LABOR SLAVES IN RUSSIA.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15212, 10 May 1920, Page 8

LABOR SLAVES IN RUSSIA.

', ■■ -„ :- - A ' -' T-*" — | ...■».'■ '; -.' ■■ ..,--..' „,-, Th.c institution pf the corvee,, or forced lat>6r; js the latest development Tii the; eVolutiqii . • . of- ' Soviet [Russia '(stamps the I_pndpn; Tiiics;) The*, plan is to -transfer ih"e^''^rtti odyfdrCQj»'-vby0 dyfdrCQj»'-vby gradual stages to peace, -work, 1 a measure rendered;, necosHary . by,y ; 'the critical state of. the railways arid the general' disorganisation ,of' economic life of the _ nation. V The nominal' eijght-hour day is a myth, aiid • isjf utther -digcounted by the •necessity rTof. fpp<|;. hunting arid' queue standing. Tho latqist. jh'ng .m queues is that for buriali All places of bur-ial-havo jbpen nationalised, including 3umilv vhujt& arid' tho; dead, lie for days -awaiting; iritprnieriti' '•> ' Pricos are very : h-gl"^ but, prbftt-aud sA-laiiesarclow.,' ' ' *'.''.';,.' } ' ' .Bread on ciiul'ai^ ratiQiis.contailisj abput 50 per cent, pf beans ya^d; W-15 por cent, bird seed (inillbt; co<nn_yy and terijp}, v.tho> rest being/ rye floiir. y . ■ ■'•'■'; Under. the-' systfjnj ;pf- thp division of the fpbpulatibn-iritp'. pategeries, a person" receiving' rations on card J__ (tho highest' rate* for heavy- manual labor) igets .1 _lbs- of such' bread jdaily;* sugar/ horse- meat;"arid .groats, are 'doled out iii' small quarititiesl'ai interv^lss "' <r ; ' The working' population, -that is, ['every I '"one except ■'schp^bl-'ciilidrcn'.-.'and persons' over .60, work .Hinder truly terrible conditions, and- t_0; ( , wor„sh6ps ar"p|"col d. ' There is . also' Very; .little light,,, arid no soap 'Or washing f acili 1 ties,^'" • ",- v A' " ; Ar : '""'y ' "'"' ■; V -'- : - , It" is-, prpp.pae'd• tpy.r cppcn the , schpola. .m.; thq spring.^ -T^eyy Wave been' clpsejj since iOctbber owing' .to ..the ; fuel shortage. • Exee r dinin^-rp6niS; ipr the pupils -have been continued throughput the y winter,- but the, f ood> offbrpdy thpre •is ipf such..bad. quality, that 'oyCB tlyy dogs.xrefui'Ovto -touch it' bxcept. wh&n Starving. ■=. tThis . state, pf • things , m the :Bchool. . diniug:rpo,i_a r'is \ on a < par v with other S6viet.^fArc^riinsjf" -.^yhpro .word arid deed are, so diametrically' opposed.