Page:Yevgeni Alekseyevich Preobrazhensky - Third Anniversary of the Russian October Revolution (1921).djvu/28

 28 workers rendered great help to the families of the Red Army men, and to the needy peasants.

Thousands of smithies were put to work, tens of thousands of ploughs, harrows, thrashing machines, bridges, schools, hospitals, etc., were repaired. This was only a beginning which, however, is very important, because it indicates the means by which the workers will settle their debt to the peasants. In the future the peasant will not only receive goods from the town, which will not be less in value than the produce supplied by him, but will also receive assistance by way of free labour in the pressing time of harvest when local labour is not in a position to cope with the work and the agricultural machinery cannot be rapidly repaired without the help of industrial workers.

The success of the constructive work of the Soviet Government is revealing itself in many directions. We are gradually re-starting our industries and transport, establishing new undertakings and works, and directing our attention to electrification which will supply the villages with electric light and power for agricultural work. Apart from this, the Soviet Government has achieved considerable success in public education. War has been declared upon illiteracy amongst adults, and the campaign is carried out with such energy that in many towns there will not be a single illiterate in the course of next year. The compulsory education for children is being carried into effect.

In towns the free maintenance of children is being carried through; the number of kindergartens,