The producers news., 1927-05-27
By JOHN B. CHAPPLE
Federated Press)

In only one European country is
there a well-defined scientific pro-
gram for bettering the mass of the
agricultural population. That coun-
try is Russia.
The Russian peasants got land as
the result of war and revolution. But
it is realized that the possession of
a small farm is not the goal of land
reform, but merely the beginning.
Large scale, machine agriculture is
coming. In other countries the ma
chine age means the small peasants
enslavement to new master. In
Russia machine agriculture means not
slavery, but emancipation.
The method is the introduction Of
modern technic not for the benefit of
an owner, but for all. To the growth
of collectivist farming the Soviet
government gives whole-hearted sup
port and there is already a union or
cooperative of these collectives.
Twenty or thirty or 100 small
peasants agree to farm together. Per-
haps they seek to avoid the tolls of
rich peasants who exact heavy toll
for the rent of machinery, or it is
because the government assists col
! lectives by easier credits, or better
results already achieved convince
these farmers that large-scale meth
DDS are superior. Frequently they
leave their village and receive new
land.
The method of farm operation is
similar to that of a factory soviet.
The members of the collectivist farm
elect the management, fix the time
of seeding, plan the expenditures,
etc. The collectivist farms in some
cases need pay only half taxes, so it
:, is advantageous for a peasant with a
small holding to join in a vigorous
collective farm.
There are over 5000 collevtive far
ming societies with 10000 members
affiliated with the All-Russian Union
of Agricultural Cooperatives.
The total number of collective
farms of all kinds is $4,000, and the
total area cultivated by them is T.
100000 acres. Yet this represents
but 2 per cent of the possibilities of
collectivism, for 81 per cent of the
land of Russia is in the hands of the
peasants. Of the remainder 3 per
cent In the possession of the state,
some is in big model soviet farms,
which though not collectivist, are in
strumental in stimulating collectiv-
ism.
The soviet farms are big farms
taken over from private landlords
and operated on the factory system.
A manager is sent by the commisari-
at of agriculture and the workers
are hired. The workers are protected
by labor code. The modern large
scale methods of these farms stimu-
late the peasants all around to form
! collectivist farms. The Russian Re
construction farm at Maslov Kut In
the Caucasus, run by former Ameri-
cans, has noted a marked increase in
tractors and industrial farming ir
the surrounding territory since il
commenced operation.
Collectivist farming as an import
ant development began in 1917, i'm
mediately after the revolution. II
1922 many hastily formed, uneconom
: ic collectivist groups fell away. To
day the movement is increasing
steadily again.
The Soviet government, in stimu
lating both industrial and agriculture
; development, seeks to keep them bal
anced. Until now most emphasis ha:
been placed upon industrial develop
ment because underproduction of in
dustrial products placed burden O.
high prices on city worker and farm
, er alike. Imports of industrial pro
! ducts were limited but Russian indus
try could not fill the gap quickl!
enough. Now production has increas