The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-11-23
TREATMENT OF
SOVIET WORKER
DRAWS STUDENT
Visitor Impressed By
Human Element
BY THOMAS L. DA5NEY,
Federated Press)

ers Union, one of the first two colore
students at Brookwood Labor College
and went to- Russia with the summe
student delegation from the Unite
States. This delegation was a spor
taneous one, having nothing to do wit
any radical organization in this cour
try and making it's own arrangement
directly with Russian authorities.-Et
itor).
During my stay of eight weeks i
Russia with the American delegatio
Of students, I visited factories
Moscow, Mimi Noygorod, Saratoy
Kharkhov, GorloYka and other places
In all, inquiries were made in regar
to the social benefits provided 70
workers in the various factories.
found that certain percent of the re
turns of each factory was paid to tn
state to cover the social insuranc
for the workers. Trade unions, like
wise, set aside a sum of money for sc
cial benefits.
Workers Come First.
In Russia one is impressed with tn
fact that the workers are considere
to be of more Importance than tn
expansion of industry-or the maxim
of profits. The human element come
first. Wages are the smallest ite1
in the workers. reward for labor
Needs such as recreation, travel, sic
and insurance benefits, medical after
ton, housing, the education of thei
children, the yearly holiday and res
are supplied by the state. The trad
unions also grant certain benefits.
The care of workers health is en-
phasized everywhere in the Sovie
Union. saw rest homes, resorts an
hospitals for workers in several cite
and in the Crimea. At Samara, 70
example, our delegation had dinner a
q rest home for workers. Their,
were well kept flower gardens an
provisions were made for recreatio,
and games.
7 Vacation System.
Our delegation visited tubercula
hospital near Samara where 1876 pa
tients were receiving medical after
ton. While there we were informe
that trade unions were allotted a Gel
tain number of beds in such hospital
according to their membership. o.
the recommendation of a physician
member of the trade union who is il
the most urgent need of medical al
tention is sent to the hospital. AL
workers receive an annual vacation
with pay. The length of vacation val
les from two weeks to a month &C
cording to the kind and danger of tn,
work to health in which one is en-
gagged. Coal miners get a months va
cation.
l saw what is being done for work
ers in Don Basin coal fields at Cor
lovka. Already 112 new homes have
been built. These homes are built Of
stone and some of lumber to house
families of four, six and eight mem
bers. Electricity is being installed anc
modern equipment for the service and
comfort of the miners and their fam
ilities. A new hospital and a palace
Of labor are in the process of con
struction. Practically all homes BULL
before the revolution are still occu
pied. The new homes are much larger
and more sanitary. They surpass any
Of the homes for the miners in the
coal fields of Pennsylvania
When our delegation visited the
Secretary of State Planning Commits.
sion (Gosplan) in Moscow, we met one
Of the enthusiastic workers of Russia.
He had been to America for over eight
years and was imprisoned in 1919 for
radical activities. He explained his
preference for Soviet Russia in this
way:
"In America there was nothing but
work and work. After one has finish
ID working, one is too tired to go any
where. And there is little amusement
Or recreation for the workers. Here
t is different. can go to the theater,
Tisit friends or read; and | am not
90 tired to enjoy my leisure. If feel
'ad or sick ! go to my comrade and
Jay | want to go home, and it's all
light. ] do not have any boss here.
am my own boss"
This idea of being ones own boss,
If being free to quit work when one
S sick, seems to permeate the whole
class. One works for ones
'elf and for the common good. 1t is
his idea that furnishes the motive
power for increasing production and
iocial reconstruction in the Soviet
Union.