These days, city council meetings, debates among council members, and the issue of rate hikes are topics of great concern to many. But what actually took place at city council meetings in pre-revolutionary Kharkiv? Let’s travel back to December 1916 and find out what life was like in our beloved city back then and what problems needed to be solved.
For example, on December 14, 1916, at 9:00 p.m., a regular session of the Kharkiv City Duma began, chaired by Mayor D. I. Bagaley. The topics under discussion were:
1) A statement by Council Member N. S. Illarionov and others regarding the commemoration of soldiers in the current war.
2) Statement by I. V. Semenko on the food issue.
3) Report by City Council Member V. E. Morokhovets on the status of the city tram system.
At the beginning of his speech, Illarionov pointed out that the war has been going on for more than two years:
“Deeply moved by the great tragedy our nation is enduring, we feel an overwhelming need to openly and publicly express our reverent feelings of gratitude and respect for the soldiers who gave their lives… Such a timely expression of respect for the deceased also holds great moral significance. It will strengthen the spirit of our soldiers and bring peace to loving hearts.”
He then proposed building the Cathedral of the Resurrection in the upper part of the city, funded by voluntary donations, which would serve as a memorial to the fallen soldiers.
Ultimately, after a series of additions and clarifications, the City Council unanimously resolved to convene the council members in the near future to discuss this proposal.
In 1916, our city faced food shortages due to the war. In his statement on the food issue, City Council Member I. V. Semenko noted:
“At present, the situation regarding this issue is such that the entire city’s population could find itself in dire straits. This matter must be addressed as soon as possible; otherwise, the people will have no choice but to put their trust in God and in themselves.” His point of view was supported by others in attendance.
Moreover, the operation of public transportation (in this case, the tram) in December 1916 was also far from smooth. According to I. V. Semenko himself, “the tram system is not in the right hands.”
However, Council Member I. K. Treskin ruthlessly criticized the report by V. E. Morohovets, titled “On the State of the City Tram System,” pointing out that listening to him gave the impression that everything was fine with Kharkiv’s tram system. However, in his speech, V. E. Morohovets did not mention the dark sides of the issue, such as:
— progressive axle wear;
— the decommissioning of tram cars;
— the fact that tram management is showing no initiative or energy in establishing a depreciation fund, while the cars are wearing out at a breakneck pace.
The meeting ended at 12:20 a.m.
Discussion of the tram issue continued at the next meeting on December 16, with even more controversy and heated debate. A number of those present accused I. K. Treskin of basing his criticism on unsubstantiated claims and noted that no experts had been consulted in the analysis of the tram problems. “Of course, not everything is perfect with the tram system, but Morokhovets didn’t build the tram!” one of the council members exclaimed in the heat of the moment. In the end, opinions were divided.
And, of course, in 1916, the issue of raising rates was a pressing one. It arose due to the extraordinary circumstances of wartime. It was first raised back in January by Ivan Kirillovich Grishchenko, a member of the City Duma, and was considered by numerous agencies:
— the city administration;
— the tram and street lighting commission;
— the water and sewer commission;
— the finance commission.
Subsequently, in March, a report on raising the rates for the city railways, the power plant, and the sewer system (effective from 1917) was submitted to the City Duma. However, it was noted that the rate increase was a necessary measure intended only to temporarily cover the city’s rising expenses and new financial needs caused by the war. After a detailed and comprehensive discussion of this report at the sessions on March 28 and 30, the Kharkiv City Duma adopted a resolution “to recognize, in principle, the possibility of raising the rates charged by municipal enterprises.”
At its meeting on April 20, the City Duma instructed the Finance Committee to identify new sources of revenue for the city that would make it unnecessary to raise rates. Based on the findings of the “Report on Improving City Finances,” the Duma resolved at its June 13 session to “postpone the issue of rates and discuss it in conjunction with the 1917 budget no later than October of this year.”
Only after a summary of the city’s preliminary draft budget for 1917 had been prepared was the City Council able to consider raising rates. Given rising expenses and a lack of new funds, the city’s financial situation proved so dire that the City Council was forced to bring the issue of raising rates to a meeting on November 25. However, no consensus was reached. It was not until December 28, 1916, that the resolutions of the special commissions and the City Council regarding the rate increases were finally approved.
Tram fare.
At its meeting, the Tram and Lighting Commission resolved to recommend to the city administration that it:
1) To increase the fare for day, night, and morning service on all city tram lines by 2 kopecks, with the exception of the Zavodskaya Line (from Pavlovskaya Square to the factories), for which the Commission set the fare at 7 kopecks.
2) To abolish all categories of transfer tickets.
3) To leave the price of student tickets unchanged (with the exception of transfer tickets, which, according to item 2, are being abolished).
Electricity Rate.
1) Increase the rate for individuals and institutions that use electricity from the city grid for lighting and elevators by 60 percent; that is, charge 40 kopecks per kilowatt-hour (instead of the previous 25 kopecks).
2) Increase wholesale rates by 30%.
3) Increase the price of electricity supplied for power purposes (motors) by 60 percent, that is, charge 20 kopecks per kilowatt-hour (instead of the previous 13 kopecks)
Water rate.
The Water and Sewer Commission resolved: “Based on the premise that the water system is a public health facility, the Commission considers any increase in water rates to be undesirable, however, taking into account the current sharp rise in the cost of materials and labor, which has caused the water supply system’s net profitability in 1917 to decrease by more than 100,000 rubles compared to 1916, the commission, in order to balance the budget, deems it possible to agree to an increase in the tariff for household connections from 22 kopecks to 25 kopecks per 100 buckets, which applies to the sale of water from water kiosks.”
Sewer fees.
The Water and Sewerage Commission’s conclusions were similar to previous ones—the increase should be negligible.
For the most part, rates went up for factories and plants that discharge industrial waste into the sewer system. For those discharging more than 500 buckets per day, a fee of 15 kopecks per 100 buckets was set. For those discharging only sewage and domestic wastewater, the fee was 30 kopecks.
In conclusion, the city administration noted that the rate increase is temporary and minimal, and does not cover all of the city’s needs. For this reason, the city needs to take out loans…
So, as we can see, the problems were similar: rates were going up, city council meetings were lively and eventful, and it seems that problems with the trams have always plagued our beautiful city.
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