LANG’S SALARY CUTS

Hokitika Guardian, 23 July 1931, Page 3

LANG’S SALARY CUTS

SIMiLIAR TO SOVIET METHODS. REMARKABLE -COMPARISON ..It is, a. remarkable; similarity .between .Mr Lang’s plait to. .reduce- '.salaries in New South ;Wales tori£soo. a year and to level- wages down to:,-that existing in Soviet Russia. •

i: Tlio late E.i.Aslimoad-BartU'ttj in his hook, 9 The. 'Riddle of: Russia.,”- referring to, . the principle .of Communism .concerning wages, stated: “It must he remembered Unit the basic -principle of Communism is equal wage's ail round, and the reduction of individual earnings to a minimum, once the State is able to supply the collective products''of • Industry to 6 very • member of the community* 1 -->•» “The proudest moment in the life of the leaders would be the day on n iiich they• iojifd proclaim: to an astonished ■world, 'We have ‘'abolished' the private circulation o.- money allege (her in Russia;’- I t is just these- fantastic theories which are": ’preventing the expansion and revival of Russia’s trade at the present time.” The Labour Party’s policy in Australia is State.control of industry ul the expense of private enterprise, observes the' “Sydney Morning Herald.” TJie Soviet policy is on’ similar lines. Mr Aslimead-Bartlett goes on to say: “Stalin : Would rather die than admit that the experiment of State control and elimination of private trading has failed. Yet probably 90 per cent, of the Bolshevist party realise the truth, although they dare not express it in public. “The Communists who set out. with the intention of making all men equal, except the few who were needed to seee that equality was maintained, have only succeeded ill creating certain privileged classes in the- State at the expense of; tlie mass of the people. “Jt'- is .highly improbable ’ that 'the nations will ever agree to make Stalin a,nd Co. loans without-some settlement of;:the fcld: debt.- We must first see an entire change: in Russia's eccmmic ana world policy. Nothing, would be more absurd, risky, or "illogical, than for the capitalist nations to lend money, - for the: sake' of stimulating: trade, to the '.Communists,, who: 'air e bent upoii the destruction of all .."those principles in finance on which :Capitalism is. based, “Unskilled labour in the Governmenfc factories is only paid GO roubles' a month, a sum equivalent to about £5 at the stabilised rate of exchange prevailing in Russia. A worker must pay about 10 roubles for his- two rooms, fhe majority are -housed in dwellings which are totally unsuitable for the purpose. Big houses have been divided up to hold fifty families, hut there! i-s a common kitchen, which leads to J endless friction.”