RUSSIA TO-DAY

Hokitika Guardian, 23 April 1921, Page 4

RUSSIA TO-DAY

WOKKEBS’ PLIGHT.

(By “Australian” in a Sydney Paper) j It may be well to make a few remarks \ as I have been in Russia. It is a j fact, that most of the buildings which j t were used for educational purposes tin- ; ( der the Czar’S regime are at present | : the headquarters for spy organisations > ' like “Cheka.” “Cheka,” as it is called | in Russian, may be translated into j (English as an extraordinary commission for dealing with counter-revolu- j j tionists and speculators. This is probably the largest spy organisation that has ever existed on the face of this ; earth. It has be eta said that it was ; j created to help the Bolsheviks to c-on- : solidate their power; but it has row • grown so powerful that it is the leal go- j ■ verning body, and dictates to the Pol- ; shevik leaders. It is not without some justification that one writer remarked that the Bolsheviks are spending h’-'ge sums in providing military waten dogs for workers. The main question in Russia to-day is not one of education, but bow to exist. Practically the only topic, of conVm sa- . tion among the workers is how to ob- : tain a few extra pounds of bread of a pair of boots. Tire net result of the revolutionary turmoil has been to reduce the population to two classes - capitalists and speculators. The rations issued by the Government are not sufficient for an average man to exist on; therefore a workman cannot live on his [ earnings, and he is forced into one or other of the above classes. By capitalists I mean a person who has his rwn wheat supply, or the worker who has been wise enough to hide away a few shirts, some old clothing, and perhaps and extra pair of boots. This constitutes real capital in Russia to-day. I have walked about a Russian town with a million roubles in my pocket, and have been desperately hungry. Money is of no value; it is only so much paper. However, my wife had hidden away some old clothing, rags I would have called them under ordinary conditions, and a few pounds of home-made soap. But here was real capital, and front time to time I exchanged these old socks and shirts for flour or a niece of pork. When we sat down to a meal of tea, a couple of pounds of bln K bread, and some pork simp, we were greatly envied by the family who lived in the neighbouring room, and we were looked on as bloated capitalists That soap was more precious than gold. Many a time have I gone out with piece of soap about the size of a box of safety matches in my pocket mid i came home with a. fowl under mv shirt, and returned for a large pumpkin. - What luxury ! In tho house in which we lived was a family in each room, and we were the envy of the whole community. But latterly this was not possible. as the Government took a fowl census, and everybody had to account for his chickens. The worker in lU'ssia and Siberia to-day is living on his capital. Long ago his sowing machine j went to the farmer for bread; and one |bv one his household articles are heng J exchanged for that necessary commcd- | ity. | But perhaps the workers may be speculators. By spoculatt rs 1 meat) those folk with a trading disposition that act as 'middle-men between the town folk and the farmers, and arrange exchanges of goods for flour for a small commission, and thereby eke out then scanty Warnings. This, of course, is done more or less stealthily. These ate the two great classes in the Soviet liepublic to-day. No one unless he >s a member of the “Cheka,'’ is able to !>ve on his earnings and it is a moot poult whether lie earns, or steals his income. When “Cheka” takes anything from the public it is called confiscation. The great majority of the workers in Russia arc hungry, and desperately hungry; hut the Russian is a stolid in- ' dividual, and it is wonderful on what a. j small amount he can exist and what he j will put up with. He .simply shrugs his shoulders and answers, “It is nothing.” While working for a Bolshevik Government- I received a salary of ;-,()()() roubles per month. This was much more than the average workman teeeived and in our money it is equivalent to about 1/- per month. At this time a part of boots cost 50,000 roubles.. Never was the Russia;! workman more

exploited than he is to-day. The B°lslievik leaders may circulate declarations about compulsory education, but it is no use talking education to a hungry man. Try it on our own unemployed, and see if they will go away footing as if they had had a square meal. Never shall I forget a sight I witnessed in one Siberian town. It was what was called “children’s week,” and a great fete was arranged for the little ones. They rolled up in great numbers, and never before have I seen such a collection of ill-clothed, under-fed, wild-eyed looking children. They were arranged into a column with a large collection of red flags and banners, and headed by a brass hand playing revolutionary airs, marched on to the Domain. Hero they were harangued by Bolshevik orators, hut the children were restless, and showed unmistakably it was the food they were alter, not oratory. Then commenced the Bolshevik “bun-fight,” which consisted of giving to each child a slice of dry bread and three small sweets. Will at a fight it was! Children fought with each other, pulled each other’s hair, and some of the smaller ones were trampled under foot. This all for a slice of dry bread. There was not enough bread to go round, and a mob of children swarmed around the doors of the distributing house for an hour after the doors had been closed. Now these are the children, the coming generation, whom the Bolshevik leaders tell us are going to firmly es!"' ' a new heaven upon earth. This new socialistic kingdom is to he a government where only brotherly love shall prevail. These very children who would

trample each other under foot for a crust of bread are to he the true Russian saviours o', the world. So I vent home from this demonstration firmly convinced that there was not much hope for the coming generalion in Russia if this sort of thing continues.