[chapter ten]
The peasant, Volga, and the Don
The Pre-Revolution Peasant
Picture families living in shacks, hardly taller than cow sheds, with roofs made of straw. Think of whole families sleeping, eating, and existing in these shacks, which contain in the majority of cases only one room, and worse yet, during the winter or stormy seasons when they bring their cows and sheep in their huts for protection. Chickens, too, share part of the household with them. Imagine the smells and filth when man and beast are corralled in a small room together. Imagine the state of their health with the whole family eating from one large bowl of soup or porridge. As for their toilet, the fields offered that assistance. This, then, is the pre-Revolution peasant.
Each peasant's family farmed long narrow strips of land varying from seven to fifteen acres. On this they raised grain, vegetables, and pastured their cattle. For dessert they preserved wild berries gathered from the forests and brushes. Many were not even that fortunate for some had to work for the "kulaks" for a miserable wage. Farm machinery was unknown to them. Even the "kulaks" did not own such things, partly because they did not know of them, or since they could get the poor peasant towork so cheaply, did not believe it advantageous to use modern equipment. Schools and books were likewise unknown. The Czarist empire had the nerve to tax these poor people living as they did, besides. And what the despotic government did not get in the way of taxes, the Church got. This is an idea of how the Russian peasants lived for centuries before the revolution. The marvel is that they endured so long without rebellion.
The New Government and the Peasant
The peasant problem was and is still a difficult one to solve for the new regime. Extensive propaganda is constantly being carried on to teach the peasants to live better and adapt themselves to the Soviet form of government. Propaganda to remove the unsanitary conditions is one of the most important. The endeavor here is to break up the old habits. Take the practice of all eating from the same large bowl-I have seen many posters on this stressing how diseases can be spread in this manner.
Free clinics have been established in villages where the peasants may go for advice and treatment. Housing conditions have improved so much that the thatched roof has practically disappeared. The biggest job the propaganda and the government has to do is getting the peasant to join the Collective. Theadvantages of farming a combination of small farms with modern machinery as against farming a small strip of land with primitive implements are evident to us, but the peasants are slow in approving such a plan. For this reason it is necessary for the government to make all kinds of inducements, most of which have been previously mentioned.
A great deal of trouble is caused by the "kulaks" who not only try to cut down production but terrorize the middle (seredniaks) and poor (byedniaks) peasants in order to bring disaster to all government endeavors. The Soviets are striving to put over a project never before undertaken-complete socialization of agriculture. Every means possible, including large expenditures, is employed. They are counteracting the menace of the "kulaks", who are withholding and lessening their production, by using every resource available for the completion of the collective and state farm projects. This will remove the restrictions now existing on the sale of the common food commodities, as meat, flour, butter, eggs. The regulations are not constant but are enforced only in some cities and sections of Russia on occasions when it is deemed most necessary. So fare the fault lies as much in transportation as in inadequate agricultural production.
If and when agriculture is completely socializedand all indications are in its favor-the individual producer will be another cog in the socialist system like his fellow workers in the city factories. Then Marx's theories will be put into practice completely as they have been partially by the great Lenin. Then the independent peasant producer will disappear completely out of the picture and Russia will be free of all the traces of capitalism.
The Peasant in the City
In nearly all the large cities of the, U. S. S. R. the government has provided places for the peasants to stop at while on a visit. Such a one is called a Peasants' Home (Dom Krestyanin). These institutions not only care for the peasants but will accommodate anyone who may apply to stay over night. If a citizen is visiting a city for the first time and has no place to go a Peasants' Home will care for him, as well as a foreigner. There are now 1,500 of these Homes in the Soviet Union. Before the Revolution the peasants had to stay in cellars and streets where they were often robbed and beaten by bandits. The hotels were only for the rich and foreign travelers. The purpose of the Home is further, to assist the individual,• and collective farmer, some of whom come to the city especially for legal advice. The Home also gives all kinds of agricultural and medical advice. Aid in organizing clubs in villages, needed by certain groups, is obtained there too. The Home is not only used as an headquarters for farmers, but a place of union for peasants and workers. Even the pupils of schools are brought here to see the exhibits.
Most of the consultations are carried on in. the exhibition rooms so that the farmer can have the extra benefit of a practical demonstration. While farmers are staying at the Home they can attend lectures and study in the library, most of the Homes including in them a museum of agriculture, antireligious club, science shows, and military exhibits.Everything is free, except meals, which cost from fifty to seventy-five kopecks. The poorer farmers, however, are, not required to pay these charges. Each farmer carries a document describing his status which he presents upon entering the institute to determine what benefits he is to receive. One of these Homes which I explored in Moscow contained 700 beds and a lecture hall, in addition to an extensive group of exhibits.
On the Volga
My trip on the Volga river was from Nishni Novgorod to Stalingrad, a distance of about 1,100 miles, taking four days and five nights. The stateroom was comfortable and the food excellent. In fact, I had some of the best and the most varied meals in the Soviet Union on this steamer. The service rendered on this trip pleased me so much that I asked my guide if a tip would be allowed the waiter, cabinmaid, and cook. Although my tips had been refused in other parts of the country, I made another attempt, all to no purpose. It is hard, even in retrospect, to imagine anyone turning down tips abroad, or here, for that matter. But Russia is one country where I found tips invariably refused although some travellers I met declared it was their experience to have theirs accepted as often as refused.
Every day of the trip at least a half dozen logbooms could be seen floating down the river and many other ships like mine passed, loaded with seasonable cargo. At port stops the peasants pushed, shoved, and even fought to get on. Occasionally, disputes took place between them and the ship's officers, little squabbles, often very amusing, offering something in the line of excitement to break the monotony of the voyage. Men and women boarded the ship with bags so large they could hardly carry them. Having noticed at times the boat crew would let some on and bar others I decided to do a little investigating on my own. I did not ask my interpreter but a Russian-American friend, a Mr. S--- with whom I had become acquainted during the early part of my travels and who, though he could not supply any reasons, proved to be as interested as I was in the inquiry. We learned that a large majority of them were peasant traders who found it profitable to travel third and fourth class from one place to another selling the goods they produced or bought. This sort -of baggage when in excess was prohibited, but even when prescribing to regulations was not actually approved by the government. Within the last few years boats had been added to care for the increase of river traffic but not enough to accommodate this sort of travel.
That night I visited their quarters, since just before dusk a large number had boarded the ship. There, in the lower deck of the ship, all the fourth class travellers were sprawled out on the floor or on anything convenient-the third class passengers having the bunks. In the day time they had no eyes for the beauties of the scenery but huddled together, not even walking about in the rear part of the steamer where the deck was open.
I felt no little distaste toward them and realized what a job socialism had on its hands to raise the level of these people. The traders, even more than the others, since this type of individual has the private trading business so deeply ingrained in him that it seems almost. impossible to even temper it, let alone eradicate it. What the Soviets have done to mold this class of people into the new society I was unable to learn, but the task of changing customs which have existed for centuries, in a decade or two, is a job big enough for any nation.
To my surprise the next afternoon I saw several camels on the banks of the river. I had been thinking, what a people! Now its, was, what a country! In the north there are icebergs and in the south, camels.
The City Named After Stalin
I was disappointed to find Stalingrad a dirty and dusty city. What a pity to name such a city after the present leader of Russia! And my first meal here,-breakfast-was the poorest one I had in all Russia. The people on the boat, the ill-kept city, and an unsatisfactory breakfast almost caused me to discount much that was praiseworthy which I had already seen in Russia. But this is a part of the paradox of Russia.
A Conversation Plus Seeing
When I boarded the train at night for Rostov on Don, I watched from the window of my compartment, a worker having some farewell words with his wife and child.
The next morning this same worker offered my friend, Mr. S----, and I some of his food for breakfast. Because of his friendliness, we thought this a good chance to find out a few extra things. We learned lie was employed in the tractor plant in Stalingrad as a skilled machinist. Because of ill health he was going on a six weeks rest to a Caucasian sanitarium and he was to receive his full wages besides free medical care while there. What a great thing this would be for the American workers who suffer from ill health, to send them, perhaps, to the Rocky Mountain resorts, or California. If poor here it's just too bad, but not so in Soviet Russia.
This Russian worker was drawing a good wage, too, 360 rubles per month. Previous to receiving this wage there was a general uproar of all workers in the tractor plant who complained that about 1,500 of their comrades were receiving more pay than they were. A telegram was sent to the labor department, in Moscow, which acts on wage cases. Immediately an official came to the plant to investigate the case and it resulted in a blanket wage increase.
Before arriving at Rostov I was convinced that this was one worker who was well educated. He talked not ' only on international affairs but on economics, social subjects, and even on the differentevents, political and economical, which were going on in America. And he was not a member of the Communist Party!
In Rostov on Don the streets were clean, the shops attractive,-here, incidentally, were the best liquor stores in Russia for they had an excellent stock of goods with elaborate window displays. My hotel too, gave an excellent service and the food was tasty even if it was the native kind.
They were very particular about their pedestrian traffic regulations. No one was allowed to cross the street in the middle of the block. I tried it and got half way across when a police officer motioned for me to go back to the corner.
One evening, after attending a musical program in the park, I took a stroll down one of the main streets and came upon an outdoor garden, resembling those of Berlin, only this place did not serve beer. Ice cream and cake was featured. Everyone appeared happy and what they served always did please my palate, so in I went. What a delight-to have ice cream and cake in Russia. It was good, too, and not expensive. This outdoor garden was no doubt a place where at one time the former nobility or Czar's officers lunched, but where now the workers and peasants eat ice cream and cake.