The Daily Worker Newspaper, August 5, 1925, Page 4

vO i ~~ ines. Page Four ) } { THE DAILY WORKER May Try Kluxers for Girl’s Murder Early Next Month NOBLESVILLB, Ind., Aug. 3.—D. C. Etephonson, Earl Klinck and Har! Gentry may go on trial in Hamilton circuit court here carly in Septem- her on charges of slaying Madge Ob- erholtzer, according to well-defined reports. These reports followed private con- ferences held between local members of the defense counsel and Judge Fred The judge was said to have a desire to take a vacation between August 15 and Sept. 1. But thot he would be ready to start the trials carly next month, PENNSYLVANIA RIVER GIVES UP 2 VICTIMS OF UNEMPLOYMENT MONESSEN, Pa,, Aug. 3.—For the past two days the Monongahela river has given up two victims of the unemployment. One of the victims was identified as Stanley Maczyuski of Donora. He has been out of work for a.long time, and the last time he was seen was when he left for Pittsburgh to look for work. The other victim was Jack Me Kay of Duquesne. He also was in the ranks of the unemployed as he was laid off of work at the ‘steel mill there. Write the story about your shop ~-Order a bundle to distribute Farmer-Labor-Party of Oklahoma Makes an Exclusion Act OKLAHOMA CITY #+(FP) — The farmer- labor party of Oklahoma will meet as an organizing convention in Oklafoma City Sept. 6. Only membors renouncing all other parties are cli- gible. “HINDENBURG SLUGGERS EJECT TWO GOMMUNIST DEPUTIES FROM gHAMBER BERLIN, Aug. ‘he Commun- ist deputies Hoel and Jadasch amid utmost éonfuslon were ejected by the police from the Reichstag while) the -remainging, Communist members sang the «International. After several adjournments Herr Loebe ordered the police to eject the Communist members. Hoellein cried, “Hangman, | only to force,” while he and Jadasch were Enslave Filipinos Is Cry SWAMPSCOTT, Mass., August 3.— Congressman Charles L, Underhill, of Massachusetts, in a conference with president Coolidge, has demanded the establishment of a naval and sub marine base ahd the enlargement of] being forced outside. the fortifications of Hawaii. He re- — commended that “we serve notice oa a ‘ E ik the Filipinos that they are withou| Your neighbor would like to {dent to the water rights controve read this issue of “the DAILY WORKER. Be neighborly—give it to him! sells the slightest chance of obtaining frec- dom.” Underhill has just réturned from the far east. Los Angeles--Police Guard Reservoir in Fear Farmers’ Ire CONSERVE COAL MINES AS PROPERTY OF LABOR SAYS BRITISH UNIONIST LONDON, Aug. 3“ a labor meeting yesterday at Renishaw, near Chesterfield, A. J. Cook, secre- tary of the Miner’s Federation, said that the crisis was over for the present, but that the fight was only just beginning. He advised the miners to conserve the whole coal LOS ANGELES, Calif., August 3.— Haiwee reservoir at the head of the Los Angeles aqueduct was guarded by armed men as a result of a fight inc: between the city of Los Angeles and Owens Valley land owners. A detail of Los Angeles policemen was patrolling the rim of the big res- srvoir uuder orders of city officials, industry because he said It was who hal apparently beon informe] going to be theirs. that the valley ranchers were plan- ning another demonstration similar Prepare For Imperialist War WASHINGTON, D. C., August 3.— More than 100 more warships and five ESTAS, 12 RAT more dirigibles is the demand of Capt. Get a bundle for every meet-| J. K. Taussing, in an article in the ing of your trade union local. | Journal of ‘the Naval Institute. to the recent seizure of the aqueduct hoadgates, RUSSIA TODAY (Continued from Y esterday’s Daily Worker ) SYNOPSIS—Following the analysis of Industryeand trade as it is car- ried on in the Soviet Union, appearing in previous installments, the official report of the British Trade Union Delegation to Soviet Russia took up a discussion of transport and agriculture. Finances as they have been developed by the workers’ and peasants’ government have also been taken up. The report, issued by the seven trade union leaders who visited Russia to inform the British workers as to true conditions in the Soviet Union, continues today with a further discussion of agriculture. Yesterday’s in- staliment showed that transport is steadily improving, and the report ahowed that production is continually increasing, and the conditions of the workers improving. ee ty6. fe % t As to the equalization of holdings, the following table shows Fthe results of the Revolution and the policy subsequently fol- flowed of checking the acquisition of small and middle holdings ‘by the kulak or large farmer:— 1905 1922 Small holdings 22.6 per cent 21.4 per cent Middle holdings 61.8" " eat Large holdings ..... 356 Ieee In Bessarabia, on the other hand, the large estates of nobles, holding under Imperial grants, were also broken up at the Revolution. But since then the country has been occupied by Roumania, and large numbers of small and middle holders have been driven by pressure of taxation to sell both their new and old land to the kulaks. The ruin caused by the counter-revolutionary campaigns, which affected the most productive regions, and the restrict of cultivatior Caused by the confiscation of crops under War Communism, brought Russian agriculture to a condition ‘that th eneral famine. By 1920 the area under cultivation fell to 60 Per cent. pre-war and in 1921 to 54 per cent. But Lenin had already been preparing Communist opinion for’ the necessity of a New Economic Policy. He saw that the peasant, no longer threatened with a restoration of a reactionary Gov- ernment that would deprive him of the land itself, would*no longer tolerate a revolutionary Government that deprived*him of the fruits of his land. Restoration of Agriculture The first efforts of the Government were emergency meéas- ures to deal with the catastrophic consequences of civil war and famine—such as distribution of seed corn and potatoes. These measures reached their maximum in 1922. But there is still much to do in restoring the areas devastated. So much, however, has been done, that the Government outlay on agri- cultural restoration is now annually changing its character from that of relief and re-equipment to that of reconstruction by general electrification and technical education. The New Economic Policy was, as explained by Lenin him- self, introduced with a view to putting the relations between the proletariat and peasantry again on a business footing. Requi- Sitions were replaced by a tax on agricultural, produce rated according to taxable capacity and on a basis of ten per cent. of the gross production. And it is to be observed that under Tsar- dom the peasant was taxed, on an average, 30 per cent. of his production. Since the restoration of the currency, 1923-24, this tax is paid in mnoey. In return, the Government not only allows, but aids the peasant to market his produce at the best price and uses its economic control of industry to see that the peasant gets in return for produce a fair value in goods. Thsi is the new eco- nomic contract or “clamp” (smytchka) between proletariat and peasantry. The peasant was, moreover, not only given full disposal of the fruits of his land, but the vague tenure he had held under the Land Nationalization Act is now defiged in a manner cfftirely satisfactory to him. He is allowed to exploit his land as he pleases, to separate his holding from the community, to increase it within limits, and to hold it in perpetuity. He can lease it for not more than six years and hire labor to work it within limits. By these and other provisions of the Land Code, the State is guarded against the re-development of a landlord class, and the peasant is guaranteed all the liberty he wants in tising the land. It will be seen that agriculture is being restored ‘on con- ventional lines, and that the Communists have had to renounce. any rapid realization of their program of equalization of hold- ings and of communal cultivation: It is hoped that co-operation may fill the gap and give such help to the small holder and laborer as will enable them to improve their standing. The money tax, which has replaced the tithe in kind and the original right of confiscation, is moreover proportioned, like an income tax, to the means of the peasant; and holders of less than ten dessiatines are exempt. Area Under Cultivation As a result of this re-orientation there has been an imme- diate revival of agriculture. A comparison of the present total cultivated area with pre- war gives the following results:— Area of U.S.S.R, (Millions of dess,) aoe 2 | 90.7 63.5 70.9 15.5 The decrease by districts in cultivated area as between 1913 . and 1923 and the present rate of increase are shown below:— Thru Gourtesy of the International Pub- lishers Co. we Cultivated area in millions of dessiatins. 1913 » 1923 7 1928 (estimated on present rate ot progress) a 95 8 vi Area under cultivation. Region. North-Eastern .,. North-Western Western ........ Central Industrial .. Oural Central Agricultural. 4, Middle Volga .. . Lower Volga .. North Caucasian , Siberian ... Kirghiz ... Wooded Steppes . Steppes ae PAST HPO aro tote me Sis is Sragearksepe> SHH SOWSwWF Daan a i= eo 12, ray S - This shows a decrease in area of cultivation of nearly 28 million dessiatines since pre-war, and an anticipation that within five years cultivation will again be beyond pre-war in area and extending itself at au annual rate greater than pre- war. Other statistics show the following. increase in cultivated drea since the famine years of 1920 and 1921:-+ © AREA UNDER CULTIVATION 2 (Percentage of 1916) Region— 1922 1923 Consuming 88.4 93.1 10174 Producing . 59.1 76.1 840 South-East 54.8 71.6 TRY. Kirghiz 45.7 45.5 49.9 Siberia 78.8 87.1 95.1 64.6 17.6 1.7 78.1 91.3 Br 70.0 171.8 “85.2 The following table gives the rate of increase since 1920, whieh shows that it is still slow in the surplus régions of the South-East, which used to grow for export. An dfi¢rease of the British demand would increase supply :— ba ie (Percentage of 1920)* vial ) Region— 1921 4982 adie age COMMUNARE. Wiis. (ba Stias oreo es 113° "80928 185 a ee Producing (non-famine provinces). 103 114 18r 131 South-East (non-famine provinces) 104 98 mi 112 Siberia . . 75 53 0 v5 65 R.S.F.S.R. 00: WE: 94 15 109 Ukraine (nqn-famine provinces)... 100 97 ye 102 AB pas 1s io sone tones 9 95. APR 107 Population and Stock The agricultural population of the Federation, which was 10914 millions in 1916, had fallen by a million in 1923. The head of horses had fallen from 31 millions to 19% millions, of which 16 millions were farm horses. In the Southern and Sibe- rian regions the Joss of horses was as much as one-half, a most serious matter. Cattle decreased from 50 million,t6 33 million in 1921, rising again to 38 million in 1923. Pigs,aimilarly fell from 19 millions to 7 millions, rising again to 8 millions. All these decreases are disproportionately heavier in»the regions affected by civil war and the famine. The following figures show a similar result in percentages:— FARM STOCK (Percentage of 1922) US. $.S.R. Famine area Animals— 1923 1924 1923 1924 Horses +. 99.5 110 121 133 Cattle 110 132 145 185 Sheep 105 128 174 233 Pigs . 106 196 229 662 QUANTITY OF FARM STOCK (Percentage of 1916) Animals— 1924 Animals— 1924 Working horses 72 Bullocks. (over two years). 61 Cows 99 Sheep » 83 Oxen .. 69 Pigs (up to one yea 100 Calves (up to one year)... 91 Pigs (over one year) - 58 Bullocks (under two years) 97 { In the famine areas the number of working horses is now 50 per cent. of pre-war, cows 83 per cent., sheep 116 per cent., and pigs 70 per cent. of the pre-war number. | The loss of agricultural machines can only bp roughly esti- mated at about 5V per cent. Moreover, as the life of such ma- chinory is normally only 15 years, much of it is mow used up. The iwvrovement in agriculture has created aygreat demand for agricultura} machinery and implements. The sales of ma- chinery by the Gosselsklad (a machinery-supply organization of the Commissariat of Agriculture) have risen’from 6 to 13 willion roubles. It is through supplying Russi¢ with agricul- tural machinery that British commerce would conferring a ‘great bencfit-on a hundred million Russian workers and creat- ing new markets for over a million. British unemployed. The importance of Russian grain to the popylation of Great Britain lies not only in the immense increase of supply possible with our help, but also in the fact that this grait, controlled by a Socialist State, cannot be included in the operétions of profit- ecrivug rings. { i Mothods of Agriculture } ‘ An investigation by an advisory delegate @ conditions in the villages of the Ukdaine wheat-growing aréa showed that nothing was now wanting but capital to prodwe an immense increase in production. The ruined villages aid towns were again repopulated and reconstructed and the fre-war area of cultivation was being rapidly again brought undf¢r cultivation by pre-war methods, which owing to primitive n lery give a very low percentage of production in Russia fr rate fertility. But the present conditions wou cultivation by modern American methods. of the peasant-owner, that received a distribution of land at the Revolution, is yield! fluences, One such is the Communist educatio in the Red. Armaespectally, and through the 1 THE OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE BRITISH TRADE , UNION DELEGATION TO SOVIET RUSSIA Copyright in the United States by the International Publishers Co, All Rights Reserved. J Copyright by the Trades Union Congress General Council in Great Britain. Shoe Salesman Conduct Campaign NEW YORK, —(FP)— The Retail Shoe Salesmen’s Union is asking a minimum wage of $35 a week, with maximum hours of 52 in negotiations for a new agreement, beginning Sep- tember 1, with the Retail Shoe Deal- ers’ Protective Association. The union’s. strength is largely in the Bronx and on the Hast Side but it is beginning an organization campaign that has for its goal the doubling of its membership and of the stores, now numbering about 300, with which it has agreements. Investigate Metal Deal WASHINGTON, D, C., August 3.— That the United States alien property custodian has returned $6,453,979.97 assets to the American Metal com- pany, a corporation formed in Amer- ica by German metal interests, leaked out here when the department @f justice ordered an investigation, “Who Is Who”’ in the British Delegation’ HERBERT SMITH, J. P.. Nineteen years president ‘Yorkshire Miners’ Fe- deration. President, Miners’ Federa- tion of Great Britain since 1921, Vice. president, 1907. Served on , several “cells” and “centres.” And this education in the advantages of |'val commissions. President, Inter. collective production has less to contend with in Russian peas- unt life, which still retains much of its medieval communal char- ucter. Another powerful influence is force of circumstances. national Miners’ Committee. Member of school board, West Riding (Yorks). county council and other public ‘bodies for many years. Member, parliament- The new Communities now starting in the ruined districts with-| ary committee, trades union congress, out other resources than their own labor, fertile land, and a few 1913-16, and general council, 1923-24, primitive tools, can only exist on a Communal basis. One such | Appointed J. P. in 1915, Member, cen- Community with a common table and all property in common | tra) corimittee, miners’ welfare and was visited in Russian Moldavia, one of the worst ruined areas. | central committee, mining examining These people were struggling to get a bare living with the help | board. of a camel and a cow out of some of the richest land in Europe. Some of these were educated people, and the only thing wanted ese BEN TILLETT, general secretary to make the Community not only prosperous but producing for] of trade unions since 1889. Founder export was a little capital or credit to get a tractor. Tractors of Dockers’ Union which originated from the Tea Coopers and General Laborers’ Union established in 1887, A pioneer of trade union movement The tractor is itself an instrument for creating such meth- | nationally. Contested several parlia- ods of co-operative and communal farming as must be adopted; mentary elections. Elected for North if outside capital is to be obtained and used to the best advan- Remained dockers’ general secretary until amalgamation to Transport and tage. Thus villages join together in special co-operatives to buy| General Workers’ Union, Now secret- © tractor, and they then organize communal tillage to get the} ary of Political and International De- best. use of it. One described the results somewhat thus: ‘“‘We| partment of Amalgamated Union. sent Peter, Paul, and Andrew to the tractor-drivers’ class at | Member of trades union congress gen- Odessa Jast winter, and this summer we got a tractor. Now, Peter sits on it and ‘b-r-r-r’ all the morning—four hours out and | Parliamentary eral council since 1922. Member of committee, trades four hours back—Paul sits on it and ‘b-r-r-r’ all the afternoon— | "0 congress, 1892-04. four hours out and four hours back—and Andrew sits on it and ‘b-r-r-1’ all night.” That is three furrows in the 24 hours, eight miles long each. se 8 JOHN TURNER,. associated with socialist organizations since 1884, In- timate with founders and leaders of Six thousand American tractors are to be delivered, mostly | socialist thought, such as William at Odessa, this winter; and 3,000 drivers will have been trained | Morris, Belfort Bax, and other pio- by this spring. The tractors plow at a rate of five roubles per] neers. Closely associated with prince dessiatine, whereas horse-plowing costs 80 roubles. The trac- Kropotkin from 1886 until his return tor-plowed land yields on an average 15 poods per dessiatine|'® Russia in 1917. A pioneer of shop more. What Russia wants is tractors on as long credit as pos- sible; and they would be a most profitable investment for coun- tries with a surplus of capital and a deficit of food supply, The Russian Government is doing what it can. Schemes for improving breeds, dry farming, drainage works, and irriga- tion are under way. The estimates for the current year assign to the financing of agriculture 62 million gold roubles, of which 35 millions go to raise the capital of the agricultural bank to 90 millions. Add to this 48 millions spent in relief and you find that most of the proceeds of the agricultural tax are being rein- vested in agriculture. The “Scissors and the “Clamp” The New Economic Policy substituted a new business rela- tionship of free and friendly bargaining for the War Communist Policy of conscripting peasant labor and confiscating most of its produce. The peasant could again sell his produce and buy town products. He paid taxes and got in return the advantage of a good government. But this new contract or “clamp” (smytchka) between the proletariat and peasantry was hardly in working order before it was almost broken by an economic strain. This was the so-called “scissors” «risis, a symbol sug- gested by the ascending curve of rising prices in manufactures and the descending curve of falling prices in agricultural produce as shown in the diagram. These simple technical symbols— “scissors,” “clamp,” etc.—are very illustrative of the success of the Russian leaders in giving public opinion a grasp of the eco- nomic essentials underlying political problems. Under a party system the conflicting interests of peasants and proletarians would have been exploited and exaggerated in platform slogans. The speeches on it of Rykov and Kameney ere popular lectures on economics, The “ Scissors ” Crisis B || feo) | |z}9l2|5| No PTT Irolealso) pm x} x fxr fear] Ja [ae fa |r fo fo | x | far |] Nors.—The pre-war par value is adjusted for purpose of comparison. The political importance of the scissors problem was that as the “scissors” opened they forced apart the “clamp.” The peasants could not pay for their necessities of life, so began again to stop producing. The State, therefore, exercised its economic control of prices and its subsidies to the co-operatives so as to reduce prices of manufactures and raise prices of agri- cultural produce. The burden involved for the Budget is shown thereunder, As appears from the diagram the “scissors” have now been closed. Indeed the authorities had soon to reverse engines, so to say, in order to check the momentum acquired, Crops in 1924. (a) Flax.—The flax harvest for 1924 was good, being 71, million poods as against 54 million last year. “y a nar ‘ y hours legislation and founder of Shop Assistants’ Union. Official of ‘this union from 1898 until retirement as general secretary after twelve years in this position until 1924. Electéd to general council, trades union congress, 1921; re-elected by congress each year to 1924 for period to September, 1925. e #6 JOHN BROMLEY, M. P. A pioneer of railway trade unionism and held many positions of trust prior to ap- pointment as branch secretary of As- sociated Society of Locomotive Engin- eers and Fireman, 1904. Elected or- ganizing secretary of the union, 1910, Secretary also of conciliation boards. Elected general secretary of the union, 1914, Elected member of labor party executive, 1920 and 1921. Elected member of trades union congress gen- eral council, 1922-24. Member of la- bor party delegation to Ireland. Three times candidate for Barrow, elected 1924, Prominently associated with la- \bor and socialist propaganda for many years. see ALAN A. H. FINDLAY, member of United Patternmakers’ Association since 1893. Branch secretary and other offices. Elected assistant gen- eral secretary, executive department, 1913. Elected general secretary, 1917, Formerly treasurer, Engineering and Shipbuilding Trades Federation for three years, subsequently appointed president, at present occupying this position. Elected to trades union con- gress general council, 1921, re-elected each year until 1924, for term ending September, 1925, ae A. A. PURCELL (chairman of dele- gation). Member, Furnishing Trades Union since 1891. Member, social-de- mocratic federation many years. Mem- ber, Salford Borough Council for six years.” Sectional secretary, subse- quently organizer, furnishing trades. Parliamentary candidate, West Sal- ford, 1910. Contested Coventry, 1923- 24, Elected 1923, Successful arbitra- tor in co-operative and other disputes. Elected to general council, trades union congress, 1919, re-elected each year. Elected by trade union interna- tional conference, Vienna, 1924, as president. President at 1924 trades union congress. Vice-Chairman, gen- eral council. Appointed delegate to American labor convention, 1 Ac companied the delegation to Russia in 3920. FRED BRAMLEY (secretary to de legation), Many years actively asso- ciated with political and industrial branches of the labor movement, Sev- eral years full time lecturer on social and economic subject in connection with “Clarion” newspaper. Formerly organinzing secretary, Furnishing Trades Association. Appointed ste ant secretary, trades union congress, 1917; general secretary, 1923. Served on several government committees, Member of royal commission on na- tional health insurance and national debt commission, oa wees