CONDITIONS IN RUSSIA

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18036, 13 March 1933, Page 10

CONDITIONS IN RUSSIA

APPALLING PICTURE VIEWS OF MELBOURNE MAN SYDNEY, March It. Mr A. G. Stephenson, a Melbourne architect, who has returned from a world tour, said that conditions in Soviet Russia were deplorable. There was no God in Russia to-day, he said. The rulers recognised only thi' “God of Work.’’ It was their proud boast that there was no unemployment in Russia, but from his observations he formed the opinion that it was questionable whether 50 per cent, of the work done was of a reproductive nature. Mr Stephenson said he had had the advantage of seeing Moscow from many angles. He had not been attached to a party, hut had travelled alone. The Soviet Government owned a large lleot of motor cars, which were used to convey organised parties of visitors to scenes selected by the Government, and thus most visitors did not: see Moscow in its true setting. He had travelled on foot, in trains, and in motor cars. The city was in the process of rebuilding. All pavements were badly broken and there was not .one road upon which ho could walk with comfort. The trams were crowded, and he had to struggle every time fie wanted to board one. SLOVENLY AND DIRTY

Many things, said Mr Stephenson, appeared slovenly and dirty. Ihe .people appeared more or less contented, but that was probably because they could not make themselves understood to visitors. Their staple food was black bread, and occasionally they had a “treat” with bread anil cucumber. He saw thousands of people sitting on the roadsides munching black bread. The women worked on buildings and roads just as the men did. The children were placed in community nurseries for the day while both parents went to work. Mr'Stephenson said he thought it would be many years before-anything ,-it all of the Soviet plan showed to advantage. At present tests were being made to ascertain the minimum amount of food upon which a poison could live. The once beautiful homes of the aristocracy had been allowed to fall into a shocking condition. They now housed workers, and were in a deplorable state of ruin. There was no home life in Russia. The disregard for religious traditions was terrible. Beautiful cathedrals and churches had been desecrated and ruined. Once .magnificent specimens of architectural beauty, some of the cathedrals were .now used ns markets and stores. Mr Stephenson had a commission from the Commonwealth Government to study hospital methods abroad, and .he said'he was astonished to find that the Soviet Government hail legalised certain operations on women. Seventeen clinics, each with 500 beds, had been established in Moscow alone, and there were at least 20,000 such operations each month. A board hail been set, up to determine whether applications for admission to the clinics should be granted, but from his investigations it appeared that a plea that the child wijs not wanted was sufficient ground for a successful application.