RUSSIA AND MARX

Southland Times, Issue 25307, 10 June 1935, Page 6

RUSSIA AND MARX

Citation, of Soviet Russia as the country which has successfully established production without profit as an alternative to the capitalist system, appears to ignore the fact that Russia has not yet proved this to be successful, and that the Soviet Government has been compelled to abandon many of the essential lines* stipulated by Marx. The labour theory of value he used as the; basis of his examination of economics depends on factors which must be common to all, and no matter what price is paid for labour power sold by the individual the value given to the article produced or service operated remains

unchanged. It will follow that the moment the wages paid, or the pricey given for labour power, are varied between individuals the element of profit is introduced. This has occurred in Russia and it came quickly. In fact, this element was present before Lenin had New Economic Policy, because in the earliest days of Soviet Russia there were different food scales, different living standards even among those who were regarded by the government as its adherents. Russia is a country with a vast leeway to make up, and nothing that Karl Marx wrote would suggest that a capitalist system without interference would not achieve as much, if not more, in the development of the economic wealth of the country. Marx would say that ultimately the capitalist system would be fatal to itself, but such a statement need not blind us to the fact that in the meantime there would be scope for its operations. It is unwise, it is foolish, to declare that Soviet Russia has demonstrated the success of production without profit. If the Marxian programme was being actively applied there, it would be too soon to talk of success, but actually much of the Marxian programme has been jettisoned. Differential rates of pay have been adopted, and the Russian leaders are finding that the regimentation, which must be an important factor in Communism and Socialism, cannot be maintained in the face of the individualistic character of the human mind.