QUEUES CONTINUE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 136, 6 December 1938, Page 17

QUEUES CONTINUE

RUSSIAN SHORTAGES

THE TEXTILE BREAKDOWN

Official data on textile production, just published, help to explain why the average Soviet citizen is so inadequately dressed, although much better than three or tour years ago, said a message i'roro -Moscow to the "New York Times" on October 10. The figures also explain why long lines of wouldbe purchasers, standing patiently for hours, are still a conspicuous feature of Moscow life.

According to a statement by Mr. 1. E. Lubimov, Commissar of Internal Trade of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic, the largest unit in the Soviet Union, the textile industry is short 200,000,000 metres of cloth for the first half of this year, and the mills are still falling far behind their schedules.

He adds that a large proportion of the textiles produced is of bad quality, containing streaks, rips, and tears, or it fades or ravels after brief use. One State trade organisation in a large district of Moscow had to scrap as unusable 3100 metres of 6900 metres of cotton cloth received from one textile factory during August.

Such instances are not exceptional, Mr. Lubimov said, and he indicated legal action would be taken against textile executives responsible for putting out unusable goods.

His findings accord with an expose published last week in the organ of the Commissariat of Light Industry, in which it was asserted the textile programme was behind 364,000 metres of standard quality cloth for the first four months^ of this year.

STATE PLAN IGNORED

It was charged in that expose also that the Government's plan for a higher quality and greater variety of textiles had been ignored. It was said confusion in distribution had added needlessly to the shortage and that shortages in textiles and other most important necessaries among consumer goods were becoming chronic despite steady driving by the Government to put goods into the hands of the people.

Shoes and stockings along with dress goods and ready-made clothing of most sorts are now extremely difficult to buy even in Moscow. Soviet apologists partly explain the shortages on the grounds that there is now a much greater demand owing to a higher cultural level of the masses of the people. Rising wages, which have given the people more money to spend, are also cited. There is undoubtedly much validity in that view.

It is also asserted that, now that the harvest is coming in, goods are being diverted to villages. But in attacks by executives on the situation responsibility is being put squarely up to the textile industry.

A visit to Mostorg, the leading Government Department store in the centre of Moscow,' gives a visual demonstration of the shortage against which the people are murmuring and the authorities are thundering. No textiles except some embroidery and linen are to be found there after early morning hours.

MANY EMPTX SHELVES.

'Jliere are yards and yards of vacant counters and shelves. Good-natured clerks stand or sit idle or chat with loitering shoppers. The shoe department has only a few stray pairs. There was a supply of women's felt boots, however, which a line of customers was snapping up against the fast-ap-proaching cold weather. Counters in the women's stocking department were bare. Hangers stood completely denuded in the women's ready-made clothing departments. There was an assortment of men's ready-made clothing, however, with, the customers, many obviously- from villages, standing five deep in front of the counter.

So great is the demand for all these staples that would-be purchasers go from one section of town to another when word spreads by grapevine that dress goods, shoes,- or stockings will be received by some particular store.

Passing through Moscow streets late at night one constantly encounters lines forming in front of shoe and textile stores, even as early as midnight, the customers hoping to buy something when the stores open.

Meanwhile there appear to be good supplies of less-urgently required goods. For instance, in Mostorg there are large stocks of men's neckties —hardly Fifth Avenue style, it is true, but nevertheless neckties —toys, dolls. costume jewellery of metal or semi-precious stones, and many sorts of notions and knick-knacks.

A brisk business was being done in big, gaudy, tasselled, rayon lampshades, which Muscovites love to suspend over their dining tables.