The Wilmington morning star., 1944-07-04
Souiets Permit Profits
BY HELEN ROSS
National Research Bureau

National Research Bureau
Soviet Russia permits the establishment oil
small businesses for profit as an aid toward
reconstruction in areas liberated from h {
fascists. While it was never disallowed by
law, not since the inception of the Five
Year Plan in 1928 have small businesses flour
ished in Russia.
Recently, the Kiev Pravda officially an
nounced that any willing citizen may start a
small business Immediately, several private
enterprises sprung up while plans for others
came to the fore. In a socialist nation, this
is revolutionary tendency While only tenn.
porary ex2ediency, the plan to allow business
to exist for profit is based on individualist mo-
tives rather than on Marxist colectivism.
Among the Soviet people, according to di-
rect reports from Russia, there is a feeling
that it peace and security are to prevail,
everyone must be put to work and the pro.
duction of all goods must be increased. Ger
tain o es are already at work planning
ahead. AS in the past the Soviet Union is
solving its problems by turning to the ex.
periences of the post-civil-war days
Then, much of the Unions industries were
in enemy hands or were destroyed Trans.
portation broke down. The drought set in.
Technicians tied to old Russias private in.
dustrial elements, fled to other nations Within
the country counter-revolutionarie offered re-
sistance, while other nations isolated the So
Wet Union. A slow condition of economic stag.
nation set in
In 1921, Lenin outlined plans for a New
Economic Policy to induce increases in the
food supply and commodity goods and bring
about a revival of industrial activity He show
ed that to rebuild the Nations economic life
it was necessary to forego temporarily the
program Of building socialism.
Under his plan, basic industries, such as
transport, commune power stations
and foreign trade, were to remain State mo-
nopolies. But limited concessions were to be
made to private capitalism.
This compromise with capitalist tendencies
was tactical retreat during which the coun-
the reserve for industrial socialism; this pre-
pared for the FiveYear Plan and the elinina-
ton of private enterprise
The New Economic Policy accomplished its
purpose by setting the wheels of industry and
trade going and by accommodating a reserve
OF food and consumer goods. By 1926, pro-
duction reached the pre-1941 level
Today, as their newspapers and reports of
U. S. officials show the Soviet government
is encouraging individuals to open small en-
terprises for private profit By permitting the
exploitation of shrewdness and ability, it will
not be long before market places and stores
will overflow with merchandise.
The plan today operates very simply. Aided
by the authorities, business operator rents
space, buys his merchandise, hires help, and
conducts his business for his own best inter-
ests. Already restaurants have been estab-
ished by securing space in cooperative or
factory on a concession basis.
reStaurateur makes his own ARRANGEMENTS
for equipment and fixtures. He hires cooks,
walters and mattresses, cashiers, and porters.
He then makes his food purchases from farm
ers VINO raise more products than they need
to cover their requirements.
A group of Ukrainian veterans is planning
a tobacco factory. Small factories manufac-
turing essential clothes are springing up. Shoe
makers are taking orders for Shoes Building
tradesmen are getting together to manufac-
ture construction supplies for houses and fac
tories, Soon electricians plumbers, home dec
orators printers, and many others will be in
their own small businesses
There is a great need for clothing and knit
goods, furniture, building supplies and lum-
Der, farm implements, wagons, kitchen uten-
Sis, stationery, toys, and recreational facili-
ties. 1t will not be long before Soviet citizens
will be engaged in this work. Christian
Science Monitor