who developed the
whole district until it has become the most northerly Asiatic industrial
centre in the Russian Empire. The contrast in treatment at these
privately-owned works compared with those owned by the Government is
significant. The Soviet Commissar knew nothing about the business
himself, and appointed Works Commissars, still more ignorant of their
duties, to control the establishment. The result was that production
fell to such a point that the experts refused to work under such
incompetents and gradually escaped to other outlandish districts. The
manager stuck to his post during the battle of Perm, and by a judicious
distribution among the Bolshevik Commissars of the surplus roubles of
the Tsar remaining in his possession got them out of the works without
damage. This was an unheard-of situation, for nowhere else have the
Soviet Commissars left anything they could destroy.

It was interesting to notice that nearly the whole of the machinery in
these works was either of German or American make, the latter always
predominating; there was some English and some Belgian, about an equal
amount of each. I heard a curious statement at Kushva to the effect that
the German firms were always prepared to build and fit out a big works,
and run it for one year, without asking for a penny. Of course they
always first carefully examined the possibilities of the locality, but
the managers assured me that it was rare for German machinery to be
equal, either for use or wear and tear, to the English, nor was it as
cheap; but they could always get long credit from German firms, and that
was most important in developing new enterprises.

We set off for Perm, with a stop on our way at the Vackneah Turansky
Works. These works employed from four to five thousand men, doing
everything from smelting to the making of engines, carriages, shells,
guns, etc., and were the best equipped workshops I saw in the Urals. The
only complaint was lack of orders. The old regime did everything--nearly
all this great mineral district was developed under the personal care of
the Tsars. The Bolsheviks have destroyed the State control of these
establishments, and already the _bourgeoisie_ are casting hungry eyes
upon this great industry and the Omsk Ministers are rubbing hands over
the loot they hope to collect during this transfer. How vain the hopes
of those who looked to the Revolution to develop public control of all
natural resources! Already the