The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-04-25
BY JOSEPH STAIN.

Eighth question: What should be done with
the Communes, shall they be dissolved?
Answer. No. That is not necessary. l
speak of the real communes, not the paper
communes. In the corn districts of the Soviet
Union there exist a number of splendid COM
munes which deserve encouragement and sup
port. | have in mind the old communes which
have stood years of trial, which have been
steeled in the struggle and thereby justified
their right to existence. AS regards the new
communes which have only recently been
formed, they will be capable of justifying their
existence only when they have been voluntar-
lily organized, with the active support of the
peasants, without compulsory specialization of
the conditions of life.
The formation and the management of the
communes is an intricate and difficult affair.
Large and firm communes can exist and de-
velop only where there are experienced cadres
and proved leaders. The over hasty transition
from the statute of an Arte to the statute
of a commune can repel the peasants from
the collective farm movement. Therefore, one
must approach this matter with special SER
iousness and without an undue haste. The
Artel is easier matter and more accessible
to the minds of the broad masses of peasants.
Therefore, at the present moment the Artel
is the most common form of the collective
farm movement. Only to the extent that the
agricultural Artels are strengthened and con-
solidated can the basis be created for mass
movement of the peasants to the communes.
Therefore the Commune, which constitutes the
highest form, becomes the most important
link in the collective farm movement of the
future.
Ninth question: What is to be the position
with regard to the kulaks?
Answer: Up to the present the question of
the middle peasant engaged our chief atten-
ton. The middle peasant is an ally of the
working class, and we must conduct a friendly
policy towards him. The case is otherwise
with regard to the kulak. The kulak is an
enemy of the Soviet Power. We have not
and cannot have peace with him. Our policy
towards the kulak is policy of liquidating
him as a class. This, of course does not
mean that we liquidate him at one stroke.
1t means, however, that we shall proceed in
order to encircle and liquidate him.
Lenin said the following with regard to the
kulaks:
"The kulaks are the most bestial ruthless
and savage exploiters, who in the history OF
other countries have more than once restored
the power of the big landed proprietors, the
cars, the priests and the capitalists. There
are more kuaks than there are big landown-
ers and capitalists. Nevertheless, the kulaks
are minority of the population During the
war these blood-suckers enriched themselves
by taking advantage of the need of the peo-
pie. They piled up thousands and hundreds
of thousands of roubles by forcing up the
price of corn and other products. These spiders
have become fat at the cost of the peasants
ruined by the war, at the cost of the starving
workers. These leeches have drunk of the
blood of the toers and have become richer
the more the workers in the towns and in
the factories have starved. These vampires
have grabbed and are grabbing the land of
the big landowners, they are making the poor
peasants slaves again." (Vol Xxx, part 2,
257.)
We have tolerated these blood suckers,
spiders and vampires, while carrying through
policy of limiting their exploiting tendencies.
We have tolerated them, because there was
nothing with which to replace the kulak pro-
duction. Now we have the possibility of sub
shutting their farms over and over again by
our collective farms. We need no longer toll
crate these spiders and blood-suckers. who
commit arson on the collective farms, kill the
functionares of collective farms, and en-
deavorng to destroy the seed: to tolerate them
any longer would mean to act against the in
terests of the workers and peasants.
Therefore, the policy of liquidating the
kulaks must be carried out with that energy
and consistency Of which only the Bolsheviki
are capable.
Tenth question: What is the next practical
task of the collective farms?