Economy in Soviet Russia. 
By S. Sherman. 
CONTENTS: General Particulars; The Home Trade; The Industry; The Foreign 
Trade; The Currency. 
General Particulars. 
Te first stage of the Bolshevic policy of economics, rgry/21, was 
marked by consistently carrying into effect the principles of socialistic 
organisation of the national economy. This process is again divided into 
two distinct periods: the first period, 1917—1919, had, as its chief task, 
the suppression of private economic activity with the assistance of a con- 
sistent nationalisation of the banks (decree of Feb. 2, 1918), by the natio- 
nalisation of single branches of the industry, then also of the total 
industry (decree of July 23, 1918), by the nationalisation of trade (decree 
of November 21, 1918), as well as the suppression of the then customary 
attempts of the workers and employees of getting certain enterprises and 
issets of properties into their own hands, by declaring them as State 
property. 
The second period, 1919—1921I, consists in the attempt of the Bol- 
shevistic power to exploit the seized branches of economics by bureaucratic 
means. The Chief Economic Council, with the assistance of the chief 
management of the separate industrial branches, was to serve as the central 
organ for the direction of the whole economy of the country; later on, 
however, it only controlled the production department of the big industrial 
and smaller industrial concerns; the smallest industrial enterprises in the 
provinces were directed by the economic councillors of the gouvernements by 
means of their numerous special departments. The process of distribution 
in regard to foodstuffs, raw materials and manufactured goods, were 
assigned to the people’s commissariat, which, with the assistance of its depart- 
ments in gouvernements and districts, supplied the population. 
The paper money printed in unlimited quantities and, without even 
being entered or registered, was distributed by the accounting department 
of the people’s commissary for finances (Narkomfin). 
As a result of the first period of the communist government the 
production and the commercial activity came to a complete standstill. 
That part of the population that did not till the soil was nominally engaged 
in the economic apparatus of the State in doing compulsory, but absolutely 
unproductive work. 
The remuneration or pay for this work was adjusted in the form of 
apportioning provisions, which were distributed on a basis of class distinct- 
ion. There were various standards of distribution for the workers, employees 
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