12 Soviet Dumping
Timber

The dumping of timber is an integral part of Soviet
“ international policy ”” and has always been exercised as a
political lever against other countries. The plans now provide
 not only for increased dumping of all kinds of timber,
but also for a new dumping campaign of joinery articles and
furniture. For this purpose the Soyuzles—the Union Timber
and Woodworking department—was established in February,
 1930. The department is attached to the Supreme
Economic Soviet in Moscow and its statutory capital is
26,500,000 roubles. Among its numerous functions, which
include ‘‘ the rationalisation of the working up of timber
materials,” is *‘ the drawing up and the executing of timber
exporting programmes.”
The extent of the development of timber dumping can
be gauged by the huge preparations that are being made in
the timber industry and the ‘‘ investments *’ that have been
allotted to it in the Five Years’ Plan. The amount involved
is officially given as 625 million roubles, of which 375 million
roubles are being expended on wood-working factories
alone. This investment is expected to provide an increase in
exports of 31 times that of last year.

Furs

Soviet dumping of furs, according to Mr. R. E. Groner,
who presided at a mass meeting organised by the London
Fur Trade Association and the British Fur Trade Alliance,
has become “ the gravest menace which has ever threatened
the fur trade.”

“ Before the war,” Mr. Groner pointed out. ‘‘ Russia
produced fully so per cent. of the fur supplies of the world.
Moreover, for nearly 10 years after the Revolution, trapping
 and hunting in most of Russia and Siberia were almost
entirely suspended, and the increase in animal life during
that period must have been very considerable. The Soviet
authorities themselves claimed that the fur-producing potentialities
 of Russia have scarcely been scratched. In the
Five Years’ Plan, fur conservation has received very careful
study under the supreme control of the State organisation
called the fur syndicate. The whole of Russia and Siberia