THE REAL RUSSIA

Hokitika Guardian, 3 May 1926, Page 1

THE REAL RUSSIA

RAILWAY TRAVELLING. ONLY COMMUNISTS HAPPY. A racy and graphic description of the Siberian route to Europe was given to members of the Rotary Club at their tiffin yesterday by a traveller who has recently returned, said the “Peking and Tientsin. Times” of Nov. 28th. last. The railway, it appears, has not been repaired for 15 years, and there lias been no new rolling stock during that period, with the result- that “incidents” are not infrequent. There was, for instance, a glimpse of a tram which was mashed by an avalanche. The wreckage, ten days old, was still st-iesvn 15 feet below tho railway track. Forty passengers were killed and double -that number maimed. Tho real “joy” of the Siberian journey, according to the speaker, is tho atmosphere. Born with a dislike of fresh air, the Russian attendants on the train will not permit any windows to lie opened. The pasagso of a fendays, and the presence of aromatic peasants, do the rest. There are no class distinctions in Russia, to-day, just “soft-seats and “hard scots” when it comes to railway journeys, for to label Communists first, second, and third class would bo invidious, and against the major tenet of the party’s faith. The trouble is that the train attendants let the “hard seats’’ sit on soft scats. Nature abhors a vacuum, and the Communist hates to sco a soft scat* empty. “The ‘Chief of the Train’ is allpowerful.” said the speaker, “and very strict where the bourgeoise are concerned. At stations two hells are sounded to warn passengers to get in. A few minutes later the bell is struck three times, and any passenger who is then only on tho stops of tho carriage is fined threo roubles. One unfortunate lady on my train, married to nil Englishman, was fined 16 roubles, because, ha.ving a ‘hard-seat’ ticket, she stopped to speak to some people in a soft seat compartment. She was too smartly dressed for the Bolshevists, and therefore to he ‘soaked’ when the opportunity offered.” A Communist takes his breakfast at 8 o’clock, and passengers must perforce wait until after that hour for a meal.- “A nasty-looking sight is the dining car attendant in tho early morning,” commented the speaker. “One frowsy female was disentangling her hair with tho aid of the toothpicks from tho table.” There were other and more exciting happenings on the same train. A cow strolled on the rails, and caused the second car to he derailed when the engine removed the cow. Another time a- Russian woman fell off the train, which hacked half n mile to pick her up again—-unhurt. Food on the train was expensive and poor, and Moscow hotels were no better. The use of a room for two hours cost ten roubles, and one of the host hotels in the place hail only two chairs in the lounge, and one settee on the first floor. It was difficult- to make the hotel people understand what a bath wins, and when thatwas made quite clear, if took another half hour to got the water clear. The pipes were all rusted, silent testimony to the passing of the luxury-loving bourgeoise. Clints on tho train with Communists. the while waiters strolled through the cars with cigarettes in their mouths, revealed that under Soviet rule all men are equal. Heuce the presence of the aforementioned waiters at tho passengers’ tables. It was alsodiscovered that there was a definite wage limit for kill lira in-workers, and an ingenious method to discourage nny ( lover man getting more than liis legal share, the discouragement consisting of a lack of investments, while to increase the luxury of his existence was impossible, as bo is forbidden to cniplov anyone. Tlii.s system is possible for as long as the half-million Communists retain power. At the present time they finve a monopoly of votes and revolvers. 'flic speaker was in Russia for only as long as the journey through, coupled with a brief stay at Moscow. He could not. therefore, give a detailed criticism of Russia, to-day, but be summed up liis fleeting impressions as follows : “AA'itli the exception of tbe Communists on I lie train T did not see one Hippy face in" Siberia, or in Russia. Tbe stations are crowded with beggars of all ages, male and female. Tho people look down-trodden and wretched. No one dare look even respectable. The women wear cloth-peaked caps and ill-cut blouses of grey material. with a leather strap around the waist, and skirts of coarse blue material. No British artisan’s daughter would bo soon dead in tho costume. The men are miserably clothed and filthy. There is an air of suspicion everywhere. The people wander about the streets in -an aimless manner, casting furtile glances at the passers by. There can be no greater autocracy than that which obtains under Communist rule—tlio rule of a small minority by revolvers. The Russians are used to automatic rule, but that the system can spread to more enlightened people is incredible. Tbe capitalistic system lias its defects, but under it one does see happy people of all classes. Til Russia tbe same gloom pervades all. It is just a great relief to get out of a country which can lie described only ‘as drab, dirty and depressing.”