FORTNIGHTLY REVIEW.

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LIII, Issue 12, 12 February 1932, Page 3

FORTNIGHTLY REVIEW.

THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN. SOVIET TRADE GROWTH. (Supplied by Dominion Secretary). A recent cable from Moscow stated that the Five-Year Plan just terminated had been a great success, and that another was projected. The cable also added that the Five-Year Plan had transformed the Soviet Republic into the world's largest agricultural country based upon collectivisation and development of State farms. The following facts and figures taken from the official Soviet report show what an enormous factor in the world's production of farm produce the Soviet Republic is destined to become :—

The rapid advance in the mechanisation of agriculture has created such a demand for agricultural machinery and tractors, that, despite the Government's efforts to build up the machine-building industry, an increasing amount of imported machinery will probably be required. (b) The term collective farm is used to designate a variety of agricultural enterprises involving joint cultivation of the land. Collective farms differ from the State farms in that they are not State-operated enterprises, but rather consolidation of individual holdings jointly operated by the peasants, the two main features characterising collective farms are (1) consolidation of the land, i.e., the bringing together of the small, scattered strips of land into one large tract; and (2) socialisation of the means of production. This means the joint use of common means of production in a common enterprise. Dwelling houses, domestic livestock, gardens, and personal belongings are ordinarily not collectivised. The Five-Year Plan for collectivisation is:— 1928. 1931. No. of collective farms .. 14,832 82 ; 276 No. of households 194,700 12,000,000 Harvest area: (1000 hectares) 749 60,450 Gross output of grain (1000 tons) 490 42,290 (c) Soviet sales in Great Britain during 1929-30 amounted to £23,542,----322 as against £29,339,584 in 1928-29. The Soviet sales were made up thus: £ Lumber .. 9,513,518 Oil products .. 3,331,540 Furs and skins .. 2,422,802 Cereals .. 2,237,348 Bacon and canned goods 1,484,765 Butter and eggs .. 1,347,145 Flax .. 742,708 Poultry .. 583,224 Bristles, wool, horsehair .. 540,000 Vegetable oil • .. 422,151 Other miscellaneous agricultural products .. 750,145 (d) The resumption of diplomatic relations between Great Britain and the U.S.S.R. (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) towards the end of 1929 gave a stimulus to the development of trade between Great Britain

and the Republic, and the imports from Great Britain increased, from £9,912,433 during 1928-29 to £15,395,----000. The principal imports from Great Britain were:— Equipment and supplies for textile industry .. £2,617,337 Machine-tools, iron and Steel .. £1,832,382 Rubber goods .. £1,620,549 (c) During 1930 Great Britain imported 294,720 tons of butter from all countries, including 65,426 tons from New Zealand and 10,631 tons from Russia; the price of Russian butter was always from 7/- to 20/- per cwt. less than prices for the New Zealand product. FAT CATTLE CHAMPIONSHIP. As was mentioned previously, J. J. Cridlan, of Maisemore Park, Gloucester, won the Smithfield Championship and the King's Challenge Cup for fat cattle with his 2-year-old AberdeenAngus bullock weighing 14cwt. 2ibs. At the sale of live stock held after the Exhibition this same bullock was sold for £150 to a London butcher. This price represents £10 14s 6d per cwt. The quality of the animal must have been superb, as the reserve j champion, which weighed 2&cwt. ! lighter, was sold for £42. j

Threshers Reapers and -> Cultivators Ploughs Tractors Binders 42,200 60,700 953,200 1,279 1927-28 84,710 54,682 79,200 1,169,000 3,267 1928-29 100,930 68,281 137,748 1,712,000 9,337 1929-30 57,645 79,198 502,338 2,077,000 56,000 1930-31