The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-10-26

A group of young enthusiastic work
ers formed themselves into brigade
and undertook the task of showing
an example of highly productive and
disciplined labor which would be
much more productive than the la
Dor of the rest of the workers; they
then challenged other workers, chief
ly the young workers, to compete
with them. The brigades voluntarily
raised the rate of production, APP
piled new methods to their work,
and aimed at considerably lowering
the cost price Of goods in the So
cialist factories. AS in the case Of
all pioneers the Fighters" met with
distrust at the first. But soon the
fighting" brigades became very
popular. Others-not only the
youthful workers, but the adult and
old wokers as well-were infected
by their enthusiasm. Rivalry was
becoming common to all the workers.
The workers of the Kamensky pa
per factory and of the Red Elector
laid the foundations Of rivalry
amongst the workers generally. They
published a letter in the press in
which they put before all the work
ers the necessity of carrying out,
and if possible of exceeding, the
tasks of the economic plan in the
sphere Of productivity of labor,
lowering of cost prices, etc. They
challenged the workers of other fac
tories to compete with them. This
appeal met with the warm response
Of the prolearians. A mass move
ment of rivalry began. A decisive
impetus was gievn by the historic
'Tver Contract" On the 8th of
April conference was called of the
textile workers of various districts
in Tver. In the same of sixty-eight
thousand workers a Socialist con-
tract on rivalry was concluded. The
concrete duties which the workers in
each factory had to fulfil were de-
tailed in the contract. The exact
amount in the increase in the pro-
ductivity of labor, and the decrease
in cos prices for each factory was
clarly statd. The contract was con-
cluded in the presence of thousands
of workers amidst scenes of unpre-
cedented mass enthusiasm.
After this wave of challenges and
contracts began which rolled over
the whole country. Hardly fac
tory was left which had not chal-
lenged another or had not been
challenged itself. The roll-call of the
factories lasted about two months.
Rivalry had taken on a wide mass
character.
AS as an example of the terms
'of thees contracts on rivalry, this is
an extract from contract concluded
gy the workers of the tobacco fac
tories:
"Fillad with the ardent desire to
realize the great task undertaken
by the Communist Party in accord
ance with Lenin's tstament, we enter
into Socialist rivalry with factory
workers and undertake to raise the
labor productivity of one worker in
the second half of the year as com
pared with 1927-1928; 35 per cent
in the "Java" factory; 40 per cent
in the "Doukat" factory; 80 per cent
in the Red Star" factory; so per
cent in the "Clara Zitkin" factory;
a. per cent in the "Rosa Luxem-
bourg' factory; as per cent in the
'Oussachev factory"
The decrease in the cost price
must, according to contract, be from
8.8 per cen ito 11.25 per cent in
every factory. The limits of waste
and idleness allowed ae laid down
exactly for each factory separately.
In the Java" the workers under
take to decrease idleness from 6.S
per cent to per cent; in the "Dou-
kat" from SO per cent to per cent,
etc. Waste in the production of
cigarette case bobbins must diminish
from As per cent to per cent in the
"Java," and from 5.8 per cent to 2.5
per cent in the "Doukat," etc.
We see thus that the contract is
by no means just a show-and agi-
rational document. 1t has an ex-
tremely seious business character.
The workers undertake certain obi
cations on the basis of precise cal
culations and of an all-around study
of the conditions Of production in
each separate factory. Entirely con-
crete obligations are undertken. The
tobacco workers contract is typical
Of the great majority of the con-
tracts. At tn esame time, before the
contract is signed, it must be dis
cussed by the workers Of every fac
tory entering into rivalry.
The conclusion Of a contract Of
rivalry between various factoris is
followed by the organization Of riv
airy within the factory; between
guilds and shifts, between separate
brigades and groups of wrkers, and
between individual workers. This
rivalry is carried on everywhere.
Guild with guild, shift with shift,
group with group, etc. all conclude
contract where they state the ex-
act obligations relating to produc-
tivity of labor, reduction Of cost
n,.ica and en- On Tho enthusiasm of