SOVIET TAXES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, 8 May 1925, Page 5

SOVIET TAXES.

• on Pauper peasants With German thoroughness, Paul Knlie ,r er. the sneoial correspondent of the Berliner “Tagoblatt,” writing from Moscow, nas an..iysou for Uie “Manchester Guardian” the struggle which is proceeding between the Soviet Government and the 120 million peasants of Russia. , The peasant, he says, is ill-content in varying degrees from religion to region. In parts of the Ukraine he is doing decidedly better, but in the crowded districts of Central Russia and elsewhere his condition is distressing. Harvests have been bad, and there is t iiirraim between the prices lie receives for his produce and those for wiiicn he must purchase supplies. SOVIET TAXATION Efforts, excellent on paper, 1 have been made to impose more just taxation, but the peasant, who lias little cash, must sell the cow to pay the tax on her. There is general complaint of unintelligent and intolerable method's or '■«<“-'-uu ! iit and collection of taxes by the Soviet. This, the Central Government or Moscow is endeavouring to reform, but it comes to grief through ti.o incapacity ol uie local executives. CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS Apparently even the Russian peasant who was to start lrom .-crutch when the Soviet fired the pistol for the long race to Utopia, is becoming class-con-scious. Herr Scheffer says the rich peasant has grown in economic power, for tho poor peasant is destitute, and has no means of cultivating liis tiny plot. Even the middle-class peasant :s more dependent than ever uu his richer neighbour, who lias manure, draught cattle and tools, which Jie is ready tu hire out at interest payable in kind. Moscow, therefore, in the hope of winning over the mass ol the peasantry to its side, is waging war on the inefficient Soviet and the richer peasants. It is complained that the “emergency” Communist, sent out from the towns to lead the peasants in 1917, though still in control of the rural districts, is a complete failure, unable to grasp tho most commonsc.'ise proposals. The rich peasant lias found' out liow to manage authorities of this sort, with tho object of securing lor himself the utmost benelit of Jiis economic; power. Moscow has been prompted to energetic action liy tho continual murders of local correspondents, of the Soviet Press, whoso investigations are unwelcome ; and bv the failure of tho rural Soviet to facilitate elections in the villages. The issue ,'s in doubt. Either the peasant masses will strangle tho town or will substitute for the Communist ideal a petty bourgeois peasant de- I mocracy —a sort of gigantic Denmark.