The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-01-07
BY Vern Smith

MOSCOW, U.S.S.R. Elections to
the city soviet and to the soviets
of the ten raions or wards of Mos
cow began Dec. 10, and most of the
biggest factories did their voting on
the 10th and 18th.
Several meetings had to be held
at the larger plants, so that each
shift got It's chance to ballot, and
even several meetings at time in
some plants because of the lack of
halls large enough to hold the whole
shift. Other meetings on terri
torial basis are now being held for
housewives and workers of officers
and institutions not large enough
for single meetings. In the Soviet
city the basis of representation for
industrial workers is the factory, so
many delegates from each plant,
according to the number of workers
in it.
The actual election meeting comes
as a climax to six weeks or two
months period of election cam
paign, in which many meetings were
held by these worker electors, and
many reports heard. First, the So
viets themselves submitted to the
electorate a detailed analysis of the
work of each member. Then the
members of the soviets reported at
meetings held Of those who elected
them, and we're submitted to criti-
cism and discussion. These meet
ings, or later ones, drew up just
what the workers wanted them to
do in the soviets.
I have just come from the cleo
ton at the Trekhgornaya textile
factory, $500 workers, in the Kras-
-Presnaya raion of Moscow. I
sat through the election meeting
of the spinning and weaving and
calico printing departments morn
ing shift. The meeting began at
2 pm. in the factorys own theatre
located near the plant and near the
big colony of new apartment houses
in which the employees of this fac
tory live.
Shows Realism
The first thing, and a very sig
nificant thing for it shows the real
ism of the Soviet worker, and the
knowledge that he runs industry
through his soviet government, was
the mingling of production CAM
paign and election.
The whole raion was decorated
dixie the other nine raions) with
street banners proclaiming the con-
struction and industrial output sue
cesses so far achieved and announc-
ing the plans for the future. Work
ers left their looms and spinning
frames, formed in column and pre-
coded by bands of music, marched
singing from the plant to the meet
ing. They bore huge red signs:
Elect the best to the Sovietsl" and
they carried also great wheel
shaped frames displaying the new
materials their plant is producing
The bulk of the Trekhgornaya plant
production now is composed of 7e
new sorts of beautifully patterned
cloths, manufacture of which began
only this year.
The long procession wound Its
way. singing the "Premoria Par.
tisans' Song" and other revolution
airy and popular airs, every one ex.
cited and laughing, band music anc
accordion music bursting forth every
little way along the line, and with
the Haunting rainbow Of fine wover
cottons above them. Many of the
women and girls wore handker.
chief head dresses made OF the
latest product of Trekhgorka looms
Poured Into Theatre
They poured into all doors of tn,
theatre, and filled it in few min
utes. Admission was by presentation
of the election notices prviously sen
to each elector by the election com
mission.
Once inside music and singins
continued, and couple Of girls, un
able to retrans their high spirits
climbed to the stage where the pre-
sidiun and the members of the cleo
ton commission sat, and performed