The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-06-18
SOVIET GRAIN
TRUST RUNFOR
PEASANTS Use
Prevents Speculation
and Suffering

Especial TO The. Daily worksr)

per cent Of all the grain marketed In
Russia passes thru tho hands OF the
State Grain Trust, an organization
Just now celebrating lite three year an
niversary. Three years ago, when the
Soviet Union went over from the basis
Of war Communism to free trade be-
tween city and country, this trust was
formed out of the remnants Of the old
commlssarlst Of Supply, an organlxa-
tlon which existed to eomandeer grain
and other supplies and RpportIon them
where needed by the emergencies Of
the state.
Under the new economic policy, the
peasant could sell grain where he
chose, and the function Of the new
grain trust was to buy It from him,
trying II possible to control enuf of
the market 80 that the peasant might
be protected against private speculat-
ors. It was this trust, last autumn,
when the crop failure started wild
shifts OF prices in grain and livestock.
which swiftly Stabilized markets and
prevented much suffering.
Importance Of Grain Trust.
Great is the Importance OF the
State Grain Trust" says Smirnov,
commissar Of agriculture, in an in
tervisw given on the third anniversary
Of the founding Of the trust.
This trust, newly organized three
years ago, had to build a market for
peasant produce, stabilize prices, and
keep this all in harmony with the IN
terests Of state industry, the condi-
tons Of our transport and our monop-
oily Of foreign commerce.
Aids Industries.
Capital was very scant, and con-
sisted chiefly Of leftover supplies of
the department of supply, most of
them the things which the peasants
had not wanted. Bank financing was
stu imperfect and inadequate. Yet in
its first year this Grain Trust handled
the equivalent of IS million bushels
OF grain. (This figure reduces the
animal products and other commodi-
ties TO their grain eQuivalent.) This
was almost twice the amount expected
for its first years work Over half Of
this went straight into aiding state
industries, helping put them on their
feet.
But the big achievement Of the first
year was the building OF its apparatus,
both for buying and selling. using for
this purpose the net OF cooperative
stores, wherever possible, but in very
many places creating new agencies
which had not yet existed. BY the sec
ond and third years the work could be
much widened, so that now the
State Grain Trust is handling 40 per
cent Of all the peasants grain reach
ing the market. It has partly put thru
new plan for lines Of grain elevators,
which will greatly strengthen its
work. The commercial production Of
-four for the entire Soviet Union has
also been transferred to this trust"
Buys Thru co-operatives.
Khinchuk. head Of the Central Co
operative Union Of Russia, also pays
his respects TO the Grain Trust in an
interview regarding its relations with
the cooperatives. I'VE have had the
most attentive and kindly treatment
from the Grain Trust" he says, both |
In our central organization and in our
local scattered branches. Our con-
tracts with them have increased stead |
lily.
In its FIRST year the Grain Trust did
only IA per cent Of its buying and 16
per cent Of its selling thru the coop
sratives; this has now increased to
rs per cent and 20 per cent respec-
lively. Actually the proportion of
sales thru cooperative organs is much |
larger, as only the large scales made !
on contract are listed as made with
the co-operatives,' while very many
sales thru smaller co-operatives count
as II made by the Grain Trusts own
Branches a. these smaller co-operat-
ives often have that function. should
Judge that about half OF all the Grain
Trusts Eaies arc really thru co-operat-
ives Btoress As our net OF co-operat-
ives grows stronger. we expect the
grain trust 60 leave the retail trade
IN our hands"
Entora Flour Production.
somethins over one hundred and
nifty million dollars is the present
yearly turnover Of the State Grain
Trust OF Russia Kamenev, in pre-
dieting Its future steps. says: when
ever possible II 10 using even building
co-operatives 70 handle the retail
trade In the viIlageA Il must now take
up the special Geld of Hour produo-
fion. where more than anywhere else,
the competition OF private capital has
been felt Il will also do moro export
The state can rely on this trust ~ one
OF the most serious tools for Tegulat-
ing the grain market"
II is rather startling for an Ameri-
can, just returned from the United
States 20 Russia, TO see how openly