russia in 1919(1919的俄国)-第26节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
I mentioned this union to Schmidt； and asked him to explain its
… Page 96…
RUSSIA IN 1919
hostility。 He laughed； and said： 〃Firstly； that union is not an industrial
union at all； but includes precisely the people whose interests are not
identical with those of the workmen。 Secondly； it includes all the old
civil servants who； as you remember； left the ministries at the November
Revolution； in many cases taking the money with them。 They came back
in the end； but though no longer ready to work openly against the
revolution as a whole； they retain much of their old dislike of us； and； as
you see； the things they were objecting to last night were precisely the
things which do not concern them in particular。 Any other stick would be
as good to them。 They know well that if they were to go on strike now
they would be a nuisance to us； no more。 If you wish to know the
attitude of the Trades Unions； you should look at the Trades Union
Congress which wholly supported us； and gave a very different picture of
affairs。 They know well that in all questions of labour； the trades unions
have the decisive voice。 I told you that the unions send a majority of the
members of the College which controls the work of this Commissariat。 I
should have added that the three most important departments…the
department for safeguarding labour； the department for distributing labour；
and that for regulating wages…are entirely controlled by the Unions。〃
〃How do politics affect the Commissariat？〃
〃Not at all。 Politics do not count with us； just because we are
directly controlled by the Unions； and not； by any political party。
Mensheviks； Maximalists and others have worked and are working in the
Commissariat。 Of course if a man were opposed to the revolution as a
whole we should not have him here； because he would be working against
us instead of helping。〃
I asked whether he thought the trade unions would ever disappear in
the Soviet organizations。 He thought not。 On the contrary； they had
grown steadily throughout the revolution。 He told me that one great
change had been made in them。 Trade unions have been merged together
into industrial unions； to prevent conflict between individual sections of
one industry。 Thus boilermakers and smiths do not have separate unions；
but are united in the metal…workers' union。 This unification has its effect
on reforms and changes。 An increase in wages； for example； is
… Page 97…
RUSSIA IN 1919
simultaneous all over Russia。 The price of living varies very
considerably in different parts of the country； there being as great
differences between the climates of different parts as there are between the
countries of Europe。 Consequently a uniform absolute increase would be
grossly unfair to some and grossly favourable to others。 The increase is
therefore proportional to the cost of living。 Moscow is taken as a norm
of 100； and when a new minimum wage is established for Moscow other
districts increase their minimum wage proportionately。 A table for this
has been worked out； whereby in comparison with 100 for Moscow；
Petrograd is set down as 120； Voronezh or Kursk as 70； and so on。
We spoke of the new programme of the Communists； rough drafts of
which were being printed in the newspapers for discussion； and he showed
me his own suggestions in so far as the programme concerned labour。 He
wished the programme to include； among other aims； the further
mechanization of production； particularly the mechanization of all
unpleasant and dirty processes； improved sanitary inspection； shortening
of the working day in employments harmful to health； forbidding women
with child to do any but very light work； and none at all for eight weeks
before giving birth and for eight weeks afterwards； forbidding overtime；
and so on。 〃We have already gone far beyond our old programme； and
our new one steps far ahead of us。 Russia is the first country in the world
where all workers have a fortnight's holiday in the year； and workers in
dangerous or unhealthy occupations have a month's。〃
I said； 〃Yes； but don't you find that there is a very long way between
the passing of a law and its realization？〃
Schmidt laughed and replied： 〃In some things certainly； yes。 For
example； we are against all overtime； but； in the present state of Russia we
should be sacrificing to a theory the good of the revolution as a whole if
we did not allow and encourage overtime in transport repairs。 Similarly；
until things are further developed than they are now； we should be
criminal slaves to theory if we did not； in some cases； allow lads under
sixteen years old to be in the factories when we have not yet been able to
provide the necessary schools where we would wish them to be。 But the
programme is there； and as fast as it can be realized we are realizing it。〃
… Page 98…
RUSSIA IN 1919
… Page 99…
RUSSIA IN 1919
EDUCATION
February 28th。
At the Commissariat of Public Education I showed Professor
Pokrovsky a copy of The German…Bolshevik Conspiracy； published in
America； containing documents supposed to prove that the German
General Staff arranged the November Revolution； and that the Bolsheviks
were no more than German agents。 The weak point about the documents
is that the most important of them have no reason for existence except to
prove that there was such a conspiracy。 These are the documents bought
by Mr。 Sisson。 I was interested to see what Pokrovsky would say of them。
He looked through them； and while saying that he had seen forged
documents better done； pointed as evidence to the third of them which
ends with the alleged signatures of Zalkind； Polivanov； Mekhinoshin and
Joffe。 He observed that whoever forged the things knew a good deal； but
did not know quite enough； because these persons； described as
〃plenipotentiaries of the Council of Peoples' Commissars；〃 though all
actually in the service of the Soviet Government； could not all； at that time；
have been what they were said to be。 Polivanov； for example； was a very
minor official。 Joffe； on the other： hand； was indeed a person of some
importance。 The putting of the names in that order was almost as funny
as if they had produced a document signed by Lenin and the Commandant
of the Kremlin； putting the latter first。
Pokrovsky told me a good deal about the organization of this
Commissariat； as Lunacharsky； the actual head of it； was away in
Petrograd。 The routine work is run by a College of nine members
appointed by the Council of People's Commissars。 The Commissar of
Education himself is appointed by the All…Russian Executive Committee。
Besides this； there is a Grand College which meets rarely for the
settlement of important questions。 In it are representatives of the Trades
Unions； the Workers' Co…operatives； the Teachers' Union； various
Commissariats such as that for affairs of Nationality； and other public
organizations。 He also gave me then and at a later date a number of
… Page 100…
RUSSIA IN 1919
figures illustrating the work that has been done since the revolution。
Thus whereas there used to be six universities there are now sixteen； most
of the new universities having been opened on the initiative of the local
Soviets； as at Astrakhan； Nijni； Ko
