New-York tribune., 1920-08-29
SOviets' Labor
Policy Makes
Toilers Slaves
Report of League Bureau
Shows Militarization Idea
Injuries Workers and
ThrOttles Production
High Wages a Delusion
Inflated Incomes Fail to
Keep Pace With Rapidly
Mounting Cost of Living

From The TYibine's WASHINGTON Bureau
WASHINGTON, Aug. 2S.-The COM
plete militarization Of labor, for fight
ing purposes at the battle front or Or
work in the fields to maintain the army,
is the principle of the Bolshevik or
ganization of labor. according to pre-
liminary study of employment con-
ditions III Soviet Russia, just completed
by the international labor office Of the
League of Nations. In making public
a synopsis of its study day the labor
Office said:
"a careful reading of the preliminary
study issued by the international labor
office forces one to the conclusion that
liberty of labor in Russia is only a
theory. Workers, no matter what their
specially may be, are subject at all
times TO draft by the government for
anv kind of work which the govern
ment may desire to accomplish.
The initial labor legislation of the
Soviet government, as set forth IN the
report, was apparently all that the
workers might desire. According to
the documents quoted in the report,
however, the naturalization of 5000
factories, or about 80 per cent OF the
whole industrial productivity of Rus
sin. beginning with a period Of work
ers' control, followed by state control,
was accom- panied by a ruinous falling
off Of production.
Wages Outrun By Prices
Although wages grew beyond al
measure and lost all relation to bust
ness expense and production, they could
not keep pace with the cost OF living.
Continuing. the report says:
For example, in June, 1918, 1t is
estimated That the expenses Of work
ingman's family We're lis rubles head
and tho wages rubles = mead, !. G., a
deficit of 50 per cent. From July,
1915, to April, 1911, the price of food
increased SaS per cent. while the
wages of skilled wbrkmen increased
orly 237 per cent, OF somiskilled
workmen 344 per cent, and common
laborers 45O per cent. The average
increase of the wae S of skilled
metal worker was five times less than
the increase Of the cost of living. At
the same time, owing to the tremen-
dous ecrease in the purchasing power
of paper money, all sorts of schemes
for the Jayment Of wages in kind we're
ATTEMPTED, the government even fix
ing rations for various classes of clti
zens. Men were reluctant to work and
large numbers migrated to the coun-
try districts, where food was more
plentiful.
According to the Soviet press, the
number Of workers employed in in
dustry, exclusive Of those on railways,
decreased b. 2, $4,000 men W TO Jan
uary, 1913, while an extract from the
report OF the Supreme Council Of
Popular Economy of March. 1919, de-
clared that production in the greater
number Of Russian industries had le-
creased from 400 to 500 per cent.
Overtime Rule Set Aside
"In 1919 the Russian labor code set
forth two interesting and noteworthy
exceptions to the ~ule governing over
time:
"All work necessary to prevent any
danger OF public disaster threatening
the existence Of the Soviet governm ent
Of the Federal Soviet Republic or the
lives of its citizens, and
For tie proper carrying out Of es-
sentlal public WORKS dealing with water
supply, lighting, sewers and transport
and TOR any unexpected evcntuality af-
fecting these services On February
IL, 1920. however, wireless message
which appears to contain a general
decision adopted by the supreme gov
ernlng authority, read as follows:
Sunday is declared working dav.
" ork in factories and workshops as
well as in Soviet establishments is in
creased by TWO hours 1t would an
pear, therefore, that at this time the