Page:Yevgeni Alekseyevich Preobrazhensky - Third Anniversary of the Russian October Revolution (1921).djvu/27

 Rh at controlled prices; whereas, they gave in return produce falling below that sum. In the course of the first two years of the Revolution, the peasants put the town at a disadvantage. True, in the season 1919–20 the peasants themselves were put at a disadvantage as compared with the town. Only 400,000,000 arshins of textiles, 3,000,000 poods of salt, and 1,000,000 poods of kerosine were given to the peasants.

In the season of 1920–21 the town will again be in debt to the village, which will receive not more than 130,000,000 arshins of textiles, 5,000,000 poods of salt and 7,000,000 poods of kerosine.

However, the levies imposed upon the peasants by the Soviet Government should not be regarded as confiscations, but as credit advanced by the peasants to the Government The peasant will receive textiles and agricultural machinery in exchange for his corn immediately the industries are re-established upon the end of the war. It must be borne in mind that without food the industries cannot be re-established. First food, and then textiles; but not the other way about. Before the hammer can begin to work, the sickle must be first in the field.

Poor as it is, the Soviet Government is endeavouring to give all it can to the peasants. In 1920 a "Peasants' Week" was organised right throughout Russia. Tens of thousands of Communist workers were sent to the villages. They helped the peasants' harvesting and repaired their agricultural implements. In many places the "Peasants' Week" lasted from three to four weeks. This free unpaid work of the