necessary to
have a Russian engineer, in addition to the one employed by the staff,
who is held responsible by the governor of the district for the
inspection of all machinery and the arrangements made for securing those
employed from unnecessary risk and danger. A police officer of a
superior class is attached to the staff also, not only to maintain
order, but to receive any complaints and transmit them if serious to
higher authorities. The government distinctly interferes in order to
guard the interests of its working class, and though sometimes the
presence of another engineer or the police official may seem irksome,
our countrymen recognize loyally that the government have no wish to be
vexatious, but only to fulfil their duty to their own people.

Then next I found, also in Siberia, how extraordinarily kind and helpful
all officials are to colonists, who are not always easy to deal with
when travelling or settling down in a new country. They take things for
granted and expect much, and yet are never disappointed; officials of
every class, and especially on railways, being unfailing in patience,
tact, good-nature, and good-humour. The working folk on a train, in
their third or fourth classes, are always treated with indulgence and
kindly consideration.

[Illustration: _A Group of Russian Peasants._]

I read the following in the _Statist_ last year, finding later that it
was contributed by a friend of mine:--

"Government emigration offices are situated all over Russia in Europe.
These supply would-be settlers in Siberia with information as to water
supply, timber, fuel, distances from market, etc. Intending settlers
choose some of their number, at the expense of the government, to
inspect the different tracts of land parcelled out for settlement, and
select areas considered suitable for the settlers. This may take a whole
year, and the deputed settlers return and report to their fellows. A
petition is then sent in to the government--say that 100 men want to go
to such and such a place. Then the government marks on the map that this
land has been apportioned to the applicants, and it is set aside for
them accordingly. The land is given free up to 275 acres per head. Each
man thus has his own land. He cannot sell it, and it cannot be mortgaged
either, though he get into debt. The land is his as long as he cares to
work it. For special purposes, horse and cattle breeding, the government
now permits larger areas up