(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
An interesting phase in the carrying out of the Agrarian reform in the Republic of Poland came before the Administrative High Court of Lemberg.
According to the Agrarian reform law large estates are to be divided among the peasants at an established rate, payment of which is facilitated by the government. A Jewish landowner in Eastern Galicia, whose estate was affected by the law, divided his property into five parts which he transferred to five Jewish peasants of the neighborhood.
The Agrarian Commission of Lemberg refused to confirm this division, declaring that the Jews have a demoralizing influence upon the neighboring peasants. An appeal against this decision was made by Deputy Sommerstein to the Administrative High Court which annulled the commissioners’ decision and confirmed the original division.
It was pointed out during the trial that certain Polish officials apply the Agrarian reform law against the Jewish landowners in Eastern Galicia with great severity and that Jewish peasants are seldom given an opportunity to take over the land.
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