The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-03-13
SOVIET RUSSIA
NEARS PRE-WAR'
COMMERCE LEVEL
Foreign Trade and
Production Increase


WASHINGTON, D. c., March Ii
A compilation Of official statistics of
the Soviet Union made public today
by the Russian information Bureau
shows that in spite of bad harvest
affecting about one-tenth Of the farm
ing population, the Soviet Republic
enjoyed a banner year in 1924 and
made great progress towards equal
ling pre-war productivity. In most
lines of production the advances plan
ned were achieved or surpassed, and
in the greater number of industries
it is estimated that the pre-war level
will be exceeded during the next three
years. During the year Soviet flnanc-
es were definitely established on a
gold basis and paper issues ceased.
Trade with the United States passed
the pre-war figures in 1924.
The percentage. figures Of prOduc-
ton, prepared from official reports
and documents, are for the Soviet ifs
cal year ending October l. The only
commodities in which a decrease was
shown from the year 1929 were
salt, goloshes, tires, tobacco products
and grain products, the last named
having fallen off per cent.
Basic Industries Increase Output.
The percentage of increase in some
of the principal products over the
1929 figures were as follows:
Timber 20 per cent, coal 40 per
cent, petroleum Is per cent, 'marten-
site so per cent, iron ore 112 per cent,
copper 60 per cent, manganese As per
cent, textiles 35 to so per cent, flax
fabric 35 per cent, matches 80 per
cent, rolled iron so per cent, pig iron
122 per cent, steel 95 per cent, hides
g per cent, raw sugar 40 per cent.
The cotton crop showed an increase
of 800 per cent in two years.
Imports and exports Higher.
Imports increased 100 per cent and
exports $50 per cent
In agriculture the sown area in
creased 10 per cent and the gross
value Of the agricultural produce, in
spite of the disappointing grain har-
vest, increased As per cent at pre-
war prices, or $50 per cent at current
prices, due to an increase of 20 per
cent in crops other than grains. Cat
tle-raising increased by from to 10
per cent, hogs by GA per cent.
The freight turnover increased by
from 20 to 25 per cent, the goods turn
over by So per cent. The money in
circulation increased from 264 mil
lion rubles Oct. 1, 1923, to 629 million
chervonetz rubIes Oct 1, 1924.
By July, 1924, the currency of the
Soviet Union was established wholly
on gold basis. During the first three
quarters of the fiscal year it was nee
essary to issue b1S0, 100000 rubles
gold value) of paper money unsecur-
ed by gold to balance the budget. BY
July these issues had definitely ceas-
ed and during the last quarter of the
year the governments finance showed
a surplus for the first time. The new
chervonetz currency remained stable
thruout the year, being quoted gener-
ally at slightly above par on the Eu-
ropean exchanges.
Nearing Pre-War Production.
In 1924, the population of the Sow
let Union was rs per cent of the popu-
lation of czarist Russia in 1913 low
ing to the postwar loss or heavily
populated territory in the west); the
area was SO per cent. Heavy indus
try had reached from 40 to 60 per cent
of pre-war production, light industry
60 to 80 per cent; in agriculture the
sown was So per cent, grain crop
5S per cent, horses "a per cent, cat
tie 80 per cent.
Taxation per capita was seven gold
rubles as compared with IL gold
rubles before the war.
Foreign trade for the year, com.
puted at pre-war prices, was 25 per
cent of the pre-war figure. At cur
rent prices it would amount to over
two-fifths of the pre-war figure. The
foreign trade turnover amounted to
close to SSOO,0OO.OOO (pre-war valua-
tom, with a balance of about $685..
100000. of exports over imports. About
two-fifths of the trade was with
Great Britain. During the year i'm
ports were limited by the policy OF
the governments to achieve favor
able trade balance.
According " the reports of the
United States department of com.
merce the trade between Russia in
Europe and the United States for the
calendar year 1924. was $4S,2S0 ,S96
as compared with $45,OOO,OOO in 1913
In 1924, over $lO,OOO,OOO represented
exports from the United States. The
trade turnover showed an increase OF
nearly 900 per cent over 1923. The
gain was largely due to extensive pur
chases Of American cotton by Rus
sian trade ORGANIZATIONS.
American imports from Russia in
creased by over 500 per cent. The
figures for Amerlcan-Russian trade al
compiled by the Russian trading