Vladimir Kuzmin-Karavayev

“ As far as Petrograd is concerned, its connection with the interior of the country is maintained by one railroad line. But, in Moscow, as well as in Petrograd, there are hundreds of people waiting in line for their turn to purchase sugar, butter and flour. And yet Moscow is the greatest railroad center in Russia. It is clear, therefore, that railroad transportation is not solely responsible. A part of the blame should be placed upon the conditions existing at the sources of supply. ”

“ And this is so because they refuse to work under conditions which compel them to breathe dust and remain out in the rain.
An economic crisis always entails an increase in the cost of living, as a consequence of a disturbance in the established economic relations. ”

“ The country is passsing through an acute economic and financial crisis. The amount of paper money in circulation is three times the normal. And, while its market value has not fluctuated within the country itself, the purchasing power of paper money has decreased considerably. ”

“ At the same time, hundreds of millions of roubles come into the peasants' hands as pensions, money paid to the families of militiamen, and as payments for supplies delivered to the War Department. The enormously increased deposits received by the savings institutions continue to grow. Despite the rapidly rising prices for such articles as dry-goods, the peasants now purchase larger quantities of them than they did formerly, even in the most successful years. ”

“ Ordinarily, the work of preparing hemp is done by women and girls. This work is not difficult and not tiresome, but it is dusty, and the women are compelled to work in the rain. The usual wages paid are from 35 to 40 copecks per day. ”

“ These reproaches against the municipal authorities are indulged in even by those who ought to know perfectly well that these officials are powerless to do anything for the regulation of transportation, or the determining of prices. ”

“ In former days, it should be noted, the rural population not only cut down its needs, but it actually starved. There is nothing strange, therefore, in the fact that this population first of all began to satisfy its need of food products, i. ”