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Show Page 4 Friday, December 11, 1994 THE AMERICAN STATESMAN FLIGHT TO RUSSIA story of the doctor, mentioning him in a list of defectors printed only body was too busy doing things to in small type. As the volume of have any concern with politics inadvertising a word that carried an evil conno- creased, this treatment was replaced tation and was associated with the by derogatory articles, not only late hated regime. In fact, anyone about the doctor but about Russia who dared to talk of political af- in general. It was a chaotic and fairs was courting social ostracism, primitive land, inhabited by barwhich turned out to be most effec- barian individualists, disgustingly tive in maintaining order; order' unsocial, to the core, capitalistic was disassociated from law. Con- without any of the advantages (like tracts, mostly verbal, were strictly social security) of life in a adhered to because nobody dared econand to be accused of talking with a omy. And the weather is terrible. split tongue. Everybody was on Somehow, however, these articles his own, though neighborliness did only whetted the curiosity of many not neglect hardship cases. readers, especially since, as the story expands, the doctor is joined The Flight by an army of defectors, who seem be to with their new And' now we come to the point life. Credence is added to homeof the story the flight of Amersoldiers tales coming by the govicans to Russia. This calls for a ernments on resignadown clamp plot, with action, an affair of the tions and deserters. heart, dramatis personae and all the trappings of a readable novel Controls In fact, the plot should carry on its back, from the first page, the Willingness to believe a rumor aforesaid economic, social and politurns it into fact. And there is great tical argument; this should be an interesting story, not a treatise. Just willingness to believe the glorious by way of suggestion I am not a picture of Russia because of con novelist I offer the following outline of a plot (Continued from page 2, coL 5) word-of-mou- th well-regulat- ed well-plann- well-satisfi- ditions at home. The intervention-ar- y powers acquired by the government at the beginning of the war are still in operation because, it is said, a sudden return to prewar conditions would cause distress. Industry is still supervised by the bureaucracy, labor leaders (with power, to conscript workers) have become government officials, rationing has been firmly institutionalized, there is a scarcity of everything except laws and edicts. About the only way one can rub along is by aiding and abetting the black market, under the aegis of the bureaucrats themselves. ed ed Barter There is no lack of jobs under the compulsory labor laws, and unemployment is equated with absenteeism. Nor is there a shortage of money. Everybody has a pocket full of large denomination notes, which everybody is anxious to exchange for anything tangible. Since money is plentiful and goods are scarce, gambling has become the national pastime. Also, especially among farmers, barter is engaged in whenever possible, even though the laws forbid it Free Choice An American doctor, attached to a regiment in some village, is asked to attend a sick girl who is something of a local heroine, for during the late war she had done in a particularly hated commissar. Of course the girl is beautiful, of course the doctor saves her life, and just as assuredly he falls in love with her. In fact he marries her and when his regiment is ordered home he decides to remain in the village with her. He hangs out his shingle, trade is brisk and profitable, and for added compensation he enjoys the warm acceptance of ' the community. It should be pointed out that he might have induced his lady love to accompany him to America, but he made no such ef- fort because back home socialized medicine was going strong and he preferred the prospect of practicing as a free doctor. Transplanted The story of the transplanted American doctor reaches home by soldiers. It is way of considerably expanded in transmission, and is embellished with a moral: there is gold in them thar hills. Russia is . the place where anyone can make his fortune provided he has guts. There is plenty of rich farming land to be had for the taking, there are natural resources to be exploited, a great need for enterprise of all sorts. Also, the people are kindly and appreciative, the scenery is beautiful, and so are the girls. Besides, there is no government to harass you or to confiscate your earnings. This is the El Dorado of the twenty-fircentury. tale-beari- ng st Controlled Press The American press (still dependent on the government for its paper supply) at first ignored the LEE on TV EVERY SATURDAY 4:45 P. M. KUTV Channel 2 Hear what your government is doing to you . . . Rather than for you. joflsR OTKD Emigration Altogether, the America that once attracted immigrants has undergone a complete metamorphosis. It is no longer a land of opportunity, although, according to official pronouncements, it is a free country Permission to reprint granted without special request Printed in U.S.A. Published September, 1959 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: THE FREEDOM SCHOOL P. O. Box 165 Colorado Springs, Colorado Information about The Freedom School will be sent on request. 59-153- 88 because nobody starves. Most of the people have made peace with the new order that is, they are too preoccupied with the business of living to pay any attention to public affairs. They even joke about the discomfort of queuing up at the supply stations. Sometimes an BILLINGS, Montana, Dec. 3 old codger will wistfully bring up National Beet Growers AssoThe the good old days, but his stories ciation delegates at the 14th annual are indulgently discounted. meeting here censured, recently isYet, among the youth the story sued regulations of the Department of the doctor (and his associates) of Labor applying to recruitment makes the rounds and stirs the payment and housing of foreign imagination. And the slogan, Go seasonal agricultural workers. east, young man (or, on the In a strongly worded resolution, Pacific Coast, Go west) arouses the delegates challenged the prothe spirit of adventure which is priety, legality, feasibility and the hallmark of youth. practicality" of the proposed Labor (Just how the youth manage to Department rules. go east or west across the ocean is something for the fictioneer to They urged that administration figure out After all, he cannot ex- of regulations governing working pect me to work out all the details and housing conditions for seasonal for him). foreign farm workers be returned Chodorov Frank to the state level. Copyright 1959, by Farm Controls h Pact's a In Salt Lake City and Utah live hundreds of families; of railroads serving this area. em-ploy- es We own our homes, attend church, buy groceries, clothing, drugs, gasoline, furniture and accessories for our homes from you who are not directly connected with the railroad. t We, too, play an important role in our community affairs. We pay our taxes; we advocate better schools, clean government and other civic improvements that will afford everyone a better place in which to live. Railroad employes have a notable heritage. We are proud of it, and would like to share with you some of our achievements and problems. Railroad employes have the finest productivity record of any group of employes in the entire nation. Employe efficiency is at an all-tipeak. This record of productivity is partly due to technological advances. New machines, consolidation of jobs, and 'the use of modem equipment, have furloughed thousands of clerks in the railroad industry. With the advent of the diesel locomotives, other thousands were laid off. Many railroad shops were closed completely; while others are being operated with skeleton forces. Likewise, operating employes lost thousands of jobs; in many instances, more than An engineer now operates as many as four, or more, locomotives, and the fireman is responsible for the production of power in the same number of locomotives. The fireman is as aboard important on a modem railroad locomotive as a a sleek commercial airliner. In the days of steam engines, 75 cars were considered a big train; today, 150 cars are not uncommon and the same engineer, conductor, fireman and brakeman are responsible for the safe and efficient operation thereof. From 1956 to 1959 the railroads laid off more than 230,000 employes; and Railroad management has no intention of calling them back to railroad service in any proportion to the upsurge in business activity. What does this mean to the Railroads? The Railroads are enjoying one of the highest levels of net income in their history. In the last four months of 1958 the railroads rate of earning was better than $1 billion a year in net operating profits. Think of it; thats at an average rate of approximately $3,000,000 daily. In addition to fabulous profits, 190 new officials were added on the railroads between 1955 and 1957. The Boston and Maine Railroad increased the salary of the president from $25,000 to $75,000 a year between 1955 and 1957. President H. A. DeButts of the Southern Railroad drew a salary of $129,35Q in 1957. The 1958 top officials of the Southern Railroad received earnings of $1,667,510 in 57. In spite of fabulous profits, and salaries being paid railroad officials, the railroads management has seen fit to launch a multimillion dollar propaganda campaign attempting to picture all railroad workers as featherbedders and over-pai-d incompetents. This reckless campaign of distorted facts by railroad manreagement is unparalleled in the history of employer-employ- e lations. Railroad management spokesmen are openly threatening a lockout of railroad workers if they and the public do not 50. co-pil- ot This ad authorized and paid for by INDIVIDUAL OPERATING EMPLOYEES OF THE UNION PACIFIC , D&RGW and WESTERN PACIFIC RAILROADS IN UTAH. |
