The Washington times., 1922-04-04

Thus, the third Conference OF
Trades Unions, held in Petrograd in
July. 1917, already sent 2lO dele
gates representing a trade union
membership of 1,475,42b.
Affected by Dictatorship.
The advent of the dictatorship Of
the proletariat quickly made itself
felt in the trades unions. Adherence
to labor organizations became COM
pulsory, every one who worked be-
ing automatically enrolled in the
union and compelled to pay for the
pleasure, whether he enjoyed it or
not. The 3 per cent dues were sim
ply deducted from his wage, so that
the Russian worker had to stand
the cost of the very organizations
which destroyed every symptom of
initiative and self-direction in the
Russian trades unions.
The All-Russian Trades Union
Soviet consists of 100 members. Its
central executive committee has
eleven members, and practically
only Communists can get elected
to either body. The result is that
the trades unions have become a
mere branch Of the state machinery.
completely controlled and directed
by the latter In its policies and func-
tons. The average member has no
say whatever in the activities of his
organization nor are regular meet
ings Of the Unions held, In the
Western sense, except such as are
thoroughly dominated and managed
by the Bolshevik faction in each
union.
II any union should venture to
exercise the function Of real
union IT is quickly given to under
stand that whatever trade unions
may do in western Europe or Amer
lea, in the Communist state they
must obey the law and keep their
mouths shut.
Illustration Of Reds Rule.
To illustrate. The bakers of
Moscow, representing a large and
militant union. went on strike in
the summer Of 1890 for an increase
of their bread allowance. The gov
eminent did not trouble itself much
about the matter. The striking
local was simply dissolved. its lead
ers expelled and some of the most
active members arrested. The more
prominent spokesman Of the strikers
were forbidden to participate in any
union gatherings and deprived of
the right to hold office.
Similar tactics were followed by
the Bolsheviki in various other
strikes. An interesting incident OF
this character was the Moscow
printers difficulty. In their case
it was not even a strike: 1t was
merely the ''impudence" Of having
called a meeting to which members
Of the British labor mission. then
in Moscow, were invited.
At that meeting Chernoff. leader
of the Social Revolutionist and
Dan, a prominent Menshevik, COM
mitted the objectionable sin Of tell
ing the British labor men q few
facts about the trade union and la
Dor conditions in Russia. Imme-
diately after that all the officials
of the printers union were sus-
pended and some Of them thrown
into jail.
Throughout the country, in all Of
fetal papers. the Moscow printers
were heralded as counter-revolu-
tionists, traitors and "skinners OF
labor" and denounced to awe and
terrorize the rest of the proletariat
OF the country.
Absorbed by State.
So absolute and crushing is the
tyranny over the trades unions that
the least protest is denounced as
breach Of revolutionary and la
Dor discipline and a crime against
the revolution. When, during the
Petrograd strikes of February, 1921.
the workers of the Baltic shops
protested against the arrest OF
twenty-five Of their members, they