The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-15
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMS.

BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMS.
Petrograd. July 15.-'Has the abo-
Iition of vodka done any real good in
Russia %
I put this question today to Nicholas
Tchaykovsky. member of the Central
Cooperative committee of Petrograd
as he sat in front of his desk at COM
mittee headquarters. Tried in 1907 as
a revolutionist and acquitted he is
now doing his bit for Russia. His
sensitive face. remindfu1 of portraits
of Longfellow. surrounded as it is by
snowy beard and hair, became very
eager.
Done any good!" he echoed. 'It
has worked wonders. For one thing it
gives Russia a sober peasantry and a
sober peasantry means almost double
working capacity. And over 80 per
cent of the Russian population-170,-
100000 souls-are peasants. 1t means
better farms. bigger crops, more
money, better living conditions in
homes, better fed children and con-
sequently more rapid advance in
schools. Better children makes bet
ter men.
''It means a more progressive, more
dependable, richer Russian peasantry.
1t means all that and more besides"
Tchaykovsky speaks English fluent
ly. He moved to Kansas in 1870 and
started community there. A moral
whereupon the founder went to Ches-
ter, Pa, and worked as carpenter.
Later he got a job in a Philadelphia
sugar mill. Subsequently to Paris,
then to London, (1905), he returned
to the United States, (19O6), on a
mission. founding Russian committees
in New York. Boston. Baltimore,
Philadelphia. Cleveland, Cincinnati
Chicago. Denver and other cities. In
1907 he returned to Russia where he
was arrested and put in prison.
Always Fought Drink.
Since 1910 Tchaykovsky has been
working here as a member of the
Central Cooperative Committee.
helping cooperative societies get
started and is so happy at the job
that his face positively beams.
I'VE have always fought drink" he
hibited our committee asked: What
are you going to give the people in
stead?'
You know our villages are few
and far between. Our rural districts
are lonely. Vodka was curse, but
1t was also diversion, which was
why it got such hold on Russia
$50 our thousands of rural cooper
alive societies all over the Empire
got busy. We organized diversions to
keep the peasants and villagers from
missing their vodka
Most of our stores, offices, banks
and warehouses are two-storied build
ings. On the ground floor business
is transacted On the floor above are
halls. These we turned into theaters,
cinema halls and community meeting
places where folks could come for d.
version. We organized bands, anna
teur theatricals and so on. We give
concerts. The people come in droves
and everybody has a good time.
81 don't think the vodka is missed
much
'In the meantime peasants have
more money than they ever saw be-
fore.
"And despite the war our cooper
alive societies are growing at won
derful rate.
I'm one district alone the number
of cooperative unions has grown
since the war from SO to 302. We
had only 40 wholesale societies last
year. Now there are over 400. In
1911 there were but IL credit unions
in all Russia. whereas at present
there are over so, through which
about 10000 separate cooperative
credit societies are working. Our
Moscow, or mother, committee alone
is co-ordinating the work of more
than 1000 groups, each group COM
posed of several societies.
Organizes Great Bank.
1--WE have organized a Central Co.
Operative Credit bank in Moscow run
| like stock concern, other eo-opera-
tive credit banks holding the stock.
Though only four years old and de-
spite the war we did a S140,0OO,0OO
business in 1915. This bank has its
own office in London executing our
foreign orders, buying and selling. To
show the extent of our business, this
office bought reaper-twine in the
1 he -
/ last year.
THE Siberian societies have their
own bank in London, buy and sell for
themselves.
1--WE are branching out in every di-
rection, building our own flour mills,
starch works. oil plants, machine
shops and on We are going to
start paper and sugar mills. At Stare
Bardinsky, in Siberia, we have our
own light plant giving the inhabitants
electricity for a dollar a year. Over
| 40 papers in Russia are devoted ex-
clusively to our work.
.Our goods are good goods. Every
thing the best and all for the people.
That is our motto.
| I'm conjunction with the Zemstvo
Union we are helping Russia and the
Allies Since the beginning of the
war Siberia alone has furnished the
army with 31.O00.000 pounds of but
ter with thousands of tons of hav
with lard, oats and other supplies, in
all about seven million dollars
worth.
"Our best work for Russia, however,
1 has been to make for a prosperous
peasantry, advise it and generally aid
it in looking after its interests. This
has undoubtedly contributed to the
nations fighting strength, therefore
during recent months we have left
J strictly war work to the Zemstvo