wants in 
spite of the growing hostility and opposition of the central power. 
[t was the very period that followed the reactionary reforms of 1890 
which witnessed an unprecedented expansion of zemstvo activities. 
This was seen, above all, in the budgets of the zemstvos. The follow- 
ing figures show the expansion of zemstvo budgets during the period 
of 1875-1905: 
Expenditure in thirty- Average annual 
four zemstvo provinces growth of expenditure 
1875 1905 18756-1890 1890-1905 
(in thousands of rubles) 
124,185 2.1C¢ 
Total expenditure 
[ncluding: 
Education 
Public health 
Economic and agronomic 
measures 48 
Veterinary aid 121 
28.870 
25,514 
3% “Xa 
cA 
i,206 
1.663 
3,606 
2 080 
B7 
183 
The growing zemstvo budgets, involving heavier land taxation, 
caused alarm in some very influential circles among the landed pro- 
prietors. A campaign was launched in the columns of the reaction- 
ary press against the “levity” with which the zemstvos were said to 
be spending the hard-earned money of the population. The result 
was that, on June 12, 1900, a law was passed which fixed definite 
rates of taxation. The zemstvos were now prohibited from raising 
their assessments by more than 3 per cent per annum (on the aver- 
age for several years) and the Minister of the Interior was author 
® Kalendar Zemskago Deyately (Zemstvo Yearbook) for 1917.