The Cordova daily times., 1920-07-08
V0LCA DISTRICT NOW SUPPLIED
 PLENTY FOOD

MOSCOW, July (by Associated Press) The condition of the rural population is excellent in the Volga district, owing to the fact that much which was formerly sold is now con- sumed, as money is valueless, the peasants being unable to purchase agricultural implements, seeds, cloth ing and other manufactured articles.
 This was gleaned by the Associated Press correspondent who visited the towns of Nijninovogorod, Simbirsk, Samara, and Saratoff, while on tour with the English labor delegation to Volga recently.
 There is an abundance of fresh eggs, butter and milk in most villages and in one town, which was visited, there was 1000 head of cattle for a popu- lation of 5000.
 The system of land tenure varies but in the majority of the villages the peasants are the actual owners of the land, which has been distribut- ed since the revolution, in equal shares for each adult inhabitant.
 The governments acquisitions are meeting with some opposition but the peasants are permitted to retain 32 poods (1154 pounds) of flour per cap ita as yearly ration and must deliv- CT up 100 liters (112O quarts) of milk per COW and 10 eggs per hen per year.
 Many of the villages are being or ganized on a commune basis, notably in the sself-governing German com mune, with the capital at Marxstadt. The population of the German com munity is 600,000, all of whom speak pure German after an absence of 150 years from their native country.
 The local government of Marxstadt is we'll organized with schools, hos pitals, social service, admirable ad- ministrative offices, and a number of small industries such as leather fac tories, flour mills and turning shops. The Germans have formed and sent to the front several regiments of in fantry and cavalry, commanded by their own officers.
 Politically the villages have been only slightly touched by the revolu- ton, party lines are practically non- existent, and the government seldom interferes in it's local matters. The rich peasants are discontented with the present situation owing to the redistribution of land which has de- prived him of part of his holdings and which is making the poorer pea s2nts better off tha?. they ever were before
 Evidences of the the governments efforts to modernize the rural popula- t1on appear on every hand by the es- tablishment of schools for adult illit- crates, libraries, reading rooms and instruction in the new method of agri- culture.
 The food situation in the towns IS fairly good though the lack of salt, meat and fats is evident, but the sys- tenn of food distribution is effective with the speculative prices one-third to one-tenth less than those in Mos cow
 The metal works at Nijninopgorod are operating with a force of 17,500, who are turning out war material while the flour mill, canning factory and several other industries are also being carried on.
 The towns of Simbirsk and Samara are still suffering from the effects of Czecho- -Slovakian occupation under which the boys under military age have been conscripted for service in Siberia
 According to Everdorff, the assis tant commissar of transportation, the resumption of the river traffic to Vol ga will enormously increase the sup ply of industrial fuel. It is estimated that 120,000,000 poods (3607 pounds) of Baku oil will be delivered during the present season, but already 400,- 900 poods of oil has been received in Nijninovgorod.