Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-08-07
BLAME COLLAPSE
Of RAILWAYS FOR
RUSSIAN FAMINE
Nonarrival of Equipment, Or
dered From Abroad; Adds
TO Difficulties.
SUPPLY OF WORKABLE
ROLLING STOCK DEPLETED
Generally Prevailing Condition
of Deterioarated Roadbeds
Add to Shortage.
inv Assoclate1 prcssl

by Associated Prcssl
RIGA. LATNiA. Aug. G.--Chlcf
among tho causes or the threatened
anime ia Sovic. Russia this year.
'hiSh Hdia!,rvist newspapers lem
'"lves adm, IN likely TO De even
'crs- thar last year. Is the u:,9- di..
Examination OF tn. railwa: tiaG'.
rms Decentralization has become
Morse, Gc-:,.,a efforts of tic Soviet
'"vcTnncrt 70 alleviate Il.
Little or none Of the locomotives
'nd othsT railway equipment ordered
rom ab: "a mas as yet arrived The
nkdodna-. supply OF w,..a -" rolling
stock has. In the meantime. been even
,nrther depleted by the necessity OF
,nlh'ling peace treaties which Soviet
Nushi;. made with the Baltic States.
iuch as Latv!a. To these States Rus
ia mas turned over scores Of loco
motives, hundreds OF ears and other
equipment. much Of which had bccr.
'aN'n from the Baltic States by the
'z7r'Stic ana Provisional governments
y Russia in their hasty military
'vacuations before the advancing
Germans
.'idci 10 ,his shortage OF equip
h"nt IS an aiiltst generally prevu,-
ne condition {: detcrioriated roa
eds Tn: conErissarlat OF commu-
:!caii2ai SAYS Il Moscow dispatrn
4Ken from various Bolshcv!st news
papers. 4 expecting :ocn 81 new rai.-
Way traffic crisis. The tracks arc so
much in need OF repair tina, next
prinG. officials say. IL Will he danger
'us To 'ravci on many lines.
Need I5.0UO.0oO Ties.
Embellishments have sunkcn down.
les are rottnn. rails are worn out
Il the chief fOrost committee IL not
'b'e 10 supply. by the beginning OF
'H22, nearly i5,0o0,000 ties. II Will be
necessary TO interrupt traffic on some
main lines. Even II Il were possible
q get the necessary materials. says
he dispatch, IL IL probable that
through scarcity Of labor or some
>thcr unexpected crisis. II will be
necessary TO stop traffic on some
Sranch lines. on double track lines
sn'y one track is to tc repaired.
stripping the other track OF it's rails
% do this. in order to have at least
: fairly efficient single track
Tho railway commissariat has little
avenue. because most travellers are
government officials and very seldom
rc travelling private persons. To
'ravcl one must get pocket full OF
permits. unless he desires To take his
.hanccs with the mobs riding on the
ops OF trains. carrying bags OF food
10 the cities. Practically no one pays
ares. but the government has Just
Instituted a new tariff by which IL
ropes TO charge for tickets. in Boil
'hcvist rublcs. about 1000 times the
ares prevailing in 1917.
No Visible Revenue.
The railway commissariat budget
.alls for the expenditure OF 34s.O0O.-
'oo,oe0 OF rublcs for 1921 and shows
30 expected revenue. To transport
efficient food 70 the cities is one
problem: TO produce In factories SUI
icicnt articles TO barter with the
PEASANTS for grain is another. This
after task is admittedly difficult. The
government estimates called for
manufacture OF tradablc articles To
he value Of l6o.000,000 OF pools
icach thirty-siX pounds) or grain.
Speakers before the food supply con-
'crcnce at Moscow expressed the
opinion. Bolshcvist newspapers them-
;elvcs say. that the government would
~ lucky to get, by this means, half
II that estimate.
Brukanon. speaking at the confer
.ncc gave what he said was accurate
iata OF the decrease in industry in
comparison with prewar times. The
lr.0 production, he said. OF iron orc
mas - per cent Of prcwar; salt, L.
scr cent: coal 20 per cent; pig iron. es
Der cent: other raw iron. to per
.cnt: cotton manufactures. ) to 6 per
.o.nt: linen thread. % per cent:
matches. u per cent: sugar, per
cent. and tobacco. per cent.
Home Manufactures Insufficient.
",rncrcforc." said Brukanon. home
manufactures will in no way he suiii-
lent for goods exchanged with the
pcasants. From abroad must be inn
nc~tcd at least eighty TO ninety mill
ion; of gold rub!cs worth OF goods.
mt under present circumstances, this
is imro. siblc."
IIalatoff one OF the actual directors
f supply. said the government
would he lucky TO get from all
sources 800 900 600 pools and. there
forc. either foreign imports or de-
.rcascd rationins would .be necessary.
Complicating both the food anu
.r,pspo,t crises is the extremely Sc
-ious fuel shortage, causing, on one
oand c,irtailmcnt OF rail trafiic. ana.
nm tic other the closing down of rae
cries. Iiy imports from abroad the
.oycrnmcnt is cndcHvorins To get coal
N oprratc the factories, but, while
10 Third Intcrnatfnnale was APPROX
in,. tho English strike. the strike was
,.;,,,, sl;pm,ut of coal to PCtro.