SERVIAN HOUSEHOI.D COMilUNITlES 



with the Zadniga. As a result of the experience he thus acquires, he is able 

 successfully to manage the common business. The old are employed to 

 look after the gardens, and the flocks, and on other work not requiring 

 muscular strength. The strong men work in the fields, the forests, the vine- 

 yards etc. The chidren render httle services and are very often entrusted 

 with the herding cf the sheep and goats. The women do the house-work 

 and dair5dng, make the clothes, underclothing, etc. 



(b) The community, as such, enjoys greater credit than an independent 

 individual and can follow more scientific methods in the cultivation of 

 the soil. 



(c) The Zadruga, through the joint ownership of its property, prevents 

 the subdivision of land, at the same time as it hinders the formation of 

 too large estates and the monopoUsing of the land by a group of the 

 inhabitants. A Zadruga in which the number of members increases too 

 rapidly, in fact soon divides into two or three smaller Zadrugas. 



(d) From the moral point of view it is found that hfe in a Zadruga tends 

 to decrease individual selfishness, and the districts where the Zadrugas 

 are most abtmdant are those in which there is least crime. 



(e) Finally, the zadruga is an excellent school of self government, allow- 

 ing very young persons of fifteen years of age to take part in the common 

 deliberations. 



Against these advantages there may be placed, it is true, the 

 drawbacks of any community regime. In a Zadruga all the associates 

 work, live and possess all the property of the community in common. 

 The profits of the common labour are divided equally among the members. 

 But as there may be among the members some indi\iduals more hard- 

 working and more ingenious than others, these are not rewarded suf- 

 ficiently for their work or their ingenuity, the profits being equally divided. 

 The hardworking and ingenious, perceiving the injustice, may be discour- 

 aged from working. 



lyct us, however, observe that the Zadruga is a community of relations ; 

 while there is a just reward for labour, there is also family affection which 

 does not look at things with so selfish an eye. Very often these injustices 

 are not observed and they are pardoned without the community suffering 

 thereby. Then also, all keep before them the common welfare, the rather 

 as, generally speaking, no division is made. Finally,, there are many ways 

 in which the Zadruga can contend against laziness among its members ; the 

 moral influence it exerts over them from their birth cannot be inefficacious. 

 lyCS us add that when instead of idlers there are sick, disabled or old mem- 

 bers, the Zadruga is found to be the most humane institution and the best 

 adapted for their protection. 



