Evening star., 1935-12-29
Fading Red Of Russia
CONTINUED From Third Page.)

Communist party zealously began to
enforce the new one: Distinguish
yourself, rise above others" In the
ensuing two years all of Russia's in
dustrial structure was rebuilt along
these lnes-high salaries were intro
duced for engineers. managers Of fac
tories, etc., and labor was put on the
piece-work system (Which formerly
had been termed "a bloodsucking
capitalistic device'O with all sorts OF
premiums drom a pair of shoes to a
trip to. the Crimea) for increased
productivity. The trick has worked;
under the vivifying influence Of
inequality, RusSia's productive ma
chinery has begun to function. 1t
still functions badly-the cost of pro-
duction still remains too high, the
industrial giants" still turn out
great percentage of defective mer-
chandise, and so forth. Yet, in COM
parison with the nightmare of 1881,
the improvement is great and truly
telling.
But the social changes entailed by
Stains about-face are even more sig
nif1cant than the economic ones; it
is during this last year that they have
erystallized with especial clearness.
The phraseology of the Communist
papers and speakers still remains the
same as before; they continue SUBJ
serviently to fiatter the proletariat as
''the only sovereign master of our re-
public to denounce the European
and American capitalists, and the like.
But behind this phraseology different
realities are to be found.
Class Distinctions Appear.
The Soviet Unions society no longer
Is Classics" society. Once more
in Moscow there are the rich (the
relatively rich, at least) and the poor
the classes" or, rather, the crystal
lizing upper class and the masses. And
the difference between the former and
the latter tends to become more pro-
found every day.
The new upper class is composed of
the higher Communists, Soviet Off
cials and Red Army officers; of the
more outstanding engineers, doctors,
various technical experts and "scien-
tif1c workers." and, finally, of artists,
writers, composers, etc. These people
are excellently paid-their earnings
run up as high as $4,000 or 10000
rubles a year. Compare this with
about 1000 rubleS year which, ac-
cording to Soviet statistics, are the
average wages of the Russian indus
trial workman, or with the position of
many millions of other Soviet citizens.
such as the poorer elements of the
peasantry, the inhabitants of labor
camps, ETC.. who live on much Con
very much) less than that. Then you
will have an idea of the social dis
parity in the Soviet Union.
Consider the position of the Soviet
citizen of the cryStallizing upper class.
True, he cannot buy land, organize a
more or less important business enter
prise of his own or become share
holder in a corporation. Productive
capital remains nationalized; in this
socialism has not changed. But in
other respects the life of this citizen
differs, economically speaking, but lit
tie from that of a comfortably sit
uated middle-claSs man of 'capi-
talistic" country.
He has a good apartment in one OF
the ultra modern apartment houses in
Moscow Che even can buy" this apart
ment-that is to say, obtain permanent
tenancy of it for fiat outlay. More
over, if he happens to be an especially
prominent scientist writer, composer
or the like, the government, which now
values very highly and zealously courts
creative" men. may provide for his
use a country home and park which
formerly belonged to some nobleman
or merchant incidentally, the most
important of the Communists allowed
themselves this luxury even in the days
when they did preach economic equal
ity). He has servants who, by the way,
may be made of old Russia's former
privileged class-Some of these, COM
pletely destitute are the cheapest to
hire. Finally, he eats we'll, spends his
vacations in the Crimea, may collect
modern paintings or antique furniture
and certainly owns a car-for, since
Soviet automobile plants began to
function more or less satisfactorily,
real 'carmania" has taken possession
Of the better-of Russians.
Card System Abolished.
And now look at the Soviet work
man. How can he live on his 1000
rubles year, or ITO month, if l
pound of white bread costs 70 kopecks,
pound of meat about ruble, pair
of shoes 165 rubles and a suit Of
clothes 500 rubles? Formerly there
was the card system to help him;
with his card he could buy things at
artifcially low prices at the co-opera-
tive store (provided there was any
merchandise in it,. But recently the
card system has been abolished. Soviet
citizens, no matter to what category
they belong, can go to a Soviet store
and buy anything they wish-and in
cidentally. herein lies one of the causes
Of the buying boom in Moscow. But
now the workman has to pay prices
such as those quoted above. The result
is poverty. He no longer starves as he
starved in 1931-to this extent in
equality has helped him, too. But,
crowded with his family in a squalid
room, he hardly manages to ive-and
he looks not without hostility at the
'lords" Of the privileged class. True,
there are skilled workmen who earn
up to 10000 rubles year; these, in
their position, approach the privileged
class. But such workmen are few.
Those who make much less than the
average 1000 rubles and who live in
permanent semi-Starvation are In
fnitely more numerous.
Such, then, is the contrast between
the new Russian upper class and the
masses. Recently the Soviet govern
nlent decreed certain measures which,
so to speak, tend to stress this contrast
psychologically. Thus, heretofore there
were no ranks in the Red Army, and
the Uy0rd