GENERAL OUTLINE OF THE NEW RUSSIAN I,AND REFORMS I39 



the point of view of agricultural technique and of the requirements of 

 the particular farm. The application is then referred to the local commission 

 together with the report of the sur^^eyor. The local commission decides 

 whether the business shall be proceeded with or refuses the apphcation 

 if it is not in conformity with the law or if there is not sufficient justific- 

 ation for it; the commission may also order a supplementary enquiry ; or, 

 finally, when every thing has been decided, it may forward all the papers to 

 the provincial commission for its approval. This commission gives order 

 in the second instance, and returns the papers approved to the local com- 

 mission, unless there are technical or legal objections. It is only then that 

 the readjustment applied for may be entered in the list of the works to be 

 carried out. The members of the local commissions amongst whom the 

 work is divided are assisted by a large technical staff of surveyors, scientific 

 agriculturists, and hydraulic engineers. The peasants themselves are ob- 

 liged b}^ the law to assist the technical agents of the land commissions in their 

 survey work etc. 



These surveys and the readjustment are carried out as follows : first 

 of all, the limits of the area of the farms to be readjusted are 

 defined as well as the area of the lots each of the members of the rural 

 commune shall receive. The area to be allotted to each family of peasants 

 is calculated in accordance with the general principles already set forth 

 (generally according to the number of working men) , without it being necess- 

 ary to proceed to the surveying of thousands and thousands of parcels in 

 order to establish an effective redistribution of the land. This summary pro- 

 cedure being in accordance with tlie customs of the Russian peasants and the 

 historic development of the distribution of peasants' lands in Russia and con- 

 sidered by the peasants as the most equitable, naturally simplifies much 

 of the work of the land commissions. It is well in this connection and for 

 a special purpose, to observe the comparative ease with which compens- 

 ation is given in the division of holdings for the difference in quality of the 

 soil, to which may be attributed the surprising rapidity with wliich the 

 work of readjustment has been carried out in Russia. The valuation of 

 the land and the compensation to be given for differences of quality not- 

 oriously constitute the chief difficulties in aU such undertakings; in Western 

 Europe the v*'ork has often failed altogether or in part, owing to such causes. 



The valuation of the land in Russia is habitually made by a deput- 

 ation of peasants from the commune concerned, under the supervision of a 

 surveyor. The value of the soil is net generally established in money; the land 

 is simply subdi\'ided into various classes and the calculation is made on the 

 principle that a definite area of such or such a class is equivalent to a defin- 

 ite area of another class. Sometimes recourse is had to the sale by auc- 

 tion of such or such a lot among members of the rural commune, but that 

 very often excites discontent and protests ; it generally happens that the 

 peasants do not get their land valued, as they say that the value of the 

 soil is more or less the same for the whole area belonging to the \'illage. 



The area of the holdings assigned to each family of peasants being estab- 

 lished and account also taken of the better or worse qualities of the soil. 



