Only the New-Zlatopole Jewish region has succeeded in preparing up to now the 74 percent of the amount of corn required for sowing purposes in the coming spring, while the two other Jewish regions in the Ukraine do not possess as yet even a fraction of the grain required, and it is very doubtful whether by the time the seed is required they will be in possession of the necessary quantities. Kalinindorf region has prepared only 28 percent and Stalindorf region only 20 percent of the required quantities. Members of the Collective farms claim that immediately after the harvest the Government took from them all grain they possessed, including the portion set aside for spring sowing.
In several collective farms this contention is supported also by the local Communists to the great annoyance of the Communist Yiddish press, who denounce them as behaving “like thieves covering themselves behind the Party tickets in their pockets,” instead of serving as good examples to the others. The remedy suggested for the situation is that the peasants should again thresh the straw, and sift the chaff, and thus obtain the corn required for sowing. Or alternatively, the members of the collective farms should lend to the Government the necessary amount of grain from the reserves retained for their personal use, until the next crop is ripe.
A heated controversy has developed among the Jewish collective farms on this question. It is certain to become more acute as sowing time approaches.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
