The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-06-02
LABOR PROTECTION IN SOVIET
RUSSIA. By George M. Price. In
ternational Publishers. SIPS.

AA<AoO4S L W. GO11O4N LIN ~ LIZ 4
RUSSIA. By George M. Price. In
ternational Publishers. SIPS.
Reviewed by ROBERT w. DUNN.
THIS is very valuable book. To
= those who may think that the Van
guard Press fifty cent series covers
the field for the workingclass reader,
DR.. Prices book will come as a plea
SAINT surprise. For he handles many
subjects referred to only briefly in
the other books. He gives us a par
ticularly interesting Introductory
chapter on the conditions of the work
ers under the open shop era of Gar
dom.
One can get more out Of this COM
pact little volume than out of the
flood of highly selected statistical
and descriptive material on Russia
that has emanated from the Interna-
tional Labor Office in Geneva during
the last few years. Indeed it is a
fact, admitted by the agents of this
League Of Nations enterprise, that
the Russian experts" who write
these reports are little more than
open enemies Of the Soviet regime.
Such American economic scientists as
Paul H. Douglas of the University of
Chicago have expressed themselves
very forcibly on this subject. Writ
ing to Albert Thomas, director of the
International Labor Office, some
months ago, Professor Douglas point
ed out that Sin many issues of the
international Labor Review ISSUED
by the International Lafor Office)
find articles on Russian coopera-
tives, housing, wages, trade unions,
etc, and l always find that the cri-
ticisms are stressed very strongly
with very scant attention paid to the
constructive accomplishments of these
movements" Douglas told Thomas
that he had read over the large vol
ume, "The Trade Union Movement in
Russia" issued by the International
Labor Office in 1927, and found chat
it preBents very misleading pic
ture." Douglas also wrote:
Il am informed that the men who
are IN charge of the Russian section
{of the international Labor Office)
are former members of the social
democratic party who cannot nc.
return TO Russia and who feel quite
bitter at the present regime. With
out wishing TO disparage their hon
est intentions it would nevertheless
seem to me to be highly undesirable
that on matter so delicate as this
and one upon which the world needs
accurate information, the agency
Tor its distribution should be men
who have quite apparent bias. 1t
would be better, l think, for the
International Labor Office to close
It's Russian section and to publish
the material which it has in the
past"
DR.. Price is not the League of Ma
lions type of reporter on the Russian
scene. His impartiality is recognized
in all political camps. His compe-
tency is undisputed. He has grasped
tie true significance of the work of
labor protection carried on by the
Soviet government and the Soviet
unions. He tells his story simply and
clearly.
Since DR.. Price wrote this book
word comes from Moscow that in adj
dition to the general outlay for the
protection of labor required by law
and collective agreement in Russia,
the industries of the Soviet Union will
this year set aside an additional rs
million dollars for special measures
designed to improve the conditions of
work. This will include expenditures
for special safety appliances, ventila-
ton, and many sanitary measures.
DR.. Price describes what the indus
tries have already done to provide for
the safety, health and comfort of the
worker.
During the present period of unem-
ployment in the United States it will
interest workers here to know some
of the facts pointed out in the chap
ter dealing with social insurance-for
example that the unemployed worker
in the U. S. S. R. receives about so
per cent of his regular wages while
employed. Also that "sick benefits
are paid from the first day of sick
ness and the rate of payment is full
wages" Also that the rate of social
insurance contributions from indus
try sis larger than in any other coun-
try, for while in other countries it
ranges from two to four per cent of
the wages, in Russia it amounts on
the average to not less than fourteen
per cent, thus giving three and half