Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1931-10-29
daily ration.

bad Mr.. Roome declared and In some
cases the families live and sleep in one room.
There are many thousands of unemployed
in Moscow, and we commented on the fact
that one day. while watching a gang of men
repairing a road in a main street, only about
fifty men were employed, while in England
we should have seen about two hundred
men employed on a job of that description.
Sanitation is dreadful and there are flies by
the million"
Describing a visit to a mine in the neigh
borhood of Artinovst, Mr.. Roome remark
ed: "On our way through the village we
were shown shacks which we were told used
to house the miners in the old days, and the
officials who were conducting us told us that
they were kept standing as a reminder to the
people of bygone times. On going a little
further, we sax exactly the same shacks oc-
cupied by miners. We say what they told us
was a modern house. This was an improve
ment on the old, but was still very primitive
and, although free to the miners was of a
type which has been condemned by the
Communists in this country as not being
good enough for miners"
III q ooll III uCoI tICy dSA-
ed the officials what was the average life of
the miner in Russia, and a Soviet answered:
"Forty-five years This set me wonder
ing" commented Mr.. Roome, because had
been told that these miners were pensioned
off at fifty years Of age, and so a Russian
miner is an elderly man at forty-five."
Speaking of his visit to a rest home at
Donetz, to which most of the workers are ia
ken from the mines and heavy industries,
Mr.. Roome said that they asked if the peas
ants were allowed their holidays in the same
way as the people in the heavy industries,
and they were informed: Yes, if they pay
their union contributions" They further
asked a Soviet official how many peasants
there are at present in the home, and he re-
piled: None" The miners comment was:
And so we thought a good deal"
One person, who could speak very little
English. told them that if the Russian miners
could go to England they would be satisfied
to live in a workhouse.
Eggs were 7Td each, butter was Is per
h., to get a pair of boots soled cost los cd,
and the price of a bicycle was $50.
On a visit to the new Economic Mines,
forty miles from Artinovst, engineers told
them hat the men were working for nothing
that day. the money being given to the Gov
eminent for industrial purposes"
Referring to the loose marriage laws, the
other miner remarked that they all could
have been married while in Russia. The mar
riage could have been continued for the dur
alton of their visit and then dissolved!
MIR. Southan, headmaster Of Eythorpe
School, near Dover who accompanied the
miners, said that they found food very dear
in Russia. While waiting for their meals,
he added, they observed beggars come into
the restaurants and take scraps of food and
even bones left on the tables.
We had sometimes to step over pros.
trate, starving people lying on the pave.
ment's.' he continued. Hundreds of poor
beggars line the streets, and able-bodied men
were selling flowers in the cutters. The
men $ pay in the mines was Az roubles pei
day, which purchased less than IS worth Of
food. Everyone seemed to hate Mcdonald
and all were expecting England to fiqht
Russia. We were told hat conditions ir
Moscow-unemployment and misery, were
much worse in winter, as many who were
harvesting in the summer came into town
Clothing and food are very dear
Here is a land that is sending its agent.
all over the world in an endeavor to soviet
ize the globe. Here is a sample of the pros
perlty that, for instance, is promised the
American working man by the communist
ic propaganda. 1t is needless to state tina
the unanimous opinion Of Mr.. Smiths EN-
p,loyees was to remain at the %colliery rathel
than migrate to Russia.
IT American citizens have any desire te
see the revolving scenes, briefly sketchte
above re-enacted in our country, let them en-
COIlrano thu cornDn.A IL IL