News From Russia.
The Zemstvo of the government of Perm has appropriated one million two hundred thousand roubles for the purpose of providing educational facilities within the government. Of this money, two hundred thousand roubles is to be spent for the construction of new primary schools, two hundred thousand for providing educational facilities outside of schools, and eight hundred thousand for secondary schools.
***
The Russian Woman Suffrage League has organized a co-operative school of general studies. The school is conducted in the evenings, and the course lasts for four months. The entrance requirements are that the applicant should be no younger than sixteen, and should have covered the course of the higher primary school. The fee for the course is thirty roubles.
***
It is noticeable that, as a result of the War, the amount of crime has generally decreased very considerably, except among the children. There the amount of crime has increased greatly. Yet it is curious that this increase occurs only in the cities. The country districts, on the contrary, do not show any increase in juvenile delinquency.
***
The Ministry of Finance is working on a plan of establishing cooperative banks in Russia. The need of such banks is recognized as imperative by the Ministry of the Interior, as well as that of Finance, in view of the rapid and extensive development of the cooperative movement in the country.
***
The annual fair, which was recently held at Verkhneudinsk, in Siberia, was very successful. Despite the fact that prices in general have risen from one to two hundred per cent, all the goods that were brought to the fair were easily disposed of.
***
The Central Statistical Committee has issued a statement concerning the Russian crops in 1915. The data cover fifty-six governments and territories of Russia, i. e., practically the whole country, with the exception of the territory occupied by the Germans. The total amount of grains gathered during the year was 3,509,000,000 pouds (one poud equals thirty-six pounds), the increase over the average for the preceding five years being 406,000,000 pouds. The crops of the principal grains are given as follows, in million of pouds:
| 1914 | 1915 | |
| Wheat | 867.9 | 870.3 |
| Rye | 23.6 | 17.5 |
| Barley | 472.8 | 524.3 |
| Millet | 107.9 | 148.9 |
| Corn | 112.8 | 98.3 |
| Oats | 682.6 | 766.8 |
| Potatoes | 1228.5 | 1268.0 |
The surplus of grain, after deducting the amount needed for seed, is 27.13 pouds per capita of the population.
***
The Russian newspapers very frequently bring reports concerning the establishment of new industrial enterprises all over the country. Industrial activity is noticeable everywhere, and even Siberia, which is located quite unfavorably in this respect, is beginning to show signs of increasing industrial life. This is especially true of the governments of Tomsk and Eniseisk. A large factory is now being constructed near Tomsk by the firm of Lubinsky
