Evening star., 1953-09-29

vate as he can make it.
!. Thirty-five years of Soviet So
cialiSm seem to have succeeded
only in sharpening the instinct |
of the Russian people to hold
private property. Many MuscO-
vites dream of owning their own
homes outside the city. Thou
sands of them live in crowded
communal apartments with only
one room to call their own. They
share kitchen, bath, toilet and
corridors with several other fam
lilies. They long for privacy.
They want a piece of land they
can call their own
This is not easy to accom-
plish. A postwar decree guaran-
teed every Soviet citizen the right
to own his own house and plot
of land. But for most Moscow
dwellerS the dream of having
their own house is bound to re-
main a dream. 1t costs lots of
money, and government loans
to home builders, though they
exist. are few.
Building Slow and Costly.
Nor is it easy to get a plot OF
land allotted. or even to find an
organization which will contract
to erect the house. A Russian
often has to build his own home,
or gradually put it up over pc
riod of years as he is able to find
money, materials and labor.
For four summers another
correspondent and I shared a
summer home in a Moscow SUBJ
urb. We rented at a high price
from the Soviet organization
which provides housing for for
eign diplomats and correspond
entS.
Across the way was a building
lot occupied by a colonel of the
Soviet army We never met him,
but we watched him build his
house over the four-year period.
First he lived in shed. Finally,
last summer, he had the ground
floor far enough along so he
could move into it. He is still
working on it. and his efforts
are a tribute to Russians pa
tience and stubbornnesS in &C
quiring property.
I saw so or 80 homes go up in
the four years visited this sub
urb, but private home building is
a drop in the bucket Of Russian
needs and desires.
Auto Prices High.
Nor is the great desire to own |
a house the only expression Of
the pride of possession. To own
a car has become something Of
a fever despite difficulties in ga
raging and maintenance.
Long lines of persons assem-
BILE every morning at one auto
mobile store in Moscow, to keep
their priority on the purchase of
small Pobeda or Moskvitch.
They may have to report to the
head of this line for two weeks,
a month, even six weeks. When
they reach their turn the Pobeda
will cost $4,000 rubles. This is
officially the equivalent of $4,000,
and the actual equivalent of an
average workers gross earnings |
for two years. Since the terms
are cash, the average worker
obviously is not doing the buy
ing.
But there is no one prouder
than the Muscovite who has Just |
got his own car!
For those who have money
but no inclination toward houses
or cars there are other forms Of |
goods to acquire as private prop
erty-jewelry. furs, rare books, |
art works, antique rugs, furni-
ture.
This great desire for private
property" is supposed to be a
thing Of the past. a "vestige of |
capitalism" 1t is supposed to
disappear as the nation nears it's
goal-"communism."
Vodka Price $3.50 Tax.
But my observation during
nine years in Russia was that
the urge to own private property
was growing rather than dis
appearing. And it is my own
opinion that the Soviet govern
ment if it wants to have a con-
- tented population will have to
go long way in making conces-
sions to satisfy it.
1t will also have to do more
about the high cost of living, and
taxes.
The price of every bottle Of
vodka is roughly 95 per cent tax.
High liquor taxes are of course
common to most countries, but
the Soviet government has dared
to extend the liquor tax prin-
ciple to most other merchandise.
The turnover tax" gives the
government nearly half it's reve-
nue.. It is a sales tax, but con-
cealed so Russians do not know
they pay it. They only know
that prices are high in COM
parison with wages.
I estimate that on the average
the turnover tax will more than
double the price of everything
sold through retail channels.
That includes bread, potatoes,
butter, wearing apparel and all
the neceSSaries of life as we'll !
as the luxuries.
Taxes Exceed Cost Of Goods.
On the basis of figures given
by Premier Malenkov, total re-
tail sales planned this year are
estimated at $50 billion rubles.
OF this, the merchandise will be