RUSSIAN CONDITIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 31, 6 February 1932, Page 8

RUSSIAN CONDITIONS

"I lived and worked for twelve months in the Soviet Union,: arid I suggest it-ia not possible to .give a fairer impression of this much maligned country than' by contrasting Mr. LaidlaVs statements with actual living conditions as I found! them (writes Nellie Scott). , He speaks', for instance, of 'astounding food!' prices,' but quite forgets to mention a most important point—to wit —that all the' workers buy their food, not in the 'free' shops .Mr. Laidlaw observed but in the factory and open co-operatives where food, is.cheap, md plentiful. Workers may, if .they, wish, dine in the factory, where they have comfortable dining rooms, and receive a three-course meal for from 30 to 36 kopecks (approximately 7%d to 9d). I have many times enjoyed such meals. I often . bought sweets, fruit, and biscuits at a factory buffet and did not pay anything like an exorbitant price such as Mr. Laidlaw. quotes.

"How can Mr. Laidlaw know that [|crirae and dirt are still popular'? He is speaking at random. Here again he conveniently forgets to mention the heritage of dirt, ignorance; and poverty left by the Tsar's regime and ignores the valiant and successful campaign of the Russian masses, led by the Communist Party to dispel ignorance,, destroy poverty and dirt and therefore crime. ... It is true that the.trams are overcrowded, but for a very good reason. The pre-revolu-tionary tram service did not cater for the working people, who never had the chance to ride to and from work.) Now air workers can and do use the trams for' a universal fare of 10 kopecks (2d) and the service, falls short of the demand.; However, here, as elsewhere, there arc gigantic^and successful;efforts being made to overcome the difficulty. ...If. : we are to I,believe Sir. Laidlaw wo would think the Russian people unintelligent and that they were-just swallowing propaganda, iv his own words. He has not seen as I have meetings where matters of vital importance are discussed not for but by the workers. He has not heard them discussing Stalin's speech and adding their own proposals. He has not heard of the many thousands of inventions—over 30,000 —by workers at the bench which have been put into operation with a consequent saving of millions of roubles. All these facts and many others that I could mention show clearly and prove to me that the Russian workers, like all -other workers, and if given the chance to develop are capable of great things.' '