Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-08-08
Causes Threatened
Famine in
Soviet Russia

Riga, Latvia, July 1S-(By Asso-
ciated I'ress) Chief among the
causes of the threatened famine in
! Soviet Russia this year. which Boil
shevik newspapers themselves admit
is likely to be even worse than last
year, is the utter disorga MIA ton of
/ the railway ira tfic. This disoreani-
cation has become worse, despite eff
forts OF the Soviet government to al
leViate it.
Little or none Of the locomotives
and other railway equipment ordered
from abroad has as yet arrived. The
inadequate supply OF workable roll
ing stock has, in the meantime been
even further depleted by the heces-
slty of fulfilling peace treaties
which Soviet Russia made with the
Baltic states, such as Latvia To
these states Russia has turned over
scores of locomotives. hundreds of
cards and other equipment, much of
which had been taken from the Bal
tic states by the Czaristic and pro-
NISlonal governments OF Russia in
their hasty military evacua tons be-
fore the advancing Germans
Added to this shortage of eouip-
ment is an almost generally prevail
ing condition of deterioriated road
beds. The Commissariat of Com
munications, says a Moscow dispatch
taken from various Bolshevik news
papers, is expecting soon a new rail
way traffic crisis. The tracks are so
much in need of repair that next
spring, officials say, it will be dan
Scrous to travel on many lines.
Entertainments have sunken down.
ties are rotten, rails are worn out
IT the Chief Forest Committee is not
able &c supply, by the beginning of
1922, nearly 100000 ties. il will he
necessary to interrupt traffic on
some main lines Even if it we're
possible TO get the necessary mate
flais, says the dispatch, it is proba-
Die that through scarcity of labor or
some other unexpected crisis. il will
be necessary to stop traffic on some
branch lines. On double track lines
only one track is to be reDaired
stripping the other track of its rails
10 90 this. in order to have at least
a larry efficient single track.
The Railway Commissariat has lit
tie revenue because most travellers
are government officials and very
seidom are travelling private persons.
10 'raVei one must get d pocket full
OF permits unless he desires to take
DIS chances with the mobs riding on
the tops of trains carrying bags of
tood to the cities. Practically no one
pays fares, but the government has
Just instituted a new tariff by which
IL hopes to charge for tickets in
holshevlk rubles, about two thousand
tlines the fares prevailing in 1917.
Inc Railway Commissariat hnd-
get calls for the expenditure of 2is-
e00O00,000 of rubles for 1927 and
SHOWS no expected revenue To
transport sufficient food to the cities
IS one problem. to produce in fac
torres sufficient articles to barter
WIN the peasants for grain is an
o'her This latter task is admitted
~ difficult. The government esti-
mates called for manufacture of
lradable articles to the value of 16o
ooo,oO0, of pools teach SO pounds,
OF grain. Speakers before the food
supply conference at Moscow ev-
pressed the opinion, Bolskevik news
papers themselves say. that the gov
eminent would be lucky to get nv
ms means half of that estimate
Brukanoff, speaking at the confer
ence, gave what he said was aeon
rate data of the decrease in industrv
In comparison with pre-war times
The 1920 production, he said. of iron
ore was IA per cent of pre-war.
SAT- IL per cent; coal, 90 per cent;
pig lron' l-S per cent; other raw
lroh' 70 per cent: cotton manu-
lectures TO per cent; linen
unread 20 per cent; matches, Is per
cent sugar per cent; and tobacco
per cent.
Therefore" sAd Rruk.,or !