1906 Report of the General Meeting of the Doukhobor Community

Report of the General Meeting of the Doukhobor Community held in Nadezhda Village, February 15, 1906

Manitoba Morning Free Press

During the first decades of the twentieth century, the Christian Community of Universal Brotherhood was governed by general meetings that were held early each year to receive the annual report and financial statement prepared by the representative committee and to vote on various matters of policy and practice brought before them. These gatherings were typically attended by two delegates from each village, the administrators in charge of community affairs and the leader Peter “Lordly” Verigin. The following is a rare extant report of the general meeting of the Doukhobor Community held at Nadezhda village, Saskatchewan, on February 16, 1906, as published in the Manitoba Morning Free Press, Wednesday, April 25, 1906. The minutes provide extraordinary insight into the administrative matters of the day, including the role of women in the Community and their participation in general meetings, immigration assistance to the Yakutsk exiles, the leader’s interpretation of a Doukhobor psalm, the treatment of animals, need for a hospital, and capital expenditures. In addition, the general account leaves no doubt of the extent of the material achievements of the Community under Verigin’s leadership at this time.

The number of people attending from the 44 villages (two men delegates and one woman from each village) was 132. Besides these there were present those in charge of various Doukhobor affairs: Nicholas Zibaroff, V. A. Potapoff, Ivan Podovinnikoff, Paul Planidin, Fedor Soukhocheff, Evan Verigin, Evan Konkin, English translator Simeon Reibin, and, as representative of the Doukhobor Social-Religious society, Peter Veigin. Total present, 141. The meeting started at 10 a.m.

1. The meeting was opened by the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father,” by Anastasia V. Popova, delegate from Otradnoe village.

2. Peter Vasiilivitch Verigin remarked that the meeting place (one of the village houses) was very small for so large a number of people as 141, and that the Doukhobors in the three years they lived in community should have been able to erect a larger building for meetings. All present agreed to this.

3. Peter Verigin also expressed himself that the attendance of women at these meetings was very remarkable for our time; as all cultured people now commenced to feel that women must be equal partners with men in all their life, and probably the Doukhobors were the first to invite women to attend such a meeting, which reflected honor to the men. Peter Verigin then spoke in turn to the women, saying that women should with gratitude accept such invitation, and in future with full feeling of equal power, start on the same footing as men in our common life. The women were very satisfied and thankful.

4. The community accounts for 1905 were then rendered, being read by Simeon Reibin. Explanations were made by those in charge of the buying of goods and implements: Nicholas Zibaroff and V.A. Potapoff, and questions having been asked by some delegates, the accounts were passed by the meeting as correct and very satisfactory.

5. Evan E. Konkin gave an account of his expenditure while assisting the immigration of the Yakoutsk brethren. The rumour that Konkin had been spending money without keeping account during this journey was found incorrect, as he gave very particular account of income and expenditure regarding every man separately. His personal expenditure was not specially large. His account is included in the generally account for 1905.

6. The general account having been accepted as satisfactory by the meeting, it was decided to proceed with the election of managers of community affairs for 1906. The meeting rendered its thanks to those in charge for the past year, and asked them to continue for another year, they being fully acquainted with all affairs. The following were elected for 1906.

For purchasing goods and implements: Nicholas Zibaroff and V.A. Potapoff, re-elected and Vasil Sherstobitoff and Dimitry Gritchin in addition.

To superintend village horses, and, if necessary to buy more: Paul Planidin and Fedor Sookhocheff, re-elected, and Simeon Negraeff and Peter Chernoff in addition. Simeon Reibin was re-elected as English correspondent and Evan Konkin was appointed assistant Russian correspondent.

7. It was suggested to make an inventory of all property belonging to the community beyond the village outfits, viz., engines, separators, sawmills, etc., and this was then made and attached to the general accounts.

8. Altogether, in three years’ time of community life the purchases amounted to six hundred thousand ($600,000) dollars (for 1905 about $240,000; 1904, $160,000; 1903, $200,000), and as all goods have been bought as far as possible at first hand from wholesale houses, there has been a saving of at least one hundred and fifty thousand ($150,000) dollars, for instance: Prices – enamelled saucepans costing in local towns $1 each, were bought from factory warehouses for 60c; binders, $165 for $115; cloth, 90c per yard, for 60c; Prints, 12c for 8c; Axes (Best) $1.25 for 85c; Denims, 25c for 18c; Black Drill 20c for 13c; Horses which cost were $150.00 each were bought in a large bunch of 300 heads in 1903 for $75.00 each. Deducting freight of goods and expenses of buyers there remains a net profit of 25 percent.

At 6 p.m. the meeting was declared closed. At 1 p.m., there was an interval of 1, 1-2 hours for dinner and during the day the meeting adjourned twice to change the air of the house, singing hymns meanwhile.

9. February 16th. All delegates met at 9 a.m., the meeting was opened with prayer of psalm, “Being born young youth from holy Clouds” . . . Peter V. Verigin explained the meaning of this psalm for our life: “We the Doukhobors as young children accepted the Covenant from the holy Clouds, by which we should understand from holy, enlightened men who renewed the life of humanity from the time of Christ up to our own days. We must look back on the past with feelings of thankfulness as on the commencement of our life and in future more and more to strengthen and attain, passing from the age of youth to more consciously wide existence.” Referring to olden times, before Christ, Peter Verigin refused to examine or estimate the holiness of people in the sense of real truth and enlightenment, he took as an example from the Bible the life of Samson. Notwithstanding that Samson was very strong physically, once tearing the mouth of a lion, he was not ashamed to kill 30 men, whose clothing he brought as a payment to the parents of the girl he intended to marry. In conclusion Peter Verigin said that if they want examples there are sufficient holy enlightened men of newest time starting from Christ, and especially it is necessary for each man to be controlled in his life by his own conscience.

10. The whole meeting expressed a desire that for future understanding, the meaning of community life should be more clearly defined as: - 1. Spiritual fellowship and meakness between men in which people are understanding great gentleness and (2) Material profit.

11. The question was raised, How should we treat animals? It was decided by the whole meeting that as we are not killing animals for food we should treat them as well as possible; as for instance: especially cows, should have nice light, dry quarters, work horses should not draw too heavy loads and in winter should not be taken out of the stables for heavy work if it be colder than 20 degrees Reaumur (-13 Fah’t) and generally work should not be done with horses during very severe frosts.

12. Sieves have been fitted all Community Flour Mills; and the meeting unanimously decided that notwithstanding the heavy crop of 1905 the sieves should be arranged to take out not more bran than 1 in 10, so not to waste the wheat uselessly. All wheat for grinding must be perfectly clean and dry.

13. The question of building large roller flour mills was brought up. The whole meeting agreed that it was necessary to build such mills, as at present each village had, from the crop of 1905 far more wheat than was needed for one year and it would be most profitable to grind surplus wheat into flour and sell it in that form. There will be a large profit in such operation as it is possible to sell flour for more than wheat. For such purpose it will be necessary in time to build on railway lines warehouses for flour. The meeting decided to build a flour mill near the railway at Verigin Station. It will be necessary to build with flour mill an oatmeal mill as well. The whole meeting agreed that this would be very desirable, as oatmeal will be very valuable as a food, especially with milk for children.

14. It was decided to build a warehouse for flour at Yorkton during the coming summer.

15. Peter V. Verigin brought forward the question as to whether it would be desirable to build a hospital, as he had noticed very many Doukhobors were going to the doctors in the local towns. Our own hospital would be more useful and satisfactory in every way. At this time a letter was read from Russia from Ivan and Olga Vasileva who offered their services to the Community, one as a teacher and the other as a nurse. By the desire of the majority the question as to a hospital was left undecided, the meeting agreeing that the delegates should speak of the matter in their villages and decide definitely later.

16. It was unanimously decided to buy about 100 teams of horses, which will be necessary for executing the railway contract. Delegate Michael Androsoff from Village Novoe remarked that it would be wise to buy young horses, 3 to 4 years old, and put same in the villages, while heavy, strong horses are sent from the villages to the railway. The latter will bear heavy work better and the young <indecipherable>. The whole meeting was in agreement with this.

17. It was decided that for the same railway contract must be bought as soon as possible oats, and also all tools such as scrapers, wheelbarrows, shovels, etc.

18. In conclusion the men of the meeting referred to the women delegates, asking them to tell all the women in the villages to be imbued with the sentiment of high duty as mothers of manhood; to commence in future to ennoble man; as by nature itself women are much softer in character than men. They, men in daily life are moving amid ruder surroundings, doing hard work, hauling timber, and suffering from winter colds, and there is no wonder that the character is much ruder than that of women. It is very desirable that when men will return from their outdoor work, women should give them solace and good comfort in their homes.

A psalm was then sung “Protect us Lord and have mercy upon us,” and with sincere wishes for every success from the Lord in their future life and with greetings from all to all brothers and sisters in every village, the meeting was declared ended at 7 p.m.

Glory to God.

An account of Income and Expenditures of The Christian Community of Universal Brotherhood in Canada, for 1905:

Income from Villages

Part 1.

Village –

1 – Otradnoe	$3,910.05
2 – Smirenie	$2,516.70
3 – Nadeshda	$2,243.45
4 – Prakuratovo	$1,530.50
5 – Spaskoe	$2,954.70
6 – Lubovnoe	$2,478.35
7 – Efremovo and Trushdenie	$3,265.60
8 – Voskresenie	$3,082.85
9 – Trudolubivoe	$2,368.80
10 – Tambovskoe	$3,765.15
11 – Vossianie	$2,600.10
12 – Petrovo	$2,792.75
13 – Vernoe	$2,034.35
14 – Blagodarnoe	$3,046.20
15 – Terpenie	$2,543.95
16 – Rodionovo	$3,289.10
17 – Sovetnoe	$3,350.70
18 – Besednoe	$2,656.05
19 – Novoe	$1,000.65
20 – Blagoveshenie	$4,830.30
21 – Slavnoe	$2,198.15
22 – Kapoostino	$2,661.90
23 – Osvobojdenie	$2,749.80
24 – Lebedeva	$2,693.25
25 – Lubomirnoe	$3,250.35
26 – Klebodarnoe	$2,629.20
27 – Pakrovskoe	$2,821.30
28 – Vosnosenie	$3,197.00
29 – Vera	$2,033.15
30 – Simeonova	$2,080.55
31 – Tichomirnoe	$2,370.50
32 – Kamenka	$2,488.40
33 – Michaelovo	$2,261.60
34 – Troetskoe	$1,200.00
35 – Oospenie	$3,011.50
36 – Bogom-Dannoe	$2,012.55
37 – Pavlovo	$2,577.70
38 – Blagosklonnoe	$2,830.65
39 – Kolmikovo	$2,286.60
40 – Ooteshenie	$2,252.20
41 – Razbegaylovo	$1,142.15
42 – Moesaevo	$2,917.30
43 – Kirilovo	$1,914.50
44 – Goreloe	$1,160.70

Total	$114,136.60

Income Common

Part No 2 –

1 – Loan from Bank B.N.A. Yorkton	$50,500.00
2 – To cash received from Prince Albert brothers towards
payment for land near village Vernoe $5,000.00
3 – To sale of 13,771 lbs of 1904 senega root at 55 cts. per lb	$7,754.00
4 – To sale of 14,060 lbs of 1905 senega root at 50 cts. per lb	$7,030.00
5 – Balance in hand from last acct.	$1,704.60
6 – To cash from threshing grain from V. Salikin	$900.20
7 – To cash from threshing grain from A.F. Reibin	$628.95
8 – To cash from villages (1904 debts)	$368.50
9 – To cash for sleigh, sand, etc. sold in Yorkton by Evan Podovinnikoff	$479.10
10 – To cash from V.A. Potapoff, being net profit from store sales by him	$428.25
11 – To cash for gristing from Blagoveshenie village	$100.00
12 – To cash from Alexaevka village for needle work	$25.30
13 – To cash from Yakutsk brothers:
M. Arishenkoff, Vosnesenie	$90.00
M. Novokshonoff, Blagoveshenie	$50.00
P. Kinakin, Klebodarnoe	$15.00
T. Markin, Oospenie	$5.00
N. N. Sookhocheff, Razbegaylovo	$18.00
F. Arishenkoff, Kamenka	$15.00

Total	$75,646.30

Expenditure

Part 1, Land –

1 - By entry fees for land, being balance due on 1,372 homesteads
at $5.00 (except some Devil’s Lake townships)	$6,860.00
2 - By third payment on land purchased near village Vernoe	$13,275.00
3 - By deposit on one section of land near Slavnoe	$1,067.90
4 - By deposit on 160 acres of H.B. Co land near village Pokrovka	$130.60
5 - By deposit on 160 acres of land near Vossianie village	$799.00
6 - By purchase of land with building, sand pit and machine for
making cement blocks at Yorkton	$3,265.40
7 - By balance on house in Yorkton	$250.00
8 - By purchase on land at Swan River, Man.	$170.00
9 - By deposit on land in Canora	$85.00

Total	$25,841.40

Part 2, Horses and Oxen –

1 - By interest on purchase price of horses bought in 1903	$713.85
2 - By purchase of one horse for village Slavnoe	$180.00
3 - By purchase of horse by Simeon Kabatoff, village Spaskoe	$217.25
4 - By purchase of oxen for village Razbegaylovo	$272.60
5 - By expense of Paul Planidin and Fedor Sookocheff when
buying horses	$120.00

Total	$1,503.10

Part 3, Implements and Machinery –

1 - By purchase of one 25 h.p. traction engine with separator
from Gaar, Scott & Co.	$3,300.00
2 - By purchase of one 25 h.p. engine (traction) with separator
from American Abell Co.	$3,300.00
3 - By purchase of one separator from American Abell Co.	$750.00
4 - By purchase of 3, 25 h.p. plowing engines, Reeves & Co.,
at $2,410 each	$7,230.00
5 - By purchase of one 25 h.p. engine (plowing) with separator,
from Reeves & Co.	$3,241.00
6 - By purchase of one 20 h.p. plowing Reeves engine with
separator for Devil’s Lake Colony	$2,890.00
7 - By purchase of one 25 h.p. plowing Reeves engine with
Separator for Devil’s Lake Colony	$3,500.00
8 - By purchase of 38 binders at $115 each	$4,370.00
9 - By purchase of 52 mowers at $41 each	$2,182.00
10 – By purchase 30,000 lbs of Manilla twine at $12.30 per 100 lbs	$3,690.00
11 – By purchase 50 sickles at $3.75 each	$187.50
12 – Balance for 1904 on binders and mowers	$5,457.00
13 – Balance for 1904 on drills, wagons, disc harrows, etc.	$2,607.50
14 – Balance for 1904 for engines	$3,898.55
15 – By purchase 25 wagons at $51.50 each	$1,287.50
16 – By purchase 25 drills at $74.50 each	$1,862.50
17 – By purchase 20 disc harrows at $35.25	$705.00
18 – By purchase 60 plows at $18.00 each	$1,080.00
19 – By purchase 30 wagons at $52.50 each	$1,587.00
20 – By purchase 40 sleighs, 20 at $22.00 and 20 at $25.00	$940.00
21 – By purchase 7 gang plows, 4 shares at $133.00 each	$931.90
22 – By purchase one hay press	$220.00
23 – By difference to Gaar Scott for exchanging 18 h.p. portable
engine for new 20 h.p. traction, freight on same	$750.50
24 – By purchase of one wind stacker for separator	$510.00
25 – By purchase of ten bellows for blacksmithing	$135.25
26 – By purchase of 4 gang plows (2 shares) at $37.00 each	$148.00
27 – By purchase of shares and the repairs from Massey Harris Co.	$669.88
28 – By purchase of shares and repairs from Fairchild Co.	$289.90
29 – By purchase of one buggy &