"free" retail markets of Moscow, are typical:
| Butter, per pound | 29,000 | rubles |
| Sugar, per pound | 35,000 | rubles„ |
| Potatoes, per pound | 1,000 | rubles„ |
| Flour, per pound | 3,725 | rubles„ |
| Rice, per pound | 15,000 | rubles„ |
| Beet, per pound | 10,000 | rubles„ |
| Pork, per pound | 15,000 | rubles„ |
| Tea, per pound | 80,000 | rubles„ |
| Bread, per pound | 3,000 | rubles„ |
| Eggs, each | 1,200 | rubles„ |
| Herring, each | 1,800 | rubles„ |
| Hairpins, each | 1,000 | rubles„ |
| Common pins, each | 200 | rubles„ |
| Shoes, pair | 450,000 | |
| Clothes, suit | 1,000,000 | rubles„ |
| Thread, spool | 6,000 | rubles„ |
| Soap, toilet | 20,000 | rubles„ |
| Soap, laundry | 15,000 | rubles„ |
Translated into terms of American money (upon the basis of 30,000 rubles to one dollar) many of these prices are very high. This is because of the severe shortage of commodities that has been brought about by the crisis in production. Thus butter in Moscow costs 97 cents per pound; sugar, $1.16; tea, $2.67; rice, 50 cents, etc. On the other hand, some of the staples are comparatively cheap; flour retailing at 13 cents per pound; bread, 10 cents; beef, 40 cents, and pork, 50 cents. In 1914 bread cost less than three kopecks per pound. Its rate of increase in price is approximately 1,000,000 per cent. This is considerably less than for commodities generally.
A pronounced effect of these continuous and constantly soaring prices has been to practically wipe out the money wages of the workers. It has been found impossible to keep changing these in accordance with the rapidly changing prices. In order to understand the situation, however, it must be always borne in mind that the Russian industrial workers at the present time get rent, clothes, food, and other necessities free from the Government. The money wages they receive are merely for them to help out the Government rations by buying wherever they can in the open market. These money wages range from 4000 to 20,000 rubles per month. The Communist Party has a standing rule that
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