The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-07-02
SOVIET FARMERS
BLAZE PATH TO
BETTER W ORLD
No Crisis on Huge Col
lective Farms in
Soviet Union
Holmetsk, U.s.s,R,

We are members Of the Ray of
Socialism" Collective Farm at Hol-
metsk, Dorogobujski County, Western
Province. At a general meeting, we
decided to write to you and describe
our life before the revolution and our
life now in the collective farm.
Our village used to have IL home
steads, and the area of land of all
kinds, useful and useless, was about
300 acres. The big landlord of the
village had 1850 acres, and he used
to rent it out on the most oppressive
terms. For working on his land, he
used to pay at the rate of so kopecks
a day for reaper, and rs kopecks
a day for women doing field work.
Though we lived in terrible condi-
lions, we were forced to buy 290 acres
of land from the landlord, for which
we had to pay 10,700 rubles. In or
der to make the first payment OF
5000 rubles, we poor farmers had to
sell our last COW and even much OF
our food. In addition to the oppres-
sive conditions under which we lived,
we had to hire land from the land
lord, for which we had to pay, 125
rubles every year, to give him hay,
ETC. The landlord was rolling in lux
ury, but we farmers and hired work
ers were terribly poor.
The Hand of the Priest.
We suffered equally at the hands
of the priest, Vassiliev, who made us
pay for funerals, weddings, etc. In
the autumn he would come into the
village and take rye, oats, etc., and
there were cases when he took the
last grain from poor farmers, saying
that God would care for the poor. No
one dared refuse the priest, as he
frightened them with hell fire.
BY the time we had paid the priest
and the landlord we had hardly any
thing left. In order to live we had
to go into the town to look for work.
while our families remained in the
village and almost starved.
The stores were full OF goods, but
we poor farmers could not buy them.
We had no money. Everything we
earned went to the landlord and the
Tsarist officials in rent or in land
taxes.
Then Came the Revolution.
Such we're the conditions under
which we lived until october, 1917.
Then the October Revolution swept
away all the exploiters, landlords,
priests and officials.
In place of the little strips of land
which we formerly cultivated, we have
now huge collective farm, on which
we can use tractors and other agri-
cultural machines. AS a. result, our
haryests have increased to 100 pools
(26 bushels per acre.. We have 1870
head of cattle, rs horses and many
pigs and sheep. We have self-bind-
ers, threshing machines, drills, seed
cleaners, etc.
Government Loans.
When we organized big collective
farm, the government gave us long
term loan of 10000 rubles and a gift
of 5000 rubles. We also received
pedigreed bulls and boars and also
agricultural machines. The govern
ment has expended large amount
of capital in drainage work. A
marshy meadow in our farm has
been drained and ploughed up with
tractors and we have seeded it with
good grass. We work in brigades,
such as ploughing, harvesting bri-
gades, etc. Work is paid for in kind
and in money. All work is piece
work, so that those who work hardest
receive the most. The profits OF the
collective farm are divided up ac-
cording to the number of working
days OF each member. The best shock
brigadiers get prizes. We sell our
surplus to the government at fixed
prices.
Schools Opened.
A school has been opened in the
collective farm. All the children over
years old go to school and have to
complete a 7-year course at least.
There are now no illiterates in the
farm. We have reading room,
day nursery and children's play
ground For the older children there
Is not only the school, but they have
the possibility of going to the uni
versity. Many Of them attend
courses in bookkeeping, stock rearing,
etc.
At intervals a doctor comes to the
collective farm to examine all the
members, including the healthy ones.
We collective farm members value
the achievements Of the october
Revolution, and we shall not let them
be taken from us. We keep close
watch on the doings of the wreckers
who want to restore capitalism. Our
path is not the path Of capitalism
!, but that of Socialism.
(Signed) Chairman of meeting, P.
Koslov; secretary, I. Koslov; MEM