The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-11-11
BUILDNI2 UP
WORKERS POWER
IN SOvIETLAND
AniSe Gives Proof of
Red ThOrOneSS
RY ANIsE.

| Mail. ~ am Just back from a
trip down thru the provinces,
where | went especially TO see
the John Reed children's colony
which | am helping to put on its
feet with gifts from American
friends. Two or three little
events will be of interest in
America.
! The first is the tale Of a PLATED
Speaking of respect for private
property-here's an example.
4 Three months ago, on my way
to Saratov, l had breakfast in
the Tambov railway station.
lJust as l was getting on the
train | remembered that | had
left my white enamelled plate
behind in the diningroom. I
wanted to go back, but the con-
ductor warned that there wasn't
time.
So just as the train pulled slowly
out Of the station, he leaned from tia
platform and called to an officer Of the
@. p. u, the state police which man.
ages order on the railroads: This
comrade left a white enameled plate
in the dining room. She is coming
back in five days. Get it and keep it
for her"
/ came hack in Eve days, but my
train passed thru the town during the
night and did not care enough about
my plate to claim it. But three
hmonths after, when / was again en-
y0ute for Saratov via Tambov, I re.
lated the story to my fellow travellers,
81 am going to get my plate from the
G. p u. in Tamboy," said.
Anise Gets Her Plate.
They laughed. So did I. I did not
know whether the C. P. U. officer had
ever found the plate; certainly no one
could expect it to be kept SO long.
And when reached Tambov, and ex-
planned the situation to a new G. P. u.
man on the platform, he also grinned
broadly But / insisted. Go to your
Office and see if it isn't there?" said.
Il want to write to America how they
look after private property in Russia"
He went. And five minutes later,
Just as the train was again pulling out
of the station, he came running, bear.
ing aloft in his hand the identical
white enamelled plate, which he hand.
ed to me amid the grins of all the on
lockers. And am passing the tale
on to America, as one little sample Of
the orderlinsss of Russia.
Machinery For Use.
I've one other tale, about the man
ager of a Soviet farm. / went to see
him on behalf of the John Reed Chill
dren's Colony, to know whether we
could have the extra buildings which
they were not using, the agricultural
repair shops. blacksmith shops,
the stables, field kitchen, and above all
the mill
I might as well confess that I had
just been having my fill of small town
politics. II any American workers
think that petty wire-pulling and mean
politics is forever banished when a
workers government comes into pow
err, | suggest they take look at their
own trade unions and working class
organizations and they'll get another
idea. Wen, we had been going
thru a row between the Young Com
munists and the Women's Section of
the party and the Teachers Union, as
to which should supply our colony
with teachers; they all had a long
afrfuo ~ daoarvfuo ,,pav,r,Io.aN ,xho
needed the jobs. 1t seemed that we
had no right to choose the teachers
we thought good for the children, but
had to take the teachers whose organ
izations needed the jobs. I was feel
ing bit disillusionued about the die
tatorship of the proletariat, and pre-
pared for another fight with the man
ager Of this Soviet farm.
Not bit Of IT, He cheerfully made
us list OF the buildings they didn't
especially need, and said that he
would recommend to headquarters
that We should have them. Then we
came to the mill. He wanted the mill,
and so did we. We saw ourselves feed
ing two hundred children from the
proceeds. and he saw himself making
good the deficit on his bad harvest.
He Was Convinced.
We explained TO him just how we
intended to operate It. We told him
we had no taxes TO pay. and we had
two good millstones OF our own for
repairs, and we could do the repairing
in our own workshop. and operate the
mill afterwards cheaply as we would
only keep two full time workers. and
would handle the rest OF the Job with
the older boys, while he would be com,
PEELED by union rules to pay many
men who would be idle a good deal Of
the time
He turned to his other work and I
annni laaat 10 nina Ahl..l.L-... 49,. l.