LABOUR IN RUSSIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13724, 14 April 1908, Page 6

LABOUR IN RUSSIA.

PROGRESS OF THE WORKER. NEW LIGHT ON OLD SUBJECTS. [BY TELEGRAPH.- 1 — CORRSSPOJfBHSJET.] Wellington', Monday. M. Vladimir. V. De Sviatlow9*v, Professor of Political Economy at the Imperial University of St. Petersburg, is at present visiting New Zealand for the purpose of investigating the labour laws of the Dominion. In conversation yesterday af- | ternoon with a Herald representative, he stated that a Commission, of which he was a member, was set op by the Russian Government to consider the question of' strikes* and labour questions, and « good deal of information regarding legislation dealing with workmen was brought for- | ward. He had been instructed to collect information in England, Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. as to the different methods of dealing with labour disputes. The first Russian labour enactment was promulgated in 1882, when a factory inspector was appointed, but since that time there had been a good deal of legislation dealing with trades unions. The trades union movement began in 1904, and at the present time, in the various organisations, there are about 400.000 skilled workmen, 65.000 of whom belong to St. Petersburg, arid 45,000 to Moscow. The result wm that considerable progress had been made in the lot of that class. An effort was made to get an eight hours' day, and in some trades, such as printing, bookbinding, and carpentry, this was allowed as the result of strikes. The average, however, was about ten hours for labourers, but before this time as many as 12, 13, and 14 hours were daily worked. Another achievement was that increased wages were being paid. Moreover, th- re was a Saturday half-holi-day, and holidays on saints' days, which were fairly frequent in Russia. Each trade also had its respective publication. As might be expected, the unions were vigorously claiming recognition, but the demand met, with equally vigorous opposition, and recognition for the present at least is hopeless. There were about 14.000,000 workers out of a population of 142,000,000. The great bulk of the people were engaged in agricultural and pastoral pursuits. Trade councils had been established, and Professor Sviatlowskv was the first president of die St. Petersburg Council. It was a. particular characteristic ol: Russian social life, s>aid the professor, that the lawyers, physicians, professors, etc., did all they could to help forward the movement. For example, each union had a lawyer who worked without payment, and physicians pursued their calling similarly where workers were concerned. The newspapers; were also on the side of the workers. This was due to the fact that during the last five or six years a very high idealistic spirit had been developed. The professor stated that it was quite a mistake to suppose that Russia was in a benighted condition. There were very few good books about, the country, and a number of those published were translated into Russian as curiosities for the amusement of readers. There was still an occasional strike, but things were in a much more settled condition than formerly. The first two Dumas bad the Constitutional Democrats as the principal party, but in the present Parliament the Octoberists held the reins, In brief, the position was this: The Government wanted money for battleships, but the Octoberists would not vote it for that purpose. It was impossible to say what the outcome would be perhaps a new election. The labour question was naturally the burning question in th© Duma. There was now a high property qualification for candidates for election, and this made a great difference in the class of members elected. Intelligent people, continued the professor, always hoped that the Japanese would succeed in the late war. They realised that Japan was not fighting Russia, but the Russian Government. One consequence of the war was the rising of the people, and this resulted in getting the Duma, after which came more law and order. The people did not mind the fact that Japan secured half of Saghalien. Their attention was not given to it. Moreover, it was an island that nobody liked, as prisoners ere sent there. They had nothing againsit the Japanese at all. Russia had too iftuch land as it was, and colonisation was unpopular.