The Timaru Herald. THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 1907. RUSSIAN REFORMS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13240, 21 March 1907, Page 4

The Timaru Herald. THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 1907. RUSSIAN REFORMS.

The Russian "people mtiy be excused for dtiubting tlio siucerily of the reforhiK.pr»--iniseil in the remarkable ..declaration which tlio Premier,-. if,. tftolypin;-lias just nmde, -in the Kational Assembly. The .dissoln•tion of; the firslt Duma, aiul (lie fVubsequeiit regime of> repression which 1«vh ; been jirncUsed;' by . the' forces - of' the. bureaucracy, are enough to makefile opponents of ! t lift Government'-look 1 -\Vith'suspicion jipon tlio programme now laid below them,, while t fie absence from the I'remieii'-s speech of any reference to the il'.wo 1 mat tarn which the reformers have -plnccil in the forefront' of their .own; policy—an amnesty and a responsible Ministry—is not calculated to inspiro confidence in the desire of those in authority to see Ruf-syv fransfoniied into a constitutional State. And yet the mere assembling of the Duma i«> an indication of tlie (ViVernmoniV recognition of the fact that the time lintr arrived when the administration of the ■ Affairs of tho Empire," without! some kind of collaboration -of the people,. has assumed the appearance of hnpnsfuhjnity. , : The Gftverrt•incut, however,' "stop a long ■ Waf' nhol'lof allowing.;the of IvUSmii tlml control over tho affairs of the nation whieb restx in tlie liiindN of ttfe electors 'ln tliin-ougllly cOhstihitimud count rios. Tlie reforms outlined by -the, Premier' biok like palliatives, intended to secure more comfortable conditions for the masses of the workers, and so allay their political Awtlvit.ies. Workmen's insurance, old ago pensions, aiid shorter hours of labour we -plnnk* in a platform which, if carried into. will-no -dolib,', have a wJnrideis; able influence in jlisitil'■> rating )lie. ftrtWH which the Ooveniment lia-yC; foubd in opposition. to '"tliem., 'Tlio dissolution of the firsii Duma temporarily intensified tlio contrast between the bureaucracy on tlio one hand, and alt the parties of reform oil the oilier, but if has been the policy of the Government, while maiiitaitiiiig their autocratic powewr, to split Up their enemies and to .attach (<> themselves the mora ' moderate, or perhaps it. would lift more correct..'to say, the less aspiring section of the reform partv—-the section, that is, which in concerned more Willi materia! comfOr.t: than with political power. During recent months, the efforts of M. fitolypin to restore law and order, coupled noV. ■ only witb such 'positive measures of reform I as be is now laying before the "country, but. also with an attitude of readiness to' co-operate.-'with the Duma or any other organisation • for the promotion of further reforms, have undoubtedly . modified the. hostility to tlie. Government, niu] iiHM'paspd. the differences' between the moderate i'c- . formers and the extremists. 1 Tlie first, fruits of this policy are to bo seen in the appfcal mad*v by ono party in the Duma that- i lie wholo Assembly , should glvq the. .Government its in the work, •that.. if< (A be, (.aken in hni)d. and in tlio. speedy, collapse of- what wonld correspond in a IJritisli l ,Parliament to the debate on the Adilress-in-R-eply.,. u'luotion. tu'pl'oceed to business being carried;. by a' large majority. That the npw Duma is, in tlie •mnip hostile" to the existing' (JlovErnpiolii,, and' that it. will eonici inji-o, freqitont 'Collision Ni.it h M;. Stolypiu Js not:, nnjikely. That,,however, neod. iiojj preclude it ronnon■able measure of e'o-opemlipii oij immodin/o practical such as tlie Pl'qllpßf,'proposes to deaf with, namely, its \ro. hdvc .s;iill, .in connection with the' iniltjptriitf conditions of the working popnliililin. An . honest, allempt. 'to introduce nbesci reforms will do much to improve the lives of the people; • even if it does not. bnvo • much influeneo in breaking down fhn monopoly of political power ( now enjoyedby Iho Government,