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instance to the war and the isolation it imposed； has gone further in Russia
than elsewhere； so the shortage of labor； at present a handicap； an
annoyance in more fortunate countries； is in Russia perhaps the greatest of
the national dangers。 Shortage of labor cannot be measured simply by
the decreasing numbers of the workmen。 If it takes two workmen as long
to do a particular job in 1920 as it took one man to do it in 1914； then；
even if the number of workman has remained the same； the actual supply
of labor has been halved。 And in Russia the situation is worse than that。
For example； in the group of State metal…working factories； those； in fact
which may be considered as the weapon with which Russia is trying to cut
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THE CRISIS IN RUSSIA
her way out of her transport difficulties； apart from the fact that there were
in 19l6 81；600 workmen； whereas in 1920 there are only 42；500； labor has
deteriorated in the most appalling manner。 In 1916 in these factories 92
per cent。 of the nominal working hours were actually kept； in 1920 work
goes on during only 60 per cent。 of the nominal hours。 It is estimated
that the labor of a single workman produces now only one quarter of what
it produced in 1916。 To take another example； also from workmen
engaged in transport； that is to say； in the most important of all work at the
present time： in the Moscow junction of the Moscow Kazan Railway；
between November 1st and February 29th （1920）； 292 workmen and
clerks missed 12；048 working days； being absent； on in average； forty
days per man in the four months。 In Moscow passenger…station on this
line； 22 workmen missed in November 106 days； in December 273； in
January 338； and in February 380； in an appalling
crescendo further illustrated by the wagon department； where 28
workmen missed in November 104 days and in February 500。 In
November workmen absented themselves for single days。 In February
the same workmen were absent for the greater part of the month。 The
invariable excuse was illness。 Many cases of illness there undoubtedly
were； since this period was the worst of the typhus epidemic； but besides
illness； and besides mere obvious idleness which no doubt accounts for a
certain proportion of illegitimate holidays； there is another explanation
which goes nearer the root of the matter。 Much of the time filched from
the State was in all probability spent in expeditions in search of food。 In
Petrograd； the Council of Public Economy complain that there is a
tendency to turn the eight…hour day into a four…hour day。 Attempts are
being made to arrest this tendency by making an additional food
allowance conditional on the actual fulfilment of working days。 In the
Donetz coal basin； the monthly output per man was in 1914 750 poods； in
1916 615 poods； in 1919 240 poods （figures taken from Ekaterinoslav
Government）； and in 1920 theoutput per man is estimated at being
something near 220 poods。 In the shale mines on the Volga； where food
conditions are comparatively good； productivity is comparatively high。
Thus in a small mine near Simbirsk there are 230 workmen； of' whom 50
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THE CRISIS IN RUSSIA
to 60 are skilled。 The output for the unskilled is 28。9 poods in a shift； for
the skilled 68。3。 But even there 25 per cent。 of the workmen are regular
absentees； and actually the mine works only 17 or 18 days in a month； that
is； 70 per cent。 of the normal number of working days。 The remaining 30
per cent。 of normal working time is spent by the workmen in getting food。
Another small mine in the same district is worked entirely by unskilled
labor； the wokers being peasants from the neighboring villages。 In this
mine the productivity per man is less； but all the men work full time。
They do not have to waste time in securing food； because； being local
peasants； they are supplied by their own villages and families。 In
Moscow and Petrograd food is far more difficult to secure； more time is
wasted on that hopeless task； even with that waste of time； the workman is
not properly fed； and it cannot be wondered at that his productivity is low。
Something； no doubt； is due to the natural character of the Russians；
which led Trotsky to define man as an animal
distinguished by laziness。 Russians are certainly lazy； and probably
owe to their climate their remarkable incapacity for prolonged effort。
The Russian climate is such that over large areas of Russia the Russian
peasant is accustomed； and has been accustomed for hundreds of years； to
perform prodigies of labor during two short periods of sowing and harvest；
and to spend the immensely long and monotonous winter in a hibernation
like that of the snake or the dormouse。 There is a much greater
difference between a Russian workman's normal output and that of which
he is capable for a short time if he sets himself to it； than there is between
the normal and exceptional output of an Englishman； whose temperate
climate has not taught him to regard a great part of the year as a period of
mere waiting for and resting from the extraordinary effort of a few
weeks。（*） ＇（*）Given any particular motive； any particula enthusiasm； or
visible； desirable object； even the hungry Russian workmen of to…day are
capable of sudden and temporary increase of output。 The 〃Saturdayings〃
（see p。 119） provide endless illustrations of this。 They had something in
the character of a picnic； they were novel； they were out of the routine；
and the productivity of labor during a 〃Saturdaying〃 was invariably higher
than on a weekday。 For example； there is a shortage of paper for
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THE CRISIS IN RUSSIA
cigarettes。 People roll cigarettes in old newspapers。 It occurred to the
Central Committee of the Papermakers' Union to organize a 〃Sundaying〃
with the object of sending cigarette paper to the soldiers in the Red Army。
Six factories took part。 Here is a table showing the output of these
factories during the 〃Sundaying〃 and the average weekday output。 The
figures are in poods。
Made on Average week
Factory the Sunday Day Output
Krasnogorodskaya。。。。。。。。。615。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。450
Griaznovskaya。。。。。。。。。。。。。65。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。45
Medianskaya。。。。。。。。。。。。。。105。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。90
Dobruzhskaya。。。。。。。。。。。。。186。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。250
Belgiiskaya。。。。。。。。。。。。。。127。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。85
Ropshinskaya。。。。。。。。。。。。。。85。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。55＇
But this uneven working temperament was characteristic of the
Russian before the war as well as now。 It has been said that the
revolution removed the stimulus to labor； and left the Russian laziness to
have its way。 In the first period of the revolution that may have been true。
It is becoming day by day less true。 The fundamental reasons of low
productivity will not be found in any sudden or unusual efflorescence of
idleness； but in economic conditions which cannot but reduce the
productivity of idle and industrious alike。 Insufficient feeding is one
such reason。 The proportion of working time consumed in foraging is
another。 But the whole of my first chapter may be taken as a compact mass
of reasons why the Russians at the present time should not work with
anything like a normal productivity。 It is said that bad workmen
complain of their tools； but even