Misrepresentation in Founding the Ideal Colony: The Extreme of Dirt: The Rule of the Incompetent We recently printed a@ brief refer ence to the experiences of Mr. A. Gunner, who has managed to get away from the American: Russian Siberian Colony, spending about! siz months in traversing the Soviet country from Petrograd to Harbin. The group of which he was a mem ber had its inception among the Radicals, Communists, Soviets and LW. W. of America, whose avowed purpose was to*found a colony of an idealistic nature in Russia where the principles of the Soviet theory of government could be experiments ed with and a Utopian settlement established. The following interesting narrative is his own story.
While it is very doubtful whether the name "Kuzbas" and what it stands for has even been heard of on the China, Coast, in America iderable publicity has already its significance quite well known, In the summer of 1921, Rill Havwaod, the famous leader of the TI. W. W., with several other Radicals attending the Third International Convention at Moscow, formed an organizing committee, the purpose of which was to take aver as a concession granted by the Soviet Government certain extensive coal mines and a steel plant in western Siberia. The stea] plant was located in the Ural Mountains, at a place calld Nadajensky, north of the Siberian Railway. while the real properties were situated in what is known as the Kuznetsky Tasin, a territory extending south from the railway at Tomsk for about 200 miles* with an overage, width of some 25 miles.
The word Kuzbas, which was the name given to the concession, is derived from Kuznetsky and Basin, being a combination of the first three letters of both words. This concession of Kuzbas was granted to the organizing committee by the Soviet Government, it being understood that the properties, which were Soviet owned, were to be ex-plaited by workers brought from the United States with the assistance of the native Russians already on the ground. This exploitation was to be accomplished without the assistance' of any capital except that contributed by the workers themselves and with the assistance of the Soviet Government. There was an entrance fee of G.$300 per colonist. No money was to be paid in wages, but each nrember was to receive a Satisfactory standard of living and a bonus upon the completion of two years' work, provided the industry had a surplus to its oredit at that time. Housing accommodation was represented as being four-room cottages, with running water. Kuzbas was_ to demonstrate that the workers, with-obtaining under the capitalistic mode of production.
About Apri] 15, 1992, the first group of 70 colonists left New York for Russia and arrived shout a month later at their destination. Four additional groups followed at intervals of one month, the last arriving about October 1, 1922.
A COLOSSAL FRAUD, The Kuzbas properties had been represented as being a concession already granted to an organizing conumittes of American workers, seme of whom were in Russia and the others in the United States, the representative in America being H. S. Calvert, whilst a party by the name of P. Pascal Cosgrave was also a member of the committee. Yet, upon the colonists' arrival, they found that neither at Kemerovo (the coal property) nor Nadajensky (the steel plant), had an actual concession been given. Not only that, but, while the original agrecment between the Soviets and the organizing committee had been abrogated and a new agreement made, this information had never been imparted to the colonists in America. Their money was being accepted and solicited and they were being transported from 7,000 te 10,000 miles to a strange land, certainly not the pleasantest place to live in, under false representa tions. The writer's information 1s that the concession was to be granted on or before October 1, 1922, providing the organizing committe fulfilled certain conditions, one of which was that at least 500 colonists should arrive before October 1, 1922. The records will show that there were not 500 colonists sent from America before this period, even should the children be included.
Having arrived at Kemerovo, it was up to the colonists to make the best of it. Instead of the four-room cottages with running water, they were confronted with filthy barracks and houses alive with cockroaches and bedbugs. Tha barracks were about 100 ft. by 30 ft., in three compartments, and had been occupied by the so-called Labour Army." Tf there are any pigs anywhere in the United States that messed up their quarters to the extent achieved by this Labour Army, the writer has yet to see then. It required not less than ten days of hard work even to give them the appearance of being habitable, and the bedbugs have not disappeared yet, notwithstanding the colonists are fighting them hard. The food situation also was} and is very bad. Notwithstanding that the sum of G. $300 had been contributed by most of the colonists (seme gave as much ae G. $2100), out the aid of capitalists, could|G. $100 to be used for food pur not only operate an industry pro- chases in America, this same food,! fitable, but were capable of greater which was of fair quality; was productive efficiency than that cooked in such a manner that quite several
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.