. The Russian road to China . -J <f- cn7: O Oh. D Pi ZO oo RUSSIA IN EVOLUTION 293 Granting the benefit of doubt, assuming that theAdministrations corruption and inefficiency areexaggerated, and supposing that the pubHc moneyis in the main honestly and productively spent, it isstill a very serious question if any public servicerendered by the agents of Government can corre-spond to or justify the immense burden of taxationheaped upon a people whose economic distress is soterrible. The weight of the tax-levy crushing the peasants,whose improvident habits aggravate their want,is, for most, un
. The Russian road to China . -J <f- cn7: O Oh. D Pi ZO oo RUSSIA IN EVOLUTION 293 Granting the benefit of doubt, assuming that theAdministrations corruption and inefficiency areexaggerated, and supposing that the pubHc moneyis in the main honestly and productively spent, it isstill a very serious question if any public servicerendered by the agents of Government can corre-spond to or justify the immense burden of taxationheaped upon a people whose economic distress is soterrible. The weight of the tax-levy crushing the peasants,whose improvident habits aggravate their want,is, for most, unescapable unless they follow the emi-grants road to Siberia. The rate-gatherer can takeanything the mujik has, save his last coat, his lasthorse, his seed-grain for next year. He is, with fate-ful frequency, forced to hire himself out to whoeverwill use his services, and this during the brief sum-mer season which is so supremely essential if he isto attend to his own crops and fields. One land-owner relates that he has seen paid an average offive
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjecttranssi, bookyear1910
