RUSSIA IN THROES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19373, 23 December 1932, Page 4

RUSSIA IN THROES

GRAVE HARVEST SHORTAGE "STARVATION OUTLOOK ” A Kelbooirte basSness man jjss reeclved from hi"; broiier in L-tbSoh ■■ copy of a latter from a aritlfiSt mat who is specially veil inSo-TOeS ?*- gaoling Sorcpaan ??P 4 ?y 'Vb* infaamation set east \n this Issfer Ss very striking. It esems io iahicEte tvo things—(l) That liast? wTS. -not b? •s seller on Use vrorM’s wheat msifcet 5b the coming season; snfl (?) tiirJi Communism docs not seem to work very satisfactorily in agricultural derelepment and production. The write? ezw“Judging frosn the Soviet Proof there will be starvation for mtlHrar? this winter. There will be no export—or very little —of grain. Ho export—or very little—of butter, s.nd the food shortage will seriously affect Soviet exports of other goods. Here, iu brief, are the facts from the Soviet Press. “Grain collectors in the collective sector during the first two months of the grain-collecting campaign have been proceeding on a far lower scale than last year. In July and August of this year only about twoUairds of what was collected iu that period last year ha" beep collected. The failure of the grain collections has been especially marked in the Ukraine, North Caucasia, and the Lower Volga, in the main grain-producing areas. “The July plan for the whole of the Soviet Republic was only carried Out 40.5 per cent., and the August plan jSB per cent. The September plan has been carried out 87 per cent. The August plan in North Caucasia was carried out 32 per cent., in Lower Volga 45.7 per cent., and in the Ukraine 57.6 per cent. The unsatisfactory condition of winter sowings indicates that there will be difficulties next year as weil as this winter. On September 1 only 6,666,000 hectares (about 16,500,000 acres) had been sown, compared with 10,091,000 hectares (about 25,000,000 acres) on that date last year. Qn September 25 23,800,000 hectares (roughly 60,000,000 acres) had been sown, compared with 67,800,000 (72,500,000 acres roughly) on September 25, 1231. “The potato harvest was bad. In August all the Ukraine produced only ?974 tons of potatoes, instead of 25,(100 tons according to plan. Supplie to Moscow have been less than onethird of the amount planned. There is likelihood that many thousands of cattle will die of exposure (his winter. Tzvestia’ reports that there is rhelter lacking for 1500,000 head of cattle, and that the plan for build ng sheds for the cattle has been carried out only 5,5 per cent. The State farms have been most unsatisfactory, fhey have given figures which under-estimate their harvest and exaggerate the amount necessary for fodder, complains ’lzvestia,’ in order to be able to keep more grain. Y “ ‘lzvestia’ of September 21 writes: 'Not a single region, not a single republic, not a single district has carried put even one-half of the harvesting of technical plants.’ ’lzvestia' of October 5 contains this passage from the fjonetz Basin: ’ln the shops of Makeyevka the wives of the workers are waiting for vegetables The autumn rain is falling monotonously. The housewife waits The attendant tries to calm her. "Don’t get excited, comrade housewife.” But she looks at her empty basket, thinks of the winter, thinks of cabbage, of potatoes, of tomatoes, and asks one question: “Will there be soup?” ’ The Soviet Union is now in Its mast severe crisis since 1921. The regime will last. I think, but the difficulties will be immense.”