The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-07-06
.VOtCA DISTRICT
 POPULATION IN '. GOOD CONDITION
Section Was Slightly Touch ed By Revolution, and is
 Prospering Greatly.

Moscow, July 6.-The condition of the rural population is excellent in the Volga district, owing to the fact that much which was formerly sold is now consumed, as money is value less. the peasants being unable to purchase agricultural implements, seeds, clothing and other n1anufact- ured articles
 . This was gleaned by the Associated Press correspondent who visited the towns of Nijninovogorod, Simbirsk, Samara, and Saratoff, while on a tour with the English Labor Delegation to Volga recently.
 There is an abundance of fresh eggs, butter and milk in most villa ges and in one town, which was wis., ited. there was 1000 head of cattle for a population of 5000.
 The system of land tenure varies but in the majority of the villages the peasants areNthe actual owners of the land, which has been distributed since the revolution, in equal shares for each adult inhabitant.
 The governments requisitions are meeting with some opposition but the peasants are permitted to retain 32 poods (1154 pounds) of flour per capita as a yearly nation and must deliver up 100 liters GEO quarts) of
 
 per year.
 Many of the villages are being or ganized on a common basis, notably in the self-governing German com mune, with the capital at Marxstart. The population o6 the German com munity Is 600, 900, all of whom speak pure German after an absence of 150 years from their native country.
 The local government of Marxsta at 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 Factically non existent, and the government seldom interferes in its local matters. The rich peasants are discontented with the present situation owing to the re- distribution of land which has de- prived them of part of their holdings and which is making the poorer peas- ants better off than tbay ever were before.
 Evidences of the governments ef- forts to modernize the rural popula- tfon appear on every hand by the es- of schools for adult il- Iiterates, libraries, reading rooms and instruction in the, new methods of agriculture.
 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 workers at Nijninovo- gorod are operating with a force of 7.500, who are turning out war ma- terial while the flour mill, canning factory and several other industries are also being carried on.
 The towns of Simbirsk and Sama- ra are still suffering from the ef- fects of Czecho- -Slovakian occupation under which the boys under mili- tary age have been conscripted for service In Siberia.
 According to Sverdroff the assist ant commissar of transportation, the resumption of the river traffic to Volga will enormously increase the supply of industrial fuel. It Is es- timated that 120.000,000 poods (of 36.07 pounds) of Baku oil will be de- 1ivered during the present season, but already 100000 poods of oil has been received in Nijninovgorod.