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the data relating to agriculture; this data is applied for working out agricultural plans, controlling, etc., and also for calculation of the technical forces (this work is just being organised), in order that the fullest and best use be made of them. The local control of production is carried out by the workers' Committees on the various undertakings, which elect a Wage and Standardisation of Labour Committee, to standardise labour and wages according to the instructions of the Central organs of the union; it controls labour discipline, and the proper execution of plans and protection of public property; but the committees do not interfere with the technical administration of the industry, which belongs exclusively to the Management.
The exception to this rule was made in the Tambof Government; in February, 1920, in accordance with the instruction of the Government Council of Public Economy, when all the Soviet estates were given over to the Workers' Committee the former managers of the estates became only technical executors by the order of the Workers' Committees. The latter accomplish their task through the technical corporation of the Governmental Council of Public Economy.
The following figures give a general idea of the work the union in connection with organising Soviet estates:—
According to statistics provided by the Commissariat of Agriculture, previous to the advance of Denikin there were in 33 governments in Central Russia, 2,463 Soviet estates with a total area of 1,361,490 desiatins of which 745,536 was ploughed land and 313,354 was arable. The number of permanent workers was 53,574 employees, 6,941 experts and others who with their families totalled 107,820. The number of horses was 36,727, horned cattle 56,595.
There were 13.4 desiatins per man and 19.5 per horse. In the northern Governments, Tzaritzin and Astrachan Governments and also on the far South Coast the Soviet estates are small—about 20 in each Government.
The following are the governments in which the Soviet estates occupy the largest area.
| Number of Estates. | Territory | |||
| The Government of | Saratov | 66 | 171,455 | desiatins |
| Samara | 100 | 194,436 | ||
| Voronesh | 65 | 116,350 | ||
| Kursk | 118 | 70,000 | ||
| Gomel | 252 | 163,883 | ||
| Novgorod | 106 | 50,000 | ||
| Moscow | 201 | 45,413 | ||
| Petrograd | 185 | 22,000 | ||
| Smolensk | 119 | 36,350 | ||
| Orel | 133 | 55,000 |
The last two governments are remarkable for their organisation
