Estonia, Wonderful Present—Marvelous FutureAlexei Murisep. Soviet Booklets, London. 1959.

Towards Abundance

There are to be considerable increases in the production of consumer goods and foodstuffs in Estonia in the seven-year period. The Communist Party and the Soviet Government have set as a main aim to have an abundance of goods so that Soviet citizens need not be in want for anything and all their requirements can be fully met.

Fabrics.—The main light industry in our republic is cotton textiles, an industry which employs one out of every ten factory workers in Estonia. We have already mentioned such huge enterprises as the Krenholm mills in Narva which were founded more than a century ago, and the Baltic mills in Tallinn. They were completely destroyed during the war, but now they are working to full capacity and in the coming seven years will greatly step up their output.

A comparison between the life of the textile workers at the Krenholm mills as it used to be and as it is today will not be devoid of interest. Listen to what Armin Korius, a veteran textile worker, has to say: "I've been working here for nearly thirty years, ten of them when the bosses were in power. So I know how things have changed.

"In the old days we always thought we'd be thrown out of work any moment and were never sure of the morrow. Now things are completely different.

"Our old Krenholm mills have become young again. We have new equipment and modern textile machines, which make it much easier to work.

"The care and concern of the Communist Party are seen in everything. In the old days the Krenholm textile workers lived in barracks; today we have whole streets full of new houses with well-appointed flats. And see how many more are being built!"

In 1965 seven times more cotton fabrics will be put out in the republic than in 1940.

Output of woollen cloths will have increased from 3 million to 5,500,000 yards.

Footwear.—In the seven years the annual output of leather shoes will go up from 2,800,000 pairs to 4 million pairs. For this purpose existing factories will be enlarged and a leather factory will be built in Tartu.

Fish.—Estonia is hemmed in on three sides by the sea, and there are several hundred inland lakes. It is only natural therefore that fishing has always been a widespread vocation. Estonian cured and pickled sprats and lampreys enjoy a well-deserved reputation far outside the republic.

In old Estonia fish were caught in a very primitive fashion. The entire fishing fleet consisted of motor boats with low-powered engines, sailing boats and dinghies. And moreover there were twice as many dinghies as motor boats.

The annual catch ranged between 15,000 tons and 25,000 tons. The fish was processed on shore at a number of small semi-artisan establishments.

During the years of Soviet power the Party and the government have done much to develop this traditional industry. Coming together into co-operative fisheries, the fishermen, with the help of the state, have been given the opportunity of acquiring big vessels, kapron1 nets and other tackle. There are no longer any dinghies or sailing boats.

The total capacity of the engines in Estonia's fishing fleet today is six times more than in 1939. Of late the annual catch has been more than 50,000 tons.

There are eighty-two fishing co-operatives in the republic at present.

Let us pay a visit to the fishing co-operative on the peninsula of Viimsi. Its income is growing from year to year—from 2,500,000 roubles in 1955 to more than 4 million roubles in 1958. This year it reckons that its income will amount to 6,500,000 roubles.

It has decided to buy a trawler to go out to the Atlantic herring grounds. There is considerable building going on at Viimsi. One club has already been built, the construction of another is nearing completion, and a Fisherman's House is planned.

The fishermen themselves are now well off: thirty-nine families are building new houses; all have radio sets, while fifteen families watch TV programmes from Tallinn on their own sets. Recently they have bought forty-six motor cycles and twelve passenger cars.

Under the Seven-Year Plan the catch is to be increased mainly by going out to deep-sea fishing grounds.

By 1965 the annual catch will reach 130,000 tons—as much as we caught in Estonia throughout the last seven years of capitalist rule ending in 1940.

The impressive sum of 780 million roubles has been earmarked to provide a big ocean-going fleet. Another 64 million roubles has been allocated to build a big fishing port in Tallinn. Besides that, big herring factories will go up in Tallinn and Pärnu.