22.12.2012 Views

Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 3 - From Marx to Mao

Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 3 - From Marx to Mao

Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 3 - From Marx to Mao

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF CAPITALISM IN RUSSIA<br />

Sara<strong>to</strong>v Uyezd<br />

Average prices (in rubles) paid for cultivating<br />

one dessiatine<br />

Category <strong>of</strong> work Under win- Under labour-service Hired labour, acter<br />

contract, for the rent <strong>of</strong> arable cording <strong>to</strong> state-<br />

80 <strong>to</strong> 100% ments <strong>of</strong>:<br />

<strong>of</strong> wagesaccording according<br />

being <strong>to</strong> written <strong>to</strong> state- hirers hired<br />

advanced termsments <strong>of</strong><br />

tenants<br />

Complete cultivation<br />

and harvesting, with<br />

carting and threshing 9.6 — 9.4 20.5 17.5<br />

Dit<strong>to</strong>, without threshing<br />

(spring crops)<br />

Dit<strong>to</strong>, without thresh-<br />

6.6 — 6.4 15.3 13.5<br />

ing (winter crops)<br />

Tilling . . . . . .<br />

Harvesting (reaping<br />

7.0<br />

2.8<br />

—<br />

2.8<br />

7.5<br />

—<br />

15.2<br />

4.3<br />

14.3<br />

3.7<br />

and carting) . . .<br />

Reaping (without cart-<br />

3.6 3.7 3.8 10.1 8.5<br />

ing) . . . . . . . 3.2 2.6 3.3 8.0 8.1<br />

Mowing (without carting)<br />

. . . . . . . 2.1 2.0 1.8 3.5 4.0<br />

203<br />

service can only be undertaken by a local peasant, and one<br />

who must be “provided with an allotment,” the fact <strong>of</strong> the<br />

tremendous drop in pay clearly indicates the importance<br />

<strong>of</strong> the allotment as wages in kind. The allotment, in such<br />

cases, continues <strong>to</strong> this day <strong>to</strong> serve as a means <strong>of</strong> “guaranteeing”<br />

the landowner a supply <strong>of</strong> cheap labour. But the<br />

difference between free and “semi-free”* labour is far from<br />

exhausted by the difference in pay. Of enormous importance<br />

also is the circumstance that the latter form <strong>of</strong> labour<br />

always presupposes the personal dependence <strong>of</strong> the one<br />

hired upon the one who hires him, it always presupposes<br />

the greater or lesser retention <strong>of</strong> “other than economic pressure.”<br />

Engelhardt very aptly says that the lending <strong>of</strong> money<br />

for repayment by labour-service is explained by the<br />

greater security <strong>of</strong> such debts: <strong>to</strong> extract payment from the<br />

peasant on a distraint order is a difficult matter, “but the<br />

authorities will compel the peasant <strong>to</strong> perform the work he<br />

independence rules out “freedom.” This Narodnik-minded landlord<br />

forgets, <strong>of</strong> course, that capitalism substitutes free non-independence<br />

for bonded non-independence.<br />

* An expression employed by Mr. Karyshev, loc. cit. It is a pity<br />

Mr. Karyshev did not draw the conclusion that half-crop renting<br />

“helps” the survival <strong>of</strong> “semi-free” labour!

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!