Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-12-03
What Other Editors Are
/: Thinking
THE REASON RUSSIAN WHEAT is
SLOWING UP ON WORLD MARKET.

THE New York Times presents an inter
l esting analysis Of the Russian influence
upon our wheat market which has ull-
questionably been major factor in the de-
moralization Of wheat prices here and else
where. The Times says
A fairly clear idea is now obtainable Of
the Russian wheat situation. An Associated
Press dispatch last Thursday credits Rus
STA with sending out 100000 bushels in
the August October quarter, followed by
sudden drop, with the certainty" that the
movement of Russian wheat is over for this
year. This view checks perfectly with the
information supplied in our department of
commences Russian economic notes, deal
ing with the difficulties of grain collection
as described in the official soviet press. In
July and August collections were better
than in the same period last year, but Sep
TENDER collections were badly in arrears.
In the two principal areas, the Ukraine and
were, respectively, GA per cent and Sis
per cent of the quota. For all OF Soviet Rus
STA the rate was only 68.6 per cent. The easy
flow Of wheat into the soviet government
grain bins in July and August, and the seri
Gus stoppage in September correspond to-
the movement of Russian wheat abroad.
With Russia the reason for the grain
blockade IS ultimately more important than
the blockade itself. The farm-collectives,
counted upon for ga per cent of the grain
supply, are holding out. The government
sees in this manifestation of tsemi-kulak' =
psychology; and it is natural that peasant
resistance should profit by the facilities for
common action supplied by the very collec-
tives To some extent they are said to be
holding back in fear of bad crops next year;
the weather this year was bad. and good
or poor crops move in cycles. But seri
Gus reason for the drop in collections, ac
cording to the Washington information, isl
the failure of the authorities to supply the
peasants with sufficient amount OF manu-
featured goods. This view is confirmed by
Mr.. Duranty in a recent dispatch to theI
Times The government is once more COM
PEELED to fight on bread front; and the
reason is the same that brought Lenin to|
terms in 1921 I'm the face of drastic coercion
against the kulaks and of collective recon
struction, the peasant will somehow find a
way to hold back his grain if he gets nothing
for it in return. The governments grain
shortage is due primarily to the chronic
goods famine.
This deficit in manufactured goods in
turn is closely related to the five-year plan.
It aims to equip Russia with a great IL
dustrial plant for the future production OF
consumers goods In the meanwhile the
Russian people are expected to draw IN their
belts tight But there are two warnings
against this easy formula. A grain collec-
ton crisis like the present one shows that
there is Il limit to Russian popular consent
to 90 without. In the second place, as the
year 1892, the date set for the completion OF
the "five-year plan in four" draws near
a grave doubt has presented itself: Whcn|
the power plants and factories built largely
with FOREIGN aid are completed. and the ma