LABOUR IN RUSSIA

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 171, 13 April 1908, Page 5

LABOUR IN RUSSIA

* , A RUSSIAN VISITOR. M. Vladimir V. do Sviatlowsky, Professcr ■ of-Political Economy at the'lmperial Univer- . sity. of St. Petersburg, who is at present vis- , ltmg New Zealand for tho purpose of . investigating the labour laws of the Dominion, accorded an interview .to. a -representative of this journal. 'A commission! of which ho was a member, ■ was -set up'by : the Russian Government to •oonsidor tho-,question of strikes aiid labour questions, and :a - good deal.; of information /regarding legislation dealing with'workmen / was brought forward.; Professor Sviatlowsky ' -'.w«':instniet4sd to' England, Canada, the'United'States; Australia, and Now Zealand'as to the different methods \ Vof dealing"with labour,/disputes.,' Tho first. ,/ Russian labour /enactment was promulgated .in 1882,. when""a factory inspecton.' was'ap-; pointed, but sm<M that; time thero lias been a good deal of legislation dealing with, trades anions. Tho' trades'union,'movement began in 1904;, and at tho present-timo !in , tho - - various .organisations there aro about 400,000: skilled workmen, 65,000 of whom belong to • , St. Petersburg'and 45,000 to Moscow: Tlio * :7 result* : was that considerable progress had been made in 'tho lot -of that class. An '■.'■■'■■ effortwas ir.ado to get an. eight day; •and in' some- trades—printing, bookbinding, : and carpentry—this was allowed, as^-tho re- - - suit of-strikes. Tho average, however, was • about ten. hours for labourers, but beforo ■ this time, as many as-twolye,'thirteen, and fourteen hours-wero daily worked. Another achievement-was.-that : increased wages, not' : very high increases, but a distinct improve--v ■ ,mont,-:wero being- paid.-/. Moreover, thero , was a Saturday.'halWioliday 'and holidays on Saints I ', davs, which/are fairly frequent in N Russia.' Each trado: also -has its respective publication. As might ' bo expeot-ed, tlio unions/are vigorously / claiming, recognition, but- tho> demand' is ( meeting with ' equally vigorous opposition, and recognition, for tho - ' present .'"at: . least, is hopekss: ; i Thero aro • about '.14,000,000 :workers/out of a' population, . .of 142,0&0,000. - Tho groat bulk of tho' pcoplo aro engaged in- agricultural "and pastoral pursuits. ; Trade councils' have .also' been' , ':;established,/ and 'Professor. 'Sviatlowsky' was tho first president; of , L the ■ St. Petersburg Council. v /. .- /■, ; . The Upper •,Classes' and Labour./ .-. . ' . ' It' is a particular characteristic of Russian 'sccial life, that all intelligent: people, lawyers, physicians, professors, etc., do all .they j can' ■ to'help,forward the movement.; For example, each' union will havo. af'lawycr who/works. . . without : payment,'; and physicians ,'jiu'rsuo 1 their calling similarly whero workers 'aro ialso are- on'.tho, ■ side-of -tho ■ workers.; . This,- the .rprofeissor Baysj isMue tp.the.fact: that: during tho last' ••••.- five or six years-a ,! -;very high' idealistic. spirit'. - ■ had been developed! V" \ ... /'- . ■ /.' ■ r ■ Tho: reporter :hero'mentipned .that- this,in-: formation would: surprise, many ,in this : part . of-.tho world. '. ': - ' /' :.The.,profcssor ; laughingly r r'oplied that /it -•' was.-quito a mist-ako:to suppose'that;Russia, - was ill a'benighted; condition!, Thoso storics -. wcrG;,mostly-/ exaggerated.f :'As>- to: " books,'' , ! there/'wero. very. vfow 1 good ;bcol;s ''about -Russia," and ■ a ,nuniber : of' thoM. /publishcd ' . wore itranslated -into Russian- as/curiosities f<?r-.the amusement: oL;readers." There"; was' Btill an occasional strike,' but/things wero iii /../■'. tf; much; more, settled condition'than formerly. Tho Dumas. , ./•Tho firsttwo., Dumas'--hadvthe > tional Democrats as'principal party, but . iii 'the present - Parliament': the,iOctobrists held the reins.. 'In • brief,- the'position'.was this : •Tho: Government:;wants- money' for,\ ships, but tho. Octobrists will riot voto money: for-that purpose; they-, say- that there ;is too.miich robbory by Government officials.of ' ■ money: voted.' ;It is impossible to 'say .what, tlie',outcome will be~-perhaps a new; election. 'The labpiir:q;uestion is naturally tho burning ! question.'iri, the', Duma. There was . now a , Bgh /property-qualification for candidates for election, "and. this mado, a great differerco i • in "tho-class of members elected- ■ -.-i / Thei professor was asked a question • m referenco to theft.by. officials. : •" Yes," he roplied, " but/is it any worse - than/in America ?"; ■ v ThO'.War with japan! j , . Intelligent: people,- ho continued,^always■ "hoped that .the: Japanese would 'succeed m the lato war. Thoy rcalised that Japan was 1 not fighting .Russia,' but tho Russian Govern,»'ent. One consequence* of tho'war wris the rising of the people, :and this resulted in gettmg tho Duma, after which came more law . Bnd ,order. .Tho people' did not' mind the fact that/Japan: secured half :of Sakhalin • their attention;was hot given to it.- 'More-' „ over, ; it; was ;an island that nobody-liked ac prisoners were sent there. : Tbeyr'had nothing against the Japanese at all. Russia had too much land a& it .was, and oolonisation was unpopular. . •• . / ,