Evening journal., 1920-06-18
Anything ELSE
Than This HE'LL
Even Officials Violate Ban
on Russian Trade, Duck
worth Says
ny J. HERBERT DUCKWORTH,
n. L. A Stalf Cornspondent.


(Copyright. 1870. by The Newspaper
Enterprise AssOciation)
RENAL. Esthonia June ~ special
Cable).-- asked many Russians
Are you afraid Of a Polish inva-
sion ?"
1--WE welcome no invader. yet any
thing is better than this hellw they
told me
Marketing by Russian women Is a
complicated. urlng and hazardous
chore
Theoretically, all trade in Russia is
abolished.
The slnres or Pskov. once a thriv-
ing town OF 5000 people, now are
closed and boarded up. Grass grows
tall on Sergeyeyaskaja, tha main
street OF Pskov
But the ill0Tal market nourishee,
In an alleged communist republic,
individualism still exists Century
Old habits die hard
Russian people still buy, sell and
barter.
The shrewdest and strongest and
most cunning get sufficient and the
old, the weak and the Ignorant staryc
/ went marketing with The women
al pskov
The wife OF the superintendent OF
the Soviet FAX factory acted as my
guide.
This woman's problem is 10 pro-
vide food for a family Of five. Her
husband draws the insufficient work
ers' ration and his wages are 3400
rubles a month. Bread sells for 300
rublcs a pound.
The market square was fllled with
Red soldiers and toNnspeople. Even
A. a ~ .fY.rlatTaa thorn
for I RECOGNIZED some Of them as
being OF the Extraordinary Commis-
sion for the Suppression OF the
Counter Revolution and from COM
munist headquarters
What are you doing here?'
heard one commlsSar ask another.
'You are sabotagng the revolution ~
we cannot accomplish everything
In day was the reply Of his com
panion. I'VE must live
The second cOmmissar took salt
from Us as wall as money in exchange
for his goods
The Russian peasant farmers do not
want Soviet money, but they do want
salt for use in preserving meat
Jews OF psk0v have "cornered' salt
and now the tOwnspcople arc eN-
changing SOVsat moncy for czar
money and then buying salt with czar
riIbles and exchanging the salt for
farm produce.
Tho market stalls that are closed
belonged to the petty bourgeoise.
bought 10 eggs for a pound and
a half OF salt
One nsh cost a pound Of salt and a
pound OF chose cost four pounds Of
salt
Six small carrots cost pound Of
salt While two pounds OF beef micht
b. bartered Tor two pounds Of salt.
There Is a prison penalty for buy
ing OF selling. vet 5000 people
throngcd the market place.
myself bought "th' makinrs.' a
pound OF siberian tobacco cost hor
rubles Ga ruble WAS 5i cents before
the war, while the paper TO make
ciFarcie from-a sheet torn from .
used Offlce letter bOolo-cOst me p
rubles tabout $3.50 at the pre-wai
raten
] wanted some small souvenirs anl
was taken 10 the back door OF The
stall. An cmplOye told me that On
propriciross would fetch things she
had hidden at home 90 The markell
In he afternoon. This she did.
IL IS a strange ihin- II the Bolshc-
rist revolution was really successful
that the Jews. with their proverbia
NArliNlt VI nAl NtllNlrt rNN1ll hNN AZ
buying car mony.
n is also significant and amusing
that on my second day in pskov,
commisssr (BOlshevist onlcIall visites
me at my hotel and offered as
"personal favor" 10 exchange m!
car and Keronsky money FOR SOvie
ruffes
You must keep 10 secret" h
said. "lou are liable 20 be shot "
There are no lights In pskoV. In
der a daylirht-saving scheme. On
clocks are running three hours fas
Bnd as a result, the people Wande
NE streets at 1 O'Clock In the morn
mg and do not rise until o'clock
The only amusement In the city
the opcn-alr moving picture SHOW
The program includes quotations froI
iho speeches Of Leninc and Iroizk
and bulletins from The front.