Evening star., 1932-05-24
|SOV|ET INDUSTRY
BELOW QUOTAS
Production Shows Gain, but
Only Soap Is on Level
Demanded in Plan.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, May ACHIEVEMENT pro-
duction figures for the first quarter Of
this year show that while the basic
lines of heavy and light industry in
creased their output considerably over
that of the same period last year, they
failed appreciably to attain the quotas
set for them in the final year Of the
five-year plan.
The percentages by which various key
branches of industry fell short Of the
program set for them In the first three
months indicate that strenuous efforts
will be necessary If these shortcomings
are made up during the next three
quarters and the plan for the year as a
whole is fulfilled.
In heavy industry the returns for
coal, pig iron and steel production,
which always have been the most back
ward of the country's industrials, re-
vealed them as still falling behind the
ambitious control figures, although
greatly in excess Of last years output
for the similar period.
Transportation Is Retarded.
The same held true In transportation,
another basic link in the economic
chain, which has been one of the chief
retarding factors in industrial develop
ment, due to inadequate facilities and
unskilled operations.
OF the light industrial products. con-
sisting of manufactured goods, only the
output of soap fulfilled the plan allotted
for them for the first three months of
1882. All the rest, while SURPRISING
that OF the same period last year, fell
below the control figures.
Ofiicial concern has been manifest
over the sharp decline in coal produc-
ton noted In the first quarter as COM
pared with the previous three months,
and it, more than transportation, is
blamed for interfering with the produc-
ton OF steel.
Machine Industry Hampered.
The shortage of steel, In turn, con-
stitutes a menace to the machine
building industry as we'll as new rail-
road construction. Strenuous measures
are being applied to the coal regions i'll
an effort to start production on the
upcurve again.
The breakdown in operations at the
acknowledgement Ford automobile plant
and the serious difficulties encountered
by some Of the larger agricultural COM
bine factories were attributed mainly to
absence Of single responsible directing
heads and unskilled labor.
Lack Of fuel and poor transportation
affected the lighter manufacturing en-
terprises, but the chief fault was found
tc have been unsatisfactory administra-
tion combined with insufficient skilled
operating personnel.
Coal Production Gains.
Coal production for the quarter
amounted to 17,221 900 tons, an increase
OF 356 per cent over 1881. but repe-
senting only 869 per cent Of the first
quarter program.
Output Of pig iron is placed at 1,39s,-
600 tons, a gain of 27.5 per cent, but
20.l per cent under the plan.
Steel production was lass. 900 tons,
an increase of Is per cent, but repre-
senting only 1913 per cent of the plan
Freight car loadings for the first
quarter amounted to 100000 tons an
increase Of 80 per cent over 1891, but
IA per cent below the plan.
Figures for light industry included:
Shoes. 18.116,000 pairs, increase of 13
per cent over 1881; 1873 per cent of
plan.
Textiles Cotton cloth, 624,456, 900
meters. 8 per cent increase; el.2 per
cent Of plan
Woolen cloth, 26.000,O00 meters.
per cent increase; 900 per cent Of plan.
Soap (toilet and laundry, 81 1896 tons.
70.8 per cent increase; 63 per cent over
plan
Glassware, So per cent increase; s6
per cent of plan.