ACTIVITIES OF THE LOCAL ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEES OF THE TOMSK PROVINCE IN METAYAGE DISTRIBUTION IN THE EARLY XX CENTURY

Abstract

The article is devoted to the activities of the county administrative committees for the distribution of metayage among the local population. By using earlytwentieth-century archival materials concerning the Tomsk province, the author was able to draw the conclusion that institutions under consideration applied a considerable effort to collect the information they needed. As tools to provide relative parity in the distribution of duties, they used: district regionalization, local circumstances consideration and extension of those under natural duties. In line with the reform in the sphere, the Committee sought to abolish the procedure for allocation of duties, based on the registered number of able-bodied peasants. It was suggested to introduce a system based on taking into account the quantity and the quality of land. In abandoning the metayage way and moving on to paying peasants monetary equivalent, they saw a way of achieving a greater equalization. Regular meetings of municipal officials provided a significant assistance to administrative committees. Opinions that were formed during such meetings contributed to a better understanding of existing problems in the sphere. Delays in the adoption of the updated threeyear implementation schedules by local administrative committees had a negative effect on the distribution of parity obligations.