The daily worker., 1925-04-04
Session of U. $. $. R. Executive.


TIFLIS-In accordance with the
new plan for holding the sessions of
the central executive committee Of
tn U. S. S. r. in the various constitu-
ent Soviet Republics in turn, there
cent (March) session, was held in
Tiflis.
m. l. kalinin's Speech.
M. l. Kalinin, in his opening speech
.jointed out that the Soviet Union was
founded on the equality and mutual
confidence Of all the nationalities in
cluded in it. To realize this equality
it was necessary that not only the
central authorities, but that all the 10.
cal authorities and people should un.
derstand clearly the aims, activities
and the methods of work of the So.
Wet government. Turning to the
question of the peasantry, Kalinin
pointed out that in the early days OF
the revolution, there was no special
peasant problem, as both peasant and
worker had been mainly concerned
with assuring the triumph of the No
vember revolution. Now, however
conditions had become more settled,
but they had also become more com.
plex. The government was meeting
this problem among the peasants by
an endeavor to improve the machin-
cry Of local Soviet government, by
increasing expenditure on education,
and now that the improved economic
position Of the country warranted it,
by reduction in taxation.
A particularly interesting report on
.Transcaucasia was given by NJ Orak-
helashvili, president of the Transcau-
casian council of peoples commits
saries, in the course of which the re-
porter painted remarkable picture
of progress during the last few years.
The success achieved in the restora-
ton Of the oil industry of Transcau-
casia is well known. This progress
is being maintained, and the Azneft
is about to construct a new oil pipe
line betV cen Baku and Batum md to
erect a new oil refinery. The Zange-
zur copper mines have also been set
into operation, and already 1900
workers are employed in them. Pow
erful electric stations are being
built, and the leather and textile in
dustries are being rapidly restored.
1t is proposed to lease the Chiatura
manganese area as a concession on
the usual principle Of the Soviet con,
cession policy. Fifty-five per cent of
the Georgian budget is spent on edu.
cation. The number of children at
tending school is more by $50 per
cent as compared with czarist days.
and by 79 per cent as compared with
the menshevist period. The number
of teachers is now 1900 as compared
with 5000 under the mensheviks.
Similar results have been attained in
Armenia and Azerbaidjan.
EIectrifieation of U. S. S. r.
This year should conclude the first
five years program of work on elec.
IRRIGATION laid down by the commits
sion on the electrification of Russia
set up in 1920. This program pro
vided for the construction of the fol
lowing regional stations: the Volk.
hovstroi, Kashira, Nizhni-Novorod,
Shterov, and Kiezelov, and the com.
pletion of the Utkin-Zavod (now
known as Krassny- Oktiabr) station
near Leningrad. 1t will be remember
ed that it was one of Lenin's most
earnest desires that the electrifcation
of Soviet Russia should proceed as
rapidly as possible, because only by
the application Of electricity to indus.
try and agriculture could he visualize
the real liberation Of the workers.