The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-03-12
SOVIET FOREIGN TRADE
Constant Growth-A Favorable Balanc
By Fred Ellis

Constant Growth-A Favorable Balance.
The turnover of foreign Soviet trade in the
first quarter of the current fiscal year mot
including the transactions in Asia in Deem
ber) amounted to over 482,000,000 roubles-
$50 million exports and 232 million imports.
The favorable balance for the three months
thus amounts to IS million roubles.
The relative strength of Soviet industrial
exports increases every month. Compared with
the first quarter of the preceding fiscal year
it has risen SO per cent
This years favorable harvest and success
of the grain-colecting campaign has also af-
fected the trend of expectation of farm pro-
ducts Compared with last year there is
considerable increase in exports of flax and
grain. The total farm export compared with
the corresponding period of last year has risen
Is per cent.
There is considerably faster rate of ex-
ports this year than last. In 1928-29 Soviet
exports increased Is per cent. But in the first
quarter of this year the exports on the Euro
pean side alone increased "a per cent
Imports in the first quarter showed an in
crease of % per cent. The structure of the
import fully corresponds to the process of in
naturalization of the country. The biggest
increase is shown by the import of industrial
and transportation equipment. The import of
these items has increased 26 per cent and the
relative strength of this group in the general
import is 1925 per cent. Hence, almost one
third of the total import falls on equipment.
The import of raw material has relatively di-
minished. The internal raw material resources
are augmenting and raw material is used more
nationally. But most remarkable is the rapid
growth of import for agriculture The extern
sive mechanization of agriculture and the use
IF oh ir 70 off ba
of imports. The import of tractors and neces-
sary parts and also agricultural machinery and
instruments has quadrupled. The industrial
import comprises 90.6 per cent of the total
GROWTH OF REAL WAGES IN U.S.S.R
GUARANTEED.
Price Reduction on Commodities of
General Use.
The workers cooperatives of Moscow and
other industrial centers have reduced prices
on February 1 articles which play big
part in the workers budget: textile goods
clothing, underwear, footwear and various food
products. Prices have been cut about to 5
per cent compared with the prices of October,
1929. On some goods (ready-made clothing)
there is a cut Of 10 per cent and even of 20
per cent (footwear).
At the same time there is also price re-
ducton on bread (at least 0.5 kopeks per kilo),
potatoes, vegetables and fruits (from to Is
per cent?.
In Leningrad the price of black bread has
been lowered 16 per cent and white bread
per cent.
At the same time the workers cooperatives
are taking steps to increase the sale of goods
which hitherto the worker has been partly
buying on the market (the goods purchased
by workers on the market in the Soviet Union
amounted at the beginning of this year to
about IL per cent of manufactured goods and
1S per cent Of farm products). The role of
the private dealer will in this sphere be re-
duced to the minimum Ito about 2 to 8 per
cent?.
All these steps will guarantee reduction in
the cost of living of the working class family
of about SO to per cent as compared with
last year.
The workers nominal wages this year are