The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-01-28
by G. MELNITCHANSKY.


Daily News asked G. Melnitchansky,
president of the Moscow Central La
Dor Council seven questions about the
effect of the revolution on the social
and cultural positions of the Russian
workers and ON their material con
ditions.
Whether the Daily News published
the answers given by Melnitchansky
or not, they are of much interest to
American workers. Yesterday the
first three questions and answers
were published. We herewith publish
the answers to the last four questions.
Question 4. Is the practice of bas-
ing a workman's rental for lodgings
upon his wages an unfair burden on
the state by compelling the latter to
maintain buildings at loss and en-
aiding employing organizations to pay
the worker less than would be neces-
sary if he were paying the actual eX-
pense Of the lodging?
Rent Is Small Item.
Answer: The rent and charges for
municipal services do not constitute
large item Of expense in the work
er's budget. This method of calcu-
lating the rent was adopted during
the civil war, when wages were low.
We consider that it would be more
correct to have wages raised to such
an extent that the workers could
cover the cost of maintenance and re-
pairs of his apartment. We are en-
deavoring to carry it into effect in
our wage policy, but the economic
condition of our industries still is
such that it will be possible to bring
it about gradually. But even if we
do carry that into effect, we shall
still adhere to the class principle of
our rent policy, i. e., the whole bur-
den of maintenance and repairs
should rest upon the non-laboring and
possessing class.
Question 5. In what way is the con-
dition of the worker in the USSR
better than that of the worker in the
United States?
Answer: In the United States the
working class is enslaved politically
and economically, disorganized, and
| its forces are scattered. The arbi-
trary rule of united capital, which
has usurped the power and its agen-
cies-the police, the army, the courts
and the press, is so oppressive and
so revolving that nothing like it ex-
lists in any other country. In the
United States there are labor spies,
strike-breaking agencies, provoca-
ton, the right of every plant to have
its own special police-guard armed
from head to foot, with armored cars
and machine-guns, while the workers
are denied the right to bear arms.
All that is perfected more and more
with each succeeding year. The
workers, under these conditions, are
deprived of the right and possibility
to carry on an economic struggle, be-
cause it is doomed to failure when
facing such a formidable armed
enemy.
Workingclass Holds Power.
In the USSR the situation is en-
tirely different. The big industries
belong to the state, in which the
working class holds the reins of
power If there are private employ
ers who exploit hired labor, the CON
ditions of exploitation are restricted
by law and controlled by the trade
unions and, besides, the employers
are deprived of political rights and
so cannot use their pocketbooks in
order to make the government adj
ministration, the courts, the press,
the legislative bodies subservient to
them. All laws are framed solely
with view of serving the interests
of the working class and the labor
ing peasants. The courts, the army,
the police, the press-everything is
in the side of the workers and peas
ants. Spy and strike-breaking agen-
cies are unthinkable here, and it is
needless to say that private manu-
facturers are forbidden to possess
arms and to hire their own police. In
short, the whole political power with
all its attributes-the army, police,
the courts, the press, is in the hands
of the working class and on the side
Of the workers, and it is ready at
any moment to defend the life and
interests of the working class. If
such power were in the hands of the
working class in the United States,
if they should establish there such
an order, the conditions of life of the
working class there with such riches
and high technique, would be better
than in the USSR.
Question 6. Is the condition Of the
worker in the United States better
or equal to that of the worker in
USSR?
Still Partially Blockaded.
Answer. Politically the condition of
American workers is worse than that