Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-06-06
PEASANTS LOOK UPON
ROUBLE WITH DOUBT
Currency Printed In Great
Sheets Like Postage Stamps
|. And Worth Less, Says U. P.
Correspondent.

Copyright 1919 by the United Press.)
Paris, June b.-The economic planks
in the bolshevik platform appear 10 DO
the weakest part Of the soviet structure.
Rebuilding Russia is almost a super.
human problem. Even the bolshtviki
are beginning to wonder ii it can be
done through bolshevism. They ate be-
ginningto reaiize that bolshevism stands
or falls with the results Of their eco
noInic experiments, since communism
has made everyone dependent upon the
state for livelihood. The bolshevik
have voluntary shouldered the enormous
task of feeding, clothing and financing
everyone in Russia. 80 far they have
been unable 10 meet the doubters with
the statementft
"We have had no chance to develop
the economic phases Of communism ow-
ing to political and military opposi-
tion.
Money Worth Iittle.
Soviet Russia is in the throes of a
race between the money run for the
printing presses and the increase Of
prices and wages. BY confiscating ali
the bourgeoisie s printing presses the
, bolsheviki have kept pace and they
have Increased wages almost monthly to
meeting the rising cost Of living.
Everyone has begun to wonder II this
financial marathon can be stopped
short Of an actual collapse. The peas
ant have become skepticai and refuse
to sell food for roubles, which the Dol.
sheviki print in huge pages like pos
tagc stamps. A number of times have
seen & commissary reach into desk
drawer, pull out q square yard OF rou.
bles and hand II to some one. who
would tear off string of a dozen OF
more without bothering to separate the
individual 20 rouble pieces. Strings ike
stamps are carried by everyone.
Development at standstill.
Stimulating factory production and
repIaeing individual initiative Is a prob.
lem that bothers the bolshegikl. 1t is
not difficult to take over number OF
factories and run them by meals by
soviets, but establishing new industries
Is smother matte....r A new supreme
economic mission has been appointed in
an effort to stimulate industry AM re-
place capitalistie initiative. 80 far its
accomplishment have been confined ID
planning.
The greatest test Of bolshevism will
come when their army is demobiiized
neeessitating their coping with an caof.
nous unemployment problem. TAry are
offering concessions TO induce capital
lists, foreign preferred, 10 build ~ the
railways and new industries. which tht
state would take over NJ the end Of q
number Of years. But they want the
capitalists TO grant the same labo. con.
ditions as the nationized industries
where the working day has been re-
dueed 70 9 or hours and wages are de-
eided BY the unioas. The capitalists de
clare il is impossible to meet thes, con.
ditions since the state makes ~ the
deficits under which the communized
Industries arc operating.
transportation Poor.
Getting food to the industrial cen.
tiers Is a difficult problem owing to the
shortage Of locomotives. which is due ts
military demands
There is plenty Of food in Russia
Villages are ovcrstocked while Petro
grad and Moscow are starving on m
tions-ihough money buys anything, Al
exorbitant prices, from the street mar
kets. which the bolsheviki no longer
seeks to control. The government sell
limited amount Of food to these co
operative markets, recognizing three Of
ficial categories Full rations for maa
ual laborers; light rations for offss,
workers and hunger rations for th'
bourgeoisie. Everyone is obliged 10 pa
tronize these open market. When | va
in Pefrograd recently these prices weri
quoted 70 me:
4 Wheat flour, 1000 roubles a pOuad.
Butter. 200 rouhles a pound.
Sugar, $50 Fonhles a peaad
Bread. 80 roubles a pound.