THROUGH A GAP IN THE CURTAIN

New Zealand Listener, Volume 31, Issue 783, 23 July 1954, Page 22

THROUGH A GAP IN THE CURTAIN

Norris COLLINS, a Christchurch railway worker, who visited Russia as one of a party of trade unionists, recently gave his impressions of his visit in seven talks broadcast from Main National stations. On this page and the next we print some extracts from his talks.

MAKE no claim to a full or intimate knowledge of Russian life. We were there for only just over a month, and our main contacts were union officials, factory directors and the like. We didn’t speak or understand Russian. . . We visited. only four cities, . . But in general I believe we were shown an average picture of industry, and of those other phases of Russian life that we did see. . . I walked the streets, on my own, morning, afternoon’ and evening, and after midnight. . . I used my camera as long as my film lasted, although occasionally, without any apparent reason, I was prevented from using it. * * | VISITED factories in many Russian industries, and in general I was most impressed with what I saw being done for workers’ well-being, and in the attitude of both management and union towards it. Conditions in some factories were better than in others, but not in any marked degree except in one or two real show places. Factories and workshops were, in general, clean, spacious, well lit, well ventilated and well heated. Machinery needing protection was

always well guarded in all types of factories. . . Facilities for attention to workers’ health were most impressive. One thing I did not like was the standard of sanitation. * Ba bg HE palaces of culture... were among the most interesting and impressive features of modern Russia that I saw, and, like so many other things, they were provided in many cases by the factory, and run by the factory trade union. .. In Leningrad we visited a_ regional trade union palace. . [which] cost about £900,000 to and now the unions maintain and control it. The population it served was

larger than that of the city of Wellington, but within the area there were other factory palaces as well, . . We saw most of the adult activities in the course of a long evening: dances, films, newsreels, lectures in Marxism, politics and science, opera and ballet, musical circles of all kinds, a gymnasium, printing plant, painting and sculpture. The library had 150,000 books, of which 10,000 were by foreign authors. There was one disturbing feature for me. I asked the director if there were any books which might not be favourable to the Soviet system. This drew a very heated reply. A tall man, he drew himself up to his full height and let go. He was more than a little annoyed and for a minute or so seemed quite carried away by his hostility to such a question. My ears were burning, and I felt as though I was sinking through my chair. . . . He said: Why should they have books which insult their people. .. It is the people’s government and system. They only have books of noble, high purpose, and he quoted Dickens and Shakespeare. So there you have it -the attitude of a highly-educated man in a very responsible position, in charge of the cultural and political education of thousands of people: Why should the minds of their people be poisoned with such things? * * %

QUR visit began in Leningrad, and for the most part I found the city depressing. . . Then a train journey to Moscow gave little further encouragement. . . But Moscow was a different story. It was like a new world in comparison. Almost everywhere one turned, it seemed, on the skyline towered several cranes above a new building under construction. . . I must mention briefly © the new Moscow University. It. took about four years to build; and°employed 35,000 workers. It stands on the outér fringe of Moscow in 410 acres of grounds. Russians claim it to be the largest and most beautiful building im the world. When finally completed its 50 buildings will house 22,000 rooms and 6000 students for living and study. Only the main building, half the total size, is yet completed, 36 stories high and down to wings of nine and 16 stories for student accommodation and a 12-story wing for lecturers. They cet tainly put their best into these buildings. . . The entrance halls even have heated floors to dry your shoes as you As walk in. . * * * (CHURCHES were full, packed to the doors with hundreds, and on one occasion, thousands, of worshippers, Worship is free to those who wish to attend. But there are very few churches. ... Every congregation consisted almost entirely of middle-aged to elderly women. When I visited the Baptist Church in Moscow on a Sunday morning it was packed tight with 2500 people. Some stood outside in the snow, unable to get in. I was there for an hour, and could see every face in the congregation. I saw one child, two or three young men, some young women, not many older ‘men, and no youth at all. . . There is no children’s of youth instruction outside of the usual church services. One priest said: "Children up to 16 years of age are instructed by

parents; then the priest can give them help." Not before?. And what chance for the children of irreligious parents? . . + There’ is no persecution of the Church today, and there is a greater measure of tolerance than before the war. . . There are definite restrictions on church activity. The Church may not interfere or show concern withnor comment on-matters outside a strict religious sphere. . . I visited in Leningrad a church in the middle of a huge cemetery. .. I saw a mass grave of 600,000 people killed in the defence of Leningrad. All had been given a Christian burial, «ad simple crosses were over the grave. Then I learned that 100 churches were destroyed in the Leningrad region during the war, 56 in the. city itself. When I thought of this and stood by the mass grave, it was very humbling to realise what those people suffered, and that the Church, which so many have only thought of as persecuted, took its part, suffered, and is still there. * * a JOW do wages in Russia compare with ours in New Zealand? ... To be fair.to the Russian worker I must remind you that his medical -services, social services and pensions are all free. They are a charge on the factory budget and therefore on prices, but not directly on+his pay packet, as most of ours are. Rents, an important factor in our cost of living, are fixed according to the worker’s wage, usually about five per cent of his wage. This includes heating, lighting, cooking and all services. The worker there pays no rates. All these cost me 30 per cent of my wages... . -To earn the price of a pound of tea the New Zealand tradesman worked one hour 10 minutes, the skilled man in Russia worked three hours 34 minutes. The New Zealand labourer worked one hour 22 minutes, but his Russian counterpart worked eight hours 56 minutes. Take men’s woollen socks. The New Zealand skilled man worked one

hour 40 minutes to earn a pair of socks; the skilled man in Russia worked: only one hour 14 minutes. . .- The New Zealand labourer’s pair of socks cost him one hour 57 minutes’ work, the Russian jabourer’s pair cost him three hours eight minutes’ work. * * s MY main impression of Soviet women was that they worked hard. Many married women are working, made’ easier no doubt through living in flats, and with home life at a minimum. Then the establishment of factory and district kindergartens with the children cared for and brought up by others, and the care of young mothers at factories whilst still at. work-they are taking advantage of these facilities to enable them to show and use their equality with men. I saw them in railway gangs: alongside the line, sweeping the streets and clearing the snow ... working as we would say "like a man." We also met them in responsible positions such as the director or manager of a sweet factory, and another as chief doctor and director of a sanitorium. * * * WAS told before I left New Zealand that I would see the oppression on the faces of the people in the streets. I saw thousands upon thousands as I walked the streets, often on my own, some walking arm in arm, chatting gaily, and others getting about their business looking as solemn and as sour as I normally look. All I can say is that if the Russian citizen looks oppressed, then the average New Zealander looks as if he has been in. a slave camp all his life. % * * "HOSE who do ‘not agree with the Communist system must give a positive alternative and not a wordy or militaristic anti-Communism as we have so much today. I am convinced that unless we produce a practical -ideology, were eS... SS. ate cy 4a ae

better than Communism, and* make it work, then they will prevail-and in the near future at that. ‘The Soviet Union is booming, and .the: effort port enthusiasm to export Communism, and establish it in other countries, was marked. After all, we.were’ part of. the. scheme and felt some’ impact of-it. All. these things emphasise ‘to.me ‘the enormous gulf which keeps our people apart, and the stupendous efforts that are needed to bring them together. I find that.even when we say the same words we can mean something entirely different. Words, outlook and training are so vastly different. What afield for understanding, . tolerance, patience — and, above all, the need for. personal contacts. We are living in two different worlds. 1. would. like to see New Zealand invite a Russian delegation to this country. ... We have it on the highest authority in the Russian Trade Union movement that if an invitation, were received ‘they would. accept it. So it is up to us here in New Zealand. I .believe it would be good for both of us.