1^,2 ROUMANIA -* MISCELLANEOUS 



tenant farmers have not seldom exacted more than the maximum fixed, 

 both in money and labour. Thus some authorities even assert that generally 

 the maximum fixed by the Regional Commissions is less than the rent 

 really paid by the peasants. 



With regard to the effects produced by the protection of national 

 agricultural labour against foreign labour and by the institution of labour 

 bureaux, opinions are not agreed. Some say that the first of these in- 

 novations has produced excellent results, greatly to the benefit of the national 

 labourers, thanks to the provision that, as we know, prevents foreign 

 labourers being employed without the approval of the agriciiltural inspector. 

 Optimists hold also that the labour bureaux have had an excellent effect 

 in centrahsing demand and supply, with all the economic and social advant- 

 ages consequent on this. The pessimists, on their side, hold that neither 

 the protection of national against foreign labour nor the institution of labour 

 bureaux has had any other effect than that of raising the price of labour. 

 The final solution of the serious question of agricultural contracts can only 

 be reached by the complete aboUtion of all dependence of the peasants on 

 the landlords and this can only be effected by giving a vigorous impulse to 

 the rural farm associations {ohstii, Roumanian collective farms), and by 

 expropriating the latifundi in favour of the peasants, as already proposed 

 by the Roumanian National Liberals in their last Congress, held at Bucha- 

 rest from October 20th. to November 2nd., 1913. 



Altogether, we may therefore conclude that the results of the land 

 reforms of 1907 have been more than satisfactory, if not altogether excell- 

 ent, taking into consideration also the haste with which the reforms were 

 prepared and voted by Parliament under the influence of the alarm excited 

 by the revolt of the peasants. 



Certainly, these reforms will require further modification, continuation 

 and completion, especially by the appHcation of the right granted to the 

 State to resort to expropriation in certain definite circumstances, giving 

 fair compensation, so as to facilitate a distribution of the land more in 

 accordance with the general interests of the country. 



But it is not to be denied that between 1907 and the present day 

 arbitrary action has largely disappeared ; the peasants have acquired a true 

 idea of their rights and seldom allow themselves to be cheated and a real 

 revolution was produced in the minds of the rural classes, habituated for 

 centuries to injury and subjection, when they could convince themselves 

 by experience that the law was not enacted only against them, but chiefly 

 in their favour and in the common interest. 



Appendix. 



At the moment of publishing the foregoing study we have received 

 some more recent information in regard to the work of the Rural Bank 

 and the general financial situation of the communal grazing grounds, on 



