as compared with 1913, and it is expected that the increase will continue in 1916. The question of supplying the mines belonging to the Crown with labor has been solved satisfactorily. A plan has been put in operation for training students of higher institutions with the purpose of making them specialists in mining fields. The metallurgical factories operated by the Crown, which were run at a deficit in 1910, brought in a profit of 6,500,000 roubles in 1915.
A plan for workingmen's insurance is almost ready. The Ministry is also considering the question of introducing old age and invalidity insurance and is working on the problem of extending the statutes concerning the protection of labor to smaller industrial enterprises. A bill for the creation of special labor bureaus as permanent institutions is almost completed. In view of the constantly increasing demands on the part of labor for higher wages, plans have been proposed for the organization of a conciliation board. However, the creation of such boards would be possible only if professional unions and societies were to exist. It must be noted in connection with this that the conditions of the war time are hardly suitable for a development of professional labor organizations. This is a circumstance that hampers considerably the introduction of a system of conciliation in labor disputes. It seems desirable, however, to begin the introduction of a system of conciliation in certain industries, but any plan of this kind would have to be discussed by legislative bodies. The bills concerning consumers' leagues and cooperative organizations will soon be introduced in the Douma. The Ministry expects to change the existing commercial code gradually by introducing new laws in separate fields of industrial life. For the purpose of combating arbitrary inflation of prices, several committees have been appointed to regulate prices in such industries as cotton goods, cloth, hemp, and leather, and the results of their efforts in this direction have been quite satisfactory. The Ministry is at work now upon an extended program of harbor improvement and ship building. At present, work is being done for the improvement of the ports of Rostov, Marioupol and several other southern sea-towns. The Ministry is also working on a bill providing for higher technical schools which will be introduced in the Douma in a short time.
The Minister's speech was followed by a discussion in which several deputies took part. The most interesting speech was delivered by Deputy A. A. Bublikov, who criticised very sharply the lack of activity on the part of the Ministry of Commerce
