The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-08-11
DAILY NEWS LETTER
By EUGENE LYONS United Press Staff COrreSf)ondcnt)

Moscow, (UP)-The major ef- forts of the Soviet government just now are directed toward the harvest, which now is in full sw Ing in Crimea. Northern Caucasus, the southern Ukrainian steppes and the Lower Volga region.
 While there are numerous com plaints about the lack of machin- cry and shortage of labor power in some places, the tone of the press is generally optimistic. Re ports from all parts of the coun- try indicate crops of better than average size and quality.
 Here there is nothing humdrum about harvesting. 1t proceeds amidst the shouting of the press with all the drama of d military campaign. The second socialist harvest as it is called, must prove to the world the advantages of collectivized farming, leaders insist. The first socialist harvest, in the communist language, was last year, when collective farming for the first time assumed a dom inant role in the national agri- culture.
 Collective Farms This year more than two-thirds of the total planted area in the country belongs to the state and collective farms. The government must maneuver all its available machinery to help harvest this area. Industry failed to provide agriculture with thousands of ma chimes which had been scheduled for production. This means that the existing harvesting machinery must carry an additional load The harvest begins early in the south and progresses northward-- in the Moscow region and parts of Siberia, for instance, 1t will not | begin until late August. The avail able machinery will therefore move northward likewise, being transferred to new area as soon as Its work is done in one place. ] Tens of thousands of young communists, office workers, stu , dents and others, organized as shock brigades," are pouring into the farming districts to help with harvesting where there is short age of hands.
 "The basic task of this years campaign" one of the Moscow newspapers explains editorially, 'is to harvest the crop to the last stalk and with the highest qual- ity. Not single kilogram of bread must rot in the fields or be spoiled .as to quality because of late harvest or bad work. To pro- duce as much marketable bread ] as possible is one of the main ele- | ments of our socialist construc- | tion.''
 The progress of harvesting Is reported in the press is big head lines, like real battles. The com pletion of the job on q large state. or collective farm, is described as a victory" and failure as a "de- feat" Every trick of mass psy- chology is used to impress the na- ton with the critical importance | of q large crop of high quality. Piccc.WOrk System On the collectives the piece work system Is being extended to stimulate activity and prizes are provided for individuals and groups who distinguish theHl' selves.
 He lOlloNthS bC"o pd'- | lished under large headline on the front pages, is typical of the spirit in which the harvest is con | ducted:
 "Saratov.--In the Niinichirsk district the Lenin Commune was the first to end its corn harvest on an area of 330 hectares. The commune carried through the
 whole work in five days instead
 of- six as planned. The shock troops exceeded their quotas ir the harvest, the horse and oS | brigades doing six or seven hec-
 tares in one shift instead of the
 normal i've
 | Where the results are not SC good, the press gives the facts
 even more prominence with view [ o"mobilizing social opinion 'or
 the subject.