The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-10-26
Initiative Not Killed But
Born Under Workers Rule!
Socialist Rivalry" of Toiling Masses Umpire
cedented in World History
By /. Ry.

with new expressions Of the readi-
ness of the Soviet proletariat to
fight for the successful continuation
of the great event which began in
October, 1917. During the period of
struggle for the possession of in
dustry, workers control arose, which
alone made it possible to continue
the organization of the Soviet man
agement of nationalized industry.
Thus, during the period of recon-
struction of economy, which was
ruined by the war and the blockade,
the working-class began to form in
dustrial conferences-a new form of
participation by the masses. in econ
omic construction. And now, when
Soviet Russia has entered a new
period: the period of Socialist recon-
struction and the final elimination
of the remains of capitalism, when
simultaneously with the creation OF
grandiose tasks of the five-year
plan, the working class, its party,
and its power, have come face to
face with big difficulties-once
again we are the witness of wide
mass movement the like of which is
unknown in the history of mankind.
This Movement is Socialist Rivalry.
What is Socialist rivalry, what are
its aims and tasks, what is its poll
teal meaning, and what influence
has it on the further construction
of Socialism in the U.S.S.R.? This
rivalry is the reply of the working
class to the five-year plan, the reply
OF the great masses to the policy of
the Communist Party and Soviet
power, which is directed towards
decisively overcoming all political
and economic difficulties, and the
Fastening of Socialist reconstruction
in industry and in agriculture.
The Rights and the conciliators
became frightened Of these difficult
ties. They fell into a panic. They
began to defend the ideas of capitu-
lation before the 'kulaks" and "Nep-
men," and of relinquishing the
stronugholds Of Socialism to its
enemy capitalism. In 1928 already,
when the process of reconstruction
wa sfinished and, on the basis of
b the growth Of productive powers in
the Socialist section of economy,
great increase had begun in the pro-
cess of socializing industry and dis
tribution, we came up against great
difficulties, chiefly in the food ques-
ton. The "kulak," the chief repre-
sentative of capitalism in the land,
organized resistance to the policy of
the Soviet power and tried, by means
Of corn sabotage (refusal to sell
corn), to delay the gradual move
naent Of specialization. Then, already
a feeling of capitulation was noticed
amongst the unruly members of the
party Chose very members who,
subsequently, appeared in an organ
lied form a sthe Right wing). In
stead of firm attack on the 'ku-
lax" and "Nepman,' they advocated
the theory of concessions" (Liadoff
ard others). The five-year plan of
economic development evoked the
sharp criticism of the Rights and
conciliators, who feared the difficult
ties, and put forward demands which
would have really meant slow de-
scent to capitalism.
The political aspect and true sig
nificance, of the Right deviation and
the conciliators, have been suffi-
GENTLY exposed in the documents of
the C.P.S.U. and Cimintern. 1t is
unnecessary to repeat what is known
by everybody. We need only point
cut that the party voted UNANIMOUSLY
for forced Socialist attack, for an
inceased speed of reconstruction, for
specialization of agriculture, for the
firm overcoming of difficulties, for
pitiless fight against the class
enemy, for the five-year plan in its
improved form (that form that had
been ratified by the Fifteenth Party
Conference and the Fifth Congress
of Soviets).
The working masses discussed the
five-year plan. And the workers re-
piled to this great plan of works by
the organization of Socialist rivalry.
The Bourgeois economists and
philosophers have always, in their
fight against Socialism stated as one
of their greatest arguments that So
cialism would kill private initiative
the mots important factor of pro-
gress and that there will be no
ground for competition. Already in
1918 Lenin proved the groundless-
ness of these statements:
Socialism does not only not kill
rivalry: on the contrary it creates
the possibility for the first time
of using it widely on real mass
scale; of attracting a real majority
of the workers into such work where
they can reveal themselves make use
of their talents, Of which there is
virgin source in the people, and
which capitalism bent, oppressed,
and stifled by the thousand and mil
lion"
"a wide, true, mass creation of
the possibility of showing initiative
in rivalry can make bold beginning
only now" when 40 rthe first time
after centuries Of WORKING for 9TH