Evening star., 1932-04-10

the Soviets. gone lnSo the business on
a huge scale.
There is a japanese match industry.
too, but it has not been especially sue
ceSsful. The Japanese matches do not
have the same kind of straight, clear
wood and they break of readily. The
United States produces vast supply
of matches, largely of the old-fash-
ioned kind, long Stemmed and heavy
and used more for lighting fires than
for smokers use.
Matches were made in Russia before
the World War, but it was not until
the SovietS took over the great manu-
featuring enterprises of the nation that
the match industry rose to the prom
inence which now it occupies. As far
back as 1893 we have production fgures
for matches. In that year / ,S25, 1913, 900
boxes of matches were made in Russia
and 7,09l 900 boxes were exported BY
1914, the beginning of the World War.
this production had grown to 4,l57,-
528, 900 boxes and exports to 309, AGO. 600
boxes.
Russian Production Increases.
The World War and the revolution
disorganized all industry to such an ex-
tent that match production fell to low
point of l ,424, 900 900 boxes for the years
1922 and 1928, with exports Of about
$4,000 boxes. Recovery was slow.
along with recovery in other lines, and
by 1927 production had reached 1924
O00. 900 boxes, with 100, 900 900 boxes
exported-about the position of the in
dustry before the World War.
Then came the f1ve-year plan, with
all production being put on a scheduled
basis. The next year match production
rose to 5,499, 600, 900 boxes, with 1872
689 900 boxes exported. and continued
to gain Last year production was
10 900, ,000, 900 boxes, or nearly three
times pre-War, and exports around
2. 600, 900 900 boxes. The five-year-
plan schedule calls for a 1882 produc-
ton of 12,400, 900, 900 boxes. This plan
called for the expenditure OF 25,0OO, 900
rubles, or about $4,000, 900, in recon-
struction and expansion of the indus
try Eleven old factories have been ex-
panded and 10 new ones constructed,
and there has been complete mechanical
ton Of all plants. according to the best
information available.
Russia now claims to produce one
| fifth Of the worlds matches. she eX-
ports to all principal countries, but dur
! ing the last year has encountered dlI-
| ficulties Germany is her best customer,
taking half of her total exports OF
! Is 8040 900 metric tons. Great Britain
and the United States each have been
| taking about $3.50 900 metric tons. but
| the dumping difficulties have slowed the
/ trade in recent months. 1t has been
claimed that Russia has sold here below
/ the cost of home production, and that
/ is against our tariff laws. Russia de-
nies this charge, pointing out that under
/ the Soviet system of production, in
which no profits have to be paid to
capital, matches can be made far more
| cheaply.
| Before the World War Russia had 90
small privately -owned match factories,
| employing 10000 people. Now, with
some Is factories, employing 24,000
people and much additional labor
| saving machinery, several times the pre-
war output is obtained. The industry
| is under the immediate direction Of the
| Soviet trust known as the Al-Union
| Match Syndicate, which comes under
the peoples commissariat for light in
dustry.