The Daily Worker Newspaper, August 19, 1925, Page 4

RUSSIA TODAY Page Four oe aieiessoensiiihiiiiehieremenenanenmgemne CHILD TELLS OF BEAN FIELD WORK || ne i catered aie Meade eae aon his back about 110 pounds of beans dren work with tneir parents. in He just about could walk. Toward | American bean fields is told by an| in» ond of the season the weather got Italian girl now 17 in The American very cold, but everybody had to pick Child, organ of the National Child} .)) day long for about 30 or 40 cents,” | Labor Committee. “Ever since I can | ellis ai remember I have spent every sum-| Cholera in Shanghal. mer in the bean ftelds,” she begins.) si ANGHAI, August 17.—More than She says, her mother used to carry | 1,000 Chinese have been stricken in her around in her apron. “It washard| 4, epidemic of cholera which is for the chlidren because many morn | spreading rapidly, There is an aver-| ings they had to go to work with-|,5. of 50 new cases daily and the out any breakfsat because they} geath rate at present is 12 per cent couldn't get any milk... At the be-| 4° the total ill. So far there have ginning of the season we begin our) heen no cases among foreigners day’s picking about 7 o’elock in the morning to seven at night. But dur- ing the middle of the season we had to work about 16 Hours, from 4:30 in the morning . . .. One of the hardest things was to carry the bag of beans | of 20 million dollars for the repatria- to be weighed. I remember Of a little | tion of Canadians now in the United boy about 13 years old carrying on | States. Repatriation of Canadians. | QUEBEC, August 17.—The Quebec | legislative sembly will shortly con- | sider a bill calling for a federal grant TO THE CHINESE |in their reply to China’s demand for ties—a thing of doing. intention “i ; \ Or customs, the, mi imperial- ¥ ists will do is to diiow to raise the duty on salt and at only as a support of the Chinese government. Chinese bitterly tesent a saying IMPERIALISTS 10 REJECT AUTONOMY that giving China ont je) duty on. salt is like allowing a ving man to take the salt which is sprinkled on food, but not to eat the food, Students Riot Against Peking Appointee News from Nanking reports a riot at the National Southeastern univers- ity, the chief government institution in BENING, | Ohiniey “August: 173700 China, when the new president named reported from Tokio that the imper-}1,y the Peking government but heart- ‘|ialist powers are in accord in refusing| jly hated by the students, tried to take to grant China’s demand for selfde-|0ver the management, When the termination, and are going to assert] Students protested, the, alice which accompanied the new Gintee at (acked them. Angered py. this, stu- dents smashed furnityra,and win- dows. The new president, will find it hard to carry out his orders to open the institution when the School term starts, bake autonomy that China’s loans (which have been forced upon her by the im- perialist powers) must first be paid— and, of course this is impossible ex- cept that the foreign powers give up their “right” to collect customs du- 2196 (Continued from Y esterday’s Daily Worker) The poorer classes of dwelling formerly occupied ly the workers was deserted, and consequently fell into a hopeless State of disrepair. Owing to the lack of any ordered system of administration and responsibility for upkeep, many of the stone buildings taken over by the workers themselves depreciated to Such an extent that they were rendered practically uninhabit- able. By 1920-1921 the position had reached a crisis. Over 25 per cent. of the housing accommodation in Moscow and le- trograd was found already to have become uninhabitable and derelict. Owing to the fuel crisis during the winter the empty {wooden houses were pulled down and used for fuel, and in Many cases the window frames and doors of the abandoned }stone buildings were removed for the same purpose. ' In 1920 the population of Moscow had fallen from 2,000,000 |fin 1917 to a little over a millon people. From that date, how- ever, owing to the depression in the agricultural districts, and the commencement of reconstruction in the industrial areas, a great influx of population into the cities took place and has steadily continued. By the end of 1923 the population of Mos- ° cow increased to over 1,500,000, and in other industrial centers had almost doubled itself. Nationalization Under the banner of Communism, during the first years following the Revolution, the houses were claimed by the ten- ants as communal property. This doctrine had already spread into the factories, which the workers, with the support of their Trade Unions, were also claiming as their own. The position threatened to become chaotic until, under pressure from the Communist Party itself, the Fourth Trade Union Congress, _ which met in 1921, was forced to abandon its attitude, and by Government decree all real property became vested in the State. At this ‘time Lenin’s New Economic Policy was first put forward; it Was, however, nearly a year before it became opera- tive throughout the whole system. Under this scheme; which embraced all economic branches in the State and permitted a measure of private ownership and trading, all small houses of a capital value up to Rs. 10,000 (£1,000) were returned, where possible, to their former owners. Private traders, known as Nepmen, were encouraged to rent or purchase from the State on a leasehold basis, larger buildings which were in need of repair; these they undertook to place in a certain standard state and to be responsible for their upkeep during their ten- ancy. House Committees Under the old Communist policy housing associations and committees elected from among the tenants had been set up for the purpose of administrating the buildings in which they lived. With the New Economic Policy these committees were made to conform to certain State regulations, and regional Government inspectors were appointed from each district. In the larger buildings which were occupied by the Nep- men, or had been purchased under the new scheme, it was soon found that these housing committees were apt to take all possi- sible measures to exclude the workers from their premises. In many cases rents and other conditions were imposed which made it impossible for the worker to become a sub-tenant. In 1922, therefore, the Government issued a decree which handed over 10 per cent. of the total floor space of each building to the Town Soviet. District inspectors then allocated this 10 per cent. among the industrial workers. The attitude of the committees of buildings inhabited by a majority of Nepmen and associates, however, still remained adamant. As a result of this the Govrenment took serious measures, and these com- mittees were forced to accept the workers on a level footing and to admit them to executive positions on all housing com- mittees. Rent Regulation Early in 1924 further legislation was found necessary to fix the tenants’ rent on a sliding scale, These rents are now calculated on the square sajen (7 ft.) of floor space occupied by the tenant, and range from ten kopecks to five roubles a month, according to the wage or income of the occupant, that is, in accordance with the category into which he falls, Each tenant is allowed from 16 to 20 square arschines (one arschine equals 28 in.); extra accommodation may be acquired, if avail- able, at three times the regulation rent. Rents are paid to the house committee, which is responsible for the allotment of floor space, the general upkeep of the buildings (including external and internal repairs), cleanliness, lighting, heating (where central heating exists), order\in the building, and the upkeep of the pavement in front of the house. Much depends on the composition of these committees, and often very different results are found in adjacent houses occu- pied by the same class of workers. Extra floor space is allotted to doctors and certain profes- sional men, a doctor being allowed an extra room in which to receive his patients. Housing Regulations A visitor to Moscow who fs able to pay the prices asked in the State controlled hotels can find accommodation; he will otherwise have to apply to the Town Soviet, which will hand him over to a divisional inspector, who will allot him quarters. He will then have to pay according to the category of workers, or otherwise, in his calling places him. He can feed in a@ co-operative di room, but if he is not a member of a Trade Union he will charged as much as 80 per-cent. more than the tariff alld to industrial workers; he will also be liable to be moved ognized worker or THE DALY WORKER ms: INCREASE OF UNEMPLOYED LABOR — IN PROPORTION TO EMPLOYED IS . SHOWN TO BE STEADILY GROWING By LELAND OLDS (Federated Press Industrial Editor) Stabilized unemployment is the new policy of the corporations as revealed in the monthly employment\reports of the U. S. department of labor. The figures for the first six months of 1925 show that the violent job slump of May and June, 1924, has been avoided only by maintaining a lowered average in the previous months of the year. , Factory employment, according to the report, decreased 1.1 per cent in June compared with May; the total paid in wages decreased 3.1 per cent and average per capita earnings 2.1 Per cent. These are the most marked | june, 1924, while total payrolls are up decreases shown in any month since A July, 1924, and are due chiefly to cur- [£9 per cent and per. capita earings tallment in the automobile, boot and |%8 Per cent, Some extraordinary shoe, cotton goods, and iron and steel | 82ins are registered by individual in- industries. dustries. These include 31 per cent in agricultural implements, 30- per cent Special Fletds Gain * Jin automobile tires, 23 per cent in au- But employment in June shows an | {omobiles, 16 per cent in silk goods, increase of 4.9 per cent compared with | 13 per cent in carpets, 12 per cent in Thru Courtesy of the International Pub- lishers Co. ea Results As may be imagined, the result of these housing arrange- ments in large cities is having a marked effect on thé social and family life of a large section of the community. The majority of the workers have undoubtedly obtained better housing facilities. Pride of public ownership is quite re- markable, but only among the more educated and the higher grades of worker does it appear to have been extended into the homes. Cleanliness and order in public places are slogans of the day, but very little attention appears to have been yet paid to fresh air and ventilation. , Family Life In the majority of cases the worker on returning from work leaves, as soon as he has finished his meal, for his club, his technical studies, or a meeting. The worker’s wife and chil- dren, over a certain age, who are not eligible for membership, are allowed to participate in the social side of the club.» In this manner he is encouraged to take them with him. There is, ~ however, very little family life. Housing arrangements, which have certainly improved the hygiene and social position of a large section of the workers, and given them greater opportunities for collective; organiza- tion, have probably been a great factor in accomplishing one of the principal aims of the Revolution, that is, the breaking up of, middle-class society. The professional classes, administra- tors, and employes are now forced to live in one room, or at the, most two rooms. Social intercourse among families has therefore become impracticable. The Russian institution of the family tea party and gathering is now almost extinct. Both men and women are, in the majority of casés, employ, d during the day, and have no particular desire after the day’spwork for social functions of a private character, even if they are afford such luxuries. Feasting and gaiety can und edly be obtained at a price, but are now confined the few, and to Tare occasions. : Housing Scheme The present housing crisis is, however, only’ temporary, and its duration depends on the possibilities of thé ‘complete realization of the new State housing scheme, the fulfillment of which will greatly benefit all classes of the population. The scheme embraces the construction of garden cities outside the towns and industrial areas, but connected by a system of electrical railways or tramways. Many of these little cities have already been built outside the larger towns. The houses are detached or semi-detached and each stands’on ‘about one-eighth to one-quarter of an acre of ground. The foadways or streets are of great breadth and each plot is self-¢dntained. The plans of the cities and the houses are usually the outcome of competitions at the local factory art schools and all include a large co-operative store, school and club. The houses themselves are built on ihe latest recognized housing plans, with high rooms, up-to-date sanitary appliances, and labor-gaving devices. They vary in size, but usually consist of four rooms, a kitchen, bathroom, and outhouses. A single house is costing the Government about £800 inclusive of drain- age, land and roading, and a double or semi-detached house costs £1,200, As. these garden cities become inhabited the flats in the towns are correspondingly evacuated, giving greater accommo- dation to the brain worker. In Leningrad there appears to be no shortage of houses. It is the only town in Russia where a whole flat is’ obtainable for one family. In other towns at present families are con- fined to two or three rooms at the outside. Prisons oH w The whole system of prison administration and the treat- ment of non-political prisoners in Soviet Russia is hased on the latest theories of criminal psychology. The humanizing of prison life is a striking feature of Russian administration. The ordinary criminal is detained in prison not for the-purpose of punishment, but with the view to educating him to become a useful citizen and worker. i This is perhaps one of the most remarkableyphanges in Russia, and is apparently working with the most ffecient re- sults. The atmosphere of a Russian prison is now’ more that of a workshop of free workers than that of a ho of deten- tion or a jail. i Large workshops have been installed wherever space is available, and in the older kind of prisons the largé broad cor- ridors leading to the cells have been utilized for this’ purpose. Each prison is self-supporting as regards general require- ments. A large kitchen, staffed by prisoners, prepares the food for the establishment. An up-to-date steam laundry works at full pressure, doing the prison washing, the washing for rail- - ways, Government offices and institutions, such as co-opera- tives and hospitals. .\ll the prison furniture, clothes, boots, and other requirements are manufactured on the premises, and out- side orders for Government departments, etc., are fulfilled when possible, : eae A prisoner on entering the prison is placed topwork at his own trade. In the event of his hot having learned one, he is allowed to choose*to which trade he will become apprenticed. He then commences work at Trade Union hours*and wages. The wages are paid to him monthly in the form°of a check which his family or relations can discount for cash, or which he himself can’ discount for goods at the n'a! store. In pega of a prisoner refusing to work at a Pade L Ae Ho | | THE: OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE BRITISH TRADE | ‘UNION DELEGATION TO SOVIET RUSSIA Copyright in the United States by the International Publishers Go, All Rights Reserved. Copyright by the Trades Union Congress General Council in Great Britain, —$$<——$— is drafted into one of the workshops and left alone to idle. In all cases, however, he invariably commences work after a few days’ idleness in order to obtain pay and privileges received by his comrades. The prison fare consists of tea and bread in the morning, a midday meal with as much soup as a prisoner cares for, with a ration of 14lb. of meat or fish, which varies from day to day. ‘In the evening tea and bread is again served out. The cells are open all day, and in most ca$es consist of a dormitory of some ten or a dozen beds, which are drawn up against the wall during the daytime. These beds consist of an iron framework across which is stretched thick canvas or sailcloth. A pillow and blankets are supplied, and the pris- oners are allowed to supplement their own bedding. Each pris- oner is supplied with a small table, and pegs on which to hang his clothes. At the end of each corridor, or set of cells, is a common lavatory and washing-room. The beds may be let down during the daytime if a prisoner desires to rest when off duty. In some cases meals are served in a common dining-room, in others prisoners select from their midst squads to fetch the food from the kitchen. These squads are responsible for clean- liness and the washing of utensils and the cells. At night all cells are locked, and warders patro] the cor- ridors. * The system, of course, varies slightly in different prisons according to the accommodation and arrangement of the build- ing. The most systematic measures are taken to eliminate all signs of the old prison system. There. is no prisoners’ guard, and the prisoners wear their own clothes, They are not num- bered, but are known by their names..; The most startling feat- ure, however, in these establishments, is the arrangements for guards and warders. volvers, swords and whips, are never seen within the precincts of the prison. In fact a uniformed official is seldom observed. Such soldiers and militia men who patrol the interior of the prison from time to time have the appearance of being un- armed, althoiigh in reality they carry. a Mauser under their coats. The warders themselves are all skilled workers and in- structors in the trade at which their, gangs are working. In every section, of 15 working prisoners, is one warder who him- self works with the gang either as foreman or instructor. All are dressed in civilian clothes, and to the visitor it is difficult to distinguish a warder from a prisoner. It is indeed a remarkable sight to’witness a large carpen- ter’s shop of over 100 prisoners working with ordinary imple- ments, such as hammers, chisels, and saws, with only two, ap- parently unarmied, militia men strolling among them and six working warders, These prisoners consisted of burglars, ban- dits, and men convicted of robbery with violence. Formerly armed warders stood at every corner and at the end of each corridor. A special guard was stationed in an iron cage, with direct communication with the guard-room, to guard him from attack. There is no segregation of the sexes during working hours. Men and women work together, and in one tailoring shop visit- ed by the Delegation a man and woman, who happened to be husband and wife, were seen working at the same machine. Each prison has its own co-operative shop run by the pris- oners themselves. The shop is stocked according to the re- quirements of the prisoners, and goods are supplied at cost price. Clothes, boots, and such commodities as can be manu- factured in the prison workshops are supplied to the store from the prison. : 2 Political prisoners come under a special category. They do not follow a trade, neither do they earn a wage. Those serv- ing long term sentences are allowed separate. cells which are reasonably furnished, and there is no restriction to the amount of literature they may receive; it has, however, to pass through the censor, as does all the correspondence they receive or send out. Except in cases where solitary confinement is incorporat- ed in the sentence, they are allowed free intercourse with eacn other at certain specified hours. Although their accommoda- tion in most cases is of a higher standard, their lot, generally speaking, is more severe than that of the ordinary criminal. Political prisoners are looked upon as being incarcerated as a danger to the public safety, whereas the ordinary civilian crim- inal is looked upon as a delinquent who, by education and hu- mane treatment, can eventually be guided into the paths of useful citizenship. Political prisoners in the Caucasus seem to be worse treated than in Russia; their conditions leave much to be desired and, it is stated, differ very little from those which were in vogue under Tsarist Russia. - In none of the prisons do the churches function, and there is no religious service of any kind. In some cases the church is utilized as a store, a co-operative, or a prisoner’s meeting house where the prisoners are allowed to elect their own work- shop committee for the purpose of organizing their work, and. the co-operative stores. General Conclusions The conclusions reached by the Delegation in respect of public health, housing, and the prison system, were that the Soviet Government was achieving most. remarkable results, Al- though Russia in these matters was, before the Revolution, per- haps the most backward of European communities, yet it has in many respects already been brought up to the level of Buro- pean standards; at the present rate of progress it may be ex- pected before long to set an example that, if it is to be followed, will require a fairly radical reorganization in States that are at presont leading Burope in these matters, (To, be.cantinued in next issue.) , TR Weapons of defense, such as rifles, re-| per cent eacr in the rubber boot and shoe, hosiery, and fertilizer industries. Spectacular gains in total wage pay- ments compared with June, 1924, in- ‘clude 89.5 per cent in automobiles, 85 per cent in ‘agricultural implements, 32 per cent in automobile tires, 30 per cent in carpets, 19 per cent in hosiery, 18.5 per cent in silk goods, 16 per cent in iron and steel, and 12.5 per cent in the cotton goods industry. Bankers Control Production Those gains do not reflect increased prosperity for the wage earner. They are balanced by material losses in the early months of 1925. Bankers inter- vened and prevented the wild excess of production early in the year which characterized 1924. Thus the depart- nient’s employment and payroll in- dexes show the total distributed in wages the first six months of 1925 as just about equal to the snme period of 1924 while employment this year has averaged 2.5 per cent betow the first half of 1924. : Using average employment through- out 1923 as the standard, employment in each of the first 6 months of 19238, 1924 and 1925 shows the following percentages: Employment 1923 1924 1925 . Pot: Bes. Jan, 95.4 90.0 Feb. 96.6 91.6 March 96.4 92.3 April .. 3 94.6 92.1 May $ 90.8 90.9 June .. 87.9 90.1 Av. Pet. of 1923 .. . 93.6., 91.2 The general level of employment in 1925 is about 8 per cent under 1923. It is more than 20 per cent under the average of the firs: 6 months of 1920. It is, in fact, 3 per cent below the averege of the first half of 1915, al- though since that time the country’s population has increased 15,000,000, of which the 10,000,000 over the age of 15 would be available for productive empioyment. There has been cither a big increase in the margin of vnemployed workers or an extrnoidinary diversion of pro- ductive labor into anproductive call- ings, probably both. HEARTY WELCOME TO GREET US.S.R, AIRMEN IN CHINA Over 250 Organizations Will Be Represented PEKING—(By Mail)—Four Soviet airplanes, of the Moscow-Peking aerial expedition, are expected to reach here. They will land at Nanyuan, on he erodrome of the Aviation School. The Chinese government has taken a number of measures to extend a courteous welcome to the aviators. H. BE, General Chang Hao, chief of the department of aviation, has personally supervised all the necessary prepara- tory steps. Mr. Shen Tsu-wei (the son of the minister of foreign affairs, shen Jui-lin) was appointed as “liason” of- ficer to keep im- touch with the em- bassy of the U. S. S. R. here, The department of aviation has wired to General He Sui to come to Peking and appoint 40 men to meet the Soviet flyers. All the ministers and other departments and institu- tions concerned have also named rep- communications sent Messrs; Chang — resentatives, while the ministry of~ } Yu and Wang Shi-tzu, as its represen- tatives, to meet the Soviet aviators at Kalgan. A public committee for orgknizing the reception of the Soviet flyer has been formed, representing oyer two hundred and fifty public and social bodies and special organizations. Among the institutions and societies represented upon this committee are: the Peking Chamber of Commerce; the Peking Education League, the All- Peking Teachers’ Union; the All-Pek- ing League of Reform of Public Bdu- tion’ the Peasant Union of the Salva- tion of the Mother Land; the Peking Labor Union; the Peasant Relief As- sociation; the Society of Women's Professional Education; the National University; the All-Chinese Students’ Union; the Society of Anti-Imperial- istic Struggle; and numerous other organizations, LaFollette’s State Machine Smashed by Old Guard « of G. O. P. OSHKOSH, Wis., August 17.—The fight to restore Wisconsin in the G) O. P. ranks will be led by Roy P. Wilcox, former state senator and can: didate for governor in 1918, Wilcox was named as the “regular” republican candidate for United States senator on the fourth ballot of the convention held yesterday to sele man to oppose Robert M. LaFolletté, Jr, in the special fall election to fill the seat held by the late senator La Follette. Dean H. L. Russell, of the university of Wisconsin College of Agriculture, who led on the first two ballots, with- drew. “a : Wilcox in accepting the nomination urged the support of Wisconsin ré& publicans for president Cooljdge and the federal administration and de clared his purpose to fight to put re publicans back “on its pedestal in Wisconsin.” — : “Build the DAILY WORKER: with subs cy ’ f - ro