The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1921-04-23

We are coming to grips with the
fundamental problems of our eco
nomic life at most difficult time
Events have proved that Russia can
not be thrown out Of the circle Of
world economy. The problem before
us is to elaborate such a plan Of
industry as to enable us, in very
short time, to gain a victory on the
labor front similar to that gained
by us on the military ront;-and
we have settled in a most determined
manner upon the identification Of
Russia. Electricity is that new force
born in the old capitalist order, which
places in the hands of man mastery
over the forces of nature which can
not be bound in the limits of private
property. Where it is question of
forcing tremendous rivers into bounds
of stone, and building powerful cleo
tric stations to serve and influence
the life of huge territories; and
where there is a question of uniting
various territories into one economic
unit, it is clear that not only private
property in land, but also private
property as an institution, blocks the
way and must be removed if we are
to approach the resources of nature
in accordance with the demands of
technique and science.
In order to fortify the conquests
of the Revolution, it is necessary to
strengthen our economic front and
maintain a severe struggle with tie
capitalist economy of the West. Here,
in spite of our energy, we may be
defeated if we overestimate the ele-
ments of so-called human power at
our disposal.
The regeneration of the economic
life of the country in connection with
liuuidating the crisis in our food
supply, transport, fuel and labor,
may be brought about in three diff
ferent ways. One and the most simple
is the intensification of labor. The
second is the mechanization of labor,
and the third is the better organiza-
ton and coordination of labor on a
rational basis. By establishing q
comparatively small number of cleo
trio stations in the whole country,
connected with one another, and
forming one single network, we could
unite the economy of the country
into one single whole. The mere
existence of such an electrical sys-
tenn would have as its effect CO.
ordinated rational economy embrac-
ing the whole country. Besides this,
there is the possibility of utilizing
as sources of energy, the refuse Of
industry, such as coal-dust and slack,
shavings of wood, etc., which. under
present conditions, are mere waste.
Electrification must, therefore, be-
come the foundation on which the
plan of our public economy must be
based.
Fuel Difficulties
The removal of the fuel crisis will
be decisive for the destines of our
industries. The Donets Basin is at
the forefront of our fuel problem.
According to our specialists, the
Donets Basin might yield, if we pull
ourselves together, up to three thou
sand million pools Il pood-36 lbs.)
of coal. The regeneration of the
Donets coal industry would require
few years, and then about forty
per cent of the fuel required by our
industries would be covered by the
Donets coal. There are, however, two
aspects which make the utilization
of the Donets coal difficult. The first
is the nature of the former methods
of coal-mining in the Donets Basin
which paid attention mainly to the
best coking coal, that is coal which
is urgently needed for purposes Of
metalurgy where as the anthracite
region representing a tremendous
wealth has hardly been touched. Tc
destroy the best source of coal is ir,
rational. AS to the development o.