SOVIET SCHEMES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 6 August 1929, Page 2

SOVIET SCHEMES

MORE EQUALITY SOUGHT

WEALTHY TO BE TURNED FROM HOMES

BRITAIN IN COYPT

A housing scheme, designed to bring more equality into ltussia. will be part of the Soviet, Government's "great revolutionary battle review," announced in Ihe cable news lo take place on Ist August, according lo Mr W. H. Fisher, who, on a. trip round the world, arrived in Auckland by the Maheno this week. It is only two months since Mr Fisher, a German who has lived most of las' life in the West of the United States, was in Russia, and he can tell a- number of interesting stories of the petty restrictions and "red tape" of the authorities there (says the 'Star"). Since the war, he says", the limited amount of building that has been carried out. in Europe, has rendered a number of people homeless; especially m Russia is this so. The Soviet's scheme is to dislocate the well-to-do people and turn them from their homes to accommodate workmen in their large houses. It is hoped that this will force the wealthy to build new homes, smaller than those they previously occupied. Houses are scarce in Russia and the only scheme that the Soviet can design to accommodate the thousands of working men is to convert the large homes of the wealthy into boarding houses. _ Railway transportation in Russia is splendid, according to Mr Fisher, but there are a- lot of absurd restrictions which make travelling unpleasant. "In Moscow," he says, "one is free to go practically wherever one wishes, but, at many of the smaller city stations, one is allowed only to visit stalls and shops near the stations. There is a lot of difficulty in getting a visa to travel through' Russia. I applied for mine in Berlin, and as it could not be issued from the Soviet's agent there, .ny passpert had to bo sent to Moscow. Fortunately it was only a fortnight beforo it returned and I was allowed to enter Russia ; in most cases have to wait six weeks after applying." Besides Russia, Mr Fisher has visited most of the other countries in Europe, and ho has travelled along the Mediterranean and through Egypt, wbere, he says, British prestige is growing at the expense of the French. This, is noticed in the sale of newspapers in Caira where English publications have growing circulations, while those of the French are decreasing.