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 aspirations.
 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 following
 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 proprietors.
 A campaign was launched in the columns of the reactionary
 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 average
 for several years) and the Minister of the Interior was author
® Kalendar Zemskago Deyately (Zemstvo Yearbook) for 1917.