REPORT ON RUSSIA.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 February 1925, Page 1

REPORT ON RUSSIA.

BY BRITISH TRADE UNION DELEGATES'.

IUHTKALIAN AND N Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION

LONDON, February 22

Although the British Trade Union delegation’s report on Russia is not expected to be issued officially till the end of the week, the “Daily Telegraph” has obtained a copy of it, and the paper publishes several columns of extracts.

The report describes the encountering of the Red Army guard, their arrival, and how the delegation.witnessed operations carried out by tlie first disciplined, armed and trained force created .for the defence of working class institutions.

The df legal.iun wonders what the pacifist Labourites will think of this, adding: “The Red Army appears to be an indispevisible necessity in the Russian Republic.’’

Commenting on political liberty in Russia, tlie delegation reports that tlie rulers claim that the present Administration is a Dictatorship hv the Proletariat, under the Communist Party’s direction. Democracy as understood elsewhere lias no part therein. This amounts to a denial of tlie principle of political liberty in practice. There is complete control, not only of the Press, the platform and the political nuuliinery but of Llie schools, the university and the Annv. Obviously, such a political system, based on the assumption of Government authority by a, minority, can only be justified by results.

The report describes the present Soviet system as a. series of compromises, most of which are constantly changing owing to a readiness to scrap any theory which is not working well, hut the most careful safeguards are taken to prevent the compromises taking the Revolution round to reaction. The chief measures to this end are: The absolute control of capital and credit, and of foreign commerce and concessions, and the supervision of large private capitalist enterprises by the working class inspectors aided by experts.

The economic system cannot lie described (says the report) as Communism, but as a form of State Social ism or capitalism. •LABOUR CONDITIONS.

The chapter on labour conditions begins by pointing out that the Russian workers are now the ruling class, enjoying rights and privileges and bogining to exercise the responsibilities thereof.

The delegation concludes that the system at present being worked out is a, compromise between the Bolshevik ideal of society based on public work and the Bourgeois ideal of a society based on private wealth, ft is designed to suit the most widely differing conditions of the people of Russia, hut is not suitable for British people.

The report admits that llie unemployed in Russia number 1,3011.000 a.s compared with 1.012.0110 a year ago, and that even the industrial wages are only three-quarters of \ re-war standard; hut it points out that the workers in addition to their wages, receive benefits in the direction of insurance, medical attendance, education, holidays, free tickets for cxercursions and entertainments, ranking their real pay far above the pre-war levels. After describing the Governmental and seiui-Governmental license linns, through whom foreign trade is done, the report says: “The Government still has three-quarters of the foreign trade in its hands, and it advocates that financiers should not neglect good business with Russia, emphasising the fact that Germany is already challenging our supremacy there, and is now negotiating a commercial treaty.” Tim Delegation admits that the restriction of foreign trade to official and semi-official agencies causes consult 1 !- able difficulty in opening up trade, lint it, believes the system is workable with goodwill on both sides. Tlie report explains the fundamental principle ot the Soviet System as “The formation of a society giving the greatest benefits to the majority of the workers, with hand or I,rain, and equal opportunities for men and women, the main idea being the creation of the power of worth, liv destroying the power of wealth, ’llie requisition of power by tlie amassing of wealth is rendered unnecessary and useless, when all real property and capital is vested in the State.” The workers of both sexes are granted a ininmllni wage, according Lo the category in which they are placed. Ibis wage is only intended to cover necessities for which they must pay cash, the rest of their requirements— housing, doctoring, holidays, entertainment, education and the upbringing of their child re’s being supplied by the Slate at a nominal fee, varying according to the workers’ category and earning. The accumulation of wealth is prevented by heavy taxation on incomes over a maximum, and the reversion <>■ all property over one thousand pounds sterling to the State at death. The report admits that the condition of the adults, who are not classed as workers is often most terrible. 'I hey are charged the maximum prices for everything.

The greatest social change concerns the women, who are now by law. entirely independent of men, with equal rights and responsibilities, and the gam is all on the side of the women. Both the parties to marriage are equally I round or free by mutual consent at all times. The illegitimate child and Us mother have the same status a.s the legitimate hut all fathers are responsible for their children up to the age of seventeen up to the extent of onethird of their income. The delegation admits that this system is undoubtedly tending to destroy family life. The units scatter, and often they forget whence they came but there is less immorality than formerly. Thus prostitution for the first time ir Russian history, is made illegal, and the punishment is chiefly levelled against the male offender. A Commissariat of Health, through liabv and motherhood organisation, advises parents on the methods of restricting their families. LONDON PRESS COMMENT. LONDON. February 23. Commenting on the Russian report, the “Daily Telegraph” says: “It has

really been compiled by Air Young who was in the British Diplomatic Service and Mr McDowell, who was ViceConsul at Baku in 1910. The trade unionists have merely countersigned three-quarters of the report. As to the remainder it says: “The function of the Trade Unionists while the Mission lasted was to wonder with a foolish face of praise and vhojj they enmo home they lmd to tone down their “alleluias” to the acceptance of their colleagues at home, who are keenly conscious that their exuberant credulous comrades have made themselves the laughing stock of the German Polish, French and Belgian Socialists, A typical episode was that- of the delegates waxing enthusiastic about a tank of live fish in the Leningrad Hospital where they wore told that it was msot important that the sick should have fresh food, but no mention was made of the city’s terrible death rate. When the delegates visited prison they were allowed to converse with the most dan. goroiis political prisoners. Their report was that the prisoners have only one terror, that of being set free. The report abounds in ill-balanced eulogy on the surface, hut between the lines there are abundant indications of Russia’s failure. They assure foreign eapi talists that investments in Russ'

should give good returns, hut they do not recommend their own unions to invest a half-penny in this Soviet land of promise. The cheery optimism of the delegates is luridly contradicted by the fact that the Russian Government is a hip) buyer of wheat in the markets of the world at the present moment.”