Interpellation on the Village of Padkasove and the Land “Presličk a”

of members of the Sejm from the Belarusian Club to the Minister of Agrarian Reform, concerning the exclusion of the village of Padkasove, Niahnievičy gmina, Navahrudak county, from the use of 32 hectares of land known as "Prasličk a".

The peasants of the village of Padkasove, Niahnievičy gmina, Navahrudak county, being land-poor, have long used 32 hectares of land known as "Prasličk a", adjoining their own lands and belonging to the estate "Marysino". The said land was the only support for the village's farming, which does not have enough allotment land. After the estate "Marysino" passed into the ownership of the state, the peasants were refused the use of the said land, while it was leased to others. All the attempts of the inhabitants of Padkasove to continue using these 32 hectares of land remained with the Land Commissioner in Navahrudak without any response; the land was given for use to people from elsewhere, namely: Piśliak from the Vilnia region, Dubavik, the chauffeur of the voivode, and I. Kied.

The above fact testifies that the land offices manage at their own arbitrary will the lands that have passed into the ownership of the state, and that they pay no regard at all to local conditions and to the practice followed until now. The local population suffers most from this, being thus systematically deprived of land that it has worked over the course of centuries.

On account of the above, the undersigned ask the Minister:

1) Does he intend to give the peasants of the village of Padkasove the land known as "Prasličk a" for their continued use?

Warsaw, 27 May 1924.