STALIN'S DECREES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23029, 5 May 1938, Page 15

STALIN'S DECREES

RUSSIAN PEASANTS READY FOR EMERGENCIES MANY MILLIONS AFFECTED MOSCOW, April 21 Russia has plans for the alignment of her millions of peasants in times of emergency. Three decrees, framed for the purpose, and affecting 120,000,000 collectivised peasants, have been signed. The first decree applies to 1,400,000 privileged peasant households, known as "the remnants of capitalism." Their resistanco to collectivisation has been tolerated hitherto, and they have been free from Government taxes. They will now be taxed and forced to enter the collectives. The second decree abolishes the common, official practice of expelling entire families from collectives on flimsy grounds. These expelled families were virtually condemned to starvation. The third decree lays it down that a fixed percentage of farm income will bo distributed among members of collectives.

Farm leaders who exceed the specified percentage _of administrative charges and capital expenditure will be prosecuted. This decree is intended to end the practice of spending large sums on unnecessary improvements and administration. In the past these spendings have been such that farmers received only agricultural products in payment for their labour. They had thus been deprived of cash with which to purchase household goods and small luxuries.