The Communist
Source: The Communist, November 25, 1922.
Publisher: Communist Party of Great Britain
Transcription/Markup: Brian Reid
Proofreader: David Tate
Public Domain: Marxists Internet Archive (2007). You may freely copy, distribute, display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet Archive” as your source.
REPORTS received from Soviet Russia indicate unmistakeably that whilst in Capitalist countries the real wages of the workers have diminished during the past six months and the workers are thus exposed to an ever more and more rapacious robbery, the real wages of workers in Soviet Russia have considerably increased.
The real wages in June of the transport workers was 16.8 per cent. higher than the March wage and in July 22 per cent. over the March figure. The average increase in real wages throughout all industrial concerns in Soviet Russia during this period amounts to 12 per cent.
In the field of production the figures from Soviet Russia are equally heartening for the workers. Cotton yarn production in the first six months this year is represented by 1,615,000 poods against 589,000 poods in the corresponding period of last year.
Coal production has increased from 210 million poods in first six months of 1920 to 261 million poods in the first half year of 1921 and 321 million poods in the first half year of 1922. These figures show unmistakeably that Soviet Russia is now definitely on the up-grade and that she has overcome the greatest of her difficulties.
Whilst capitalist economy is getting involved in ever new crises and difficulties that can only finally result in a complete crash, the steady improvement in the Soviet Russia of the Workers is the surest guarantee of the ultimate victory of the workers’ cause internationally.
Zinovieff in his presidential address declared that the experiences of the last twelve months have shown decisively that the tactics of the Communist International had been correct. There was now no doubt that it was through the Communist International alone was the guarantee of the final triumph of the working class.
The new economic policy of Russia he described as inevitable concessions to international capitalism, just as bourgeois parties were continually obliged to make concessions to the workers.
The founding of Communist parties in the Near and Middle East has become an historic reality and adds new and powerful reserves to the revolutionary forces of the world.
The demonstration in Moscow that accompanied the opening of the Congress was characterised by unparalleled enthusiasm. Hundreds of thousands of workers marched through the Red Square all the houses and thoroughfares were beflagged, and revolutionary songs resounded through the processions from morning to night. A special review of fifty thousand troops was held by Trotsky.
The “Rote Fahne” has received a wire from Moscow announcing that a universal amnesty has been declared to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Russian Workers’ seizure of power.
In the case of most political prisoners their term has been reduced by this amnesty to one half or one third of their sentence, and with the exception of some of the leaders and chief instigators, the whole of those sentenced for their share in the Kronstadt rebellion, have been set at liberty.
The results just to hand for the national elections to the Diet of the province of Saxony show great advances. In the district of the metal mines the Communist vote was raised from 77,000 to 131,817 votes, and gains are also reported in the districts of Leipzig and Eastern Saxony.
Altogether the Communists polled 265,000 votes and obtained 10 seats in a House of 96. The Social Democrats, or Labour Party of Germany, obtained 40 seats, the same number as last time. This victory has transformed a working-class minority in the last Parliament into a clear majority of 4 over all bourgeois parties.