Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1921-04-25
Souiets B:ferty Attacking
Russian Organized Labor

cupation to another. They are forci-
bly, enlisted in so-called 'labor-armies'
and overtime i compulsory.
Trade unions DO not exist as in
dependent bodies; they are subordin-
ated to a central organization and
thus converted into compulsory
government apparatus.
"As a result of this policy. the
Russian Industrial workers. being
put into 4 desperate position. and un-
able to obtain help from their own
organizations, desert the cities and
90 to the villages"
Because a large number Of work
men have deserted the cities and are
seeking To earn their living in the
country. the document declares that
I'm order TO save the situation and u
dctain the workers in the towns the
Soviet government has had recourse
I 20 measures Of compulsion."
I From the beginning Of 1920 mill
tarization Of the Russian indus ries
has been introduced" continued the
report This measure was III first
applied TO the railways. but grad
ually it was extended over the Goa
mines. metal Industries. and finally
over the timber, flour and sugar in
dustries.
"Militarization means complete
and absolute suubjection Of the work
men % the works management. II
embodies a number of stern measur
e, also restriction Of leases and cruel
suppression Of strikes.
lit j. needless to say that the SO
Wet government suppreSses strikes
by severe measures; the strikers are
arrested. deprived of food rations,
and even shot"
\ Overtime work l. compulsory il
was stated. and the Russian metal
worker. whose working day Is nor
mally eight hours and A. hours pei
week. l. now ! ? hours day. and ~
hours y week. Sometimes compulsory
work is performed on Sundays. which
makes so hours a week, il was stated
Seeing that the remuneration u
money IL quite insufficient" continn
ed the document. "the Soviet govern
ment showes a tendency 10 pay th'
workmen in kind-food and clothing
However. this remuneration il equal
~ insufficient In Petrograd eacl
workman has a ration card "A whlcl
entitled him from IA 70 12 poun'
Of bread per day. This. together wit
the 'nasic card gives a pound Q
bread per day. Other necessities ar
distributed occasionally and differ
emily I'M various districts.
TN Petrograd this summer car
'A' entitled the holder to five or si
pounds OF wheat, three or fou
pounds Of fish. IA pound of tobacco
3-4 pounds of sugar per month ~
head
Footwear and clothing are distrib
uted irrcgularly and therefore IL
! impossible to state even approximate
ly how much a worker gets Of thi
kind of remuneration.
"Workmen from the kolpinsk
I Works tnear Pctrograd) announce
l ~ n ~rtA anu ~i4dliiNA Al ~ AiAiith AAAt'
Z the Russian workman i condemne
to extinction owing to the FOOLS
economic policy of the Bolshevik
Half Of the Russian proletariat hav
already perished. Outside the town
j. there is food in plenty; il Is, how
ever, impossible TO get at il. Pun
chase and sale are prohibited, price
are high beyond reason.
"A workman from the POOtilof
, Works Tin Petrogradl says: In tn
/ full sense Of the word we are starN
I ing. as we exist on bread and SoviC
soup alone. We are completely e.
, hauSted owing TO excessive overtim
and insufficient nourishment.'