The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-01-29
DELEGATION OF
SOVIET RUSSIA
ENGINEERS HERE
To Study Metal Industry
and Buy Machinery

NEW YORK CITY, Jan. 27.--Repre-
sentatives of the Soviet Union ore
mining and metal industries recently
arrived in this country will spend here
about three months studying methods
Of production with a view toward
placing orders for equipment They
have established their headquarters in
the offices Of the Amtorg Trading Cor
poration at 1876 Liberty street, thru
which all their orders will be placed.
Among the arrivals are Messrs Alexis
Smolnikoff, president and Peter Droz-
shiloh, member of the board Of direct
ors Of the Consolidated Platinum In.
dustry known as the Uralplatina
Messers Nikolai Kuzmin and Alexan-
der Strkhnin representing the Machin-
cry Construction Trust of Leningrad,
and Mr.. Serge Podiakonoff, represen.
tative of Supreme Council Of Public
Economy, director Of the state ore in
dustry, and collaboration Of the State
Planning Commission.
VIII tUbRGSt NVOtNo IVOiSs
The primary purpose Of the arrived
representatives all Of whom are en-
gineers specialized in the respective
industries is to inspect some Of the
larger works in this country where
dredges and other mining equipment
are constructed which might be in
troduced in the platinum fields in the
Urals. In addition considerable orders
are contemplated for the needs Of the
rehabilitated heavy industries and for
re-equipment of the factories. In this
connection it was pointed out by the
members of the delegation that during
the past year the Soviet industries
have shown a gain in production of
over so per cent above the production
of the preceding year. The industries
have been working at 40 per cent Of
the normal pre-war level. Particular
gains have been made in the produc-
ton Of pig iron, the output in the ifs
cal year 1923-1924 by ITO per cent
The output of steel increased by 60
per cent over the preceding year. The
industries are advancing with rapid
strides toward attaining the pre-war
level The average productivity of in
dividual factories and works has al
ready been brought up to 80 per cent
Of the per-war normal. In the Ural in
dustries the process of consolidating
the works in fewer plants so as tc
eliminate economic waste has been
practically completed and the plants
working at present are constantly in
creasing their output At the same
time work on a large scale has be-
gun to re-equip the existing plants
along the most modern and efficient
lines.
Progress in Metal Industry.
An important factor in the recon.
struction Of the metal industries is the
increased consumption on the internal
markets. Thanks to the economic
measures adopted during the past year
it became possible to lower consider
ably the prices for the finished prod
ucts. On the other hand the increased
prosperity of the population created
larger demand for industrial prod
ucts. Large orders have been coming
in from the co-operatives and individ-
ual communities. The Ural industries
are now provided with orders for all
their ready supplies as we'll as for
their total output during the year 1925
which is to be increased by so per
cent against the output of the past
year.
During the three-months' stay in this
country, the delegation viii visit the
largest centers of the metal industries
and the most important ore mining
centers and gold and platinum fields.