before the war. In spite of all this, our river fleet yielded considerably greater results in 1920 than in 1919.
In 1919, 256,000,000 poods of goods were carried during the period of navigation on the Volga–Baltic route; whereas in 1920 up to 28th September, that is before the end of the navigation, 365,000,000 poods were sent out, and 331,000,000 arrived. By the end of the navigation period this will have considerably increased. This shows a very important success. The number of passengers carried in 1919 was 3,189,000; and in 1920 up to 2nd September the number reached already 3,751,000; by the end of the period of navigation this number will probably exceed 4,000,000. It should be noted that, in consequence of the drought, the water level was low and the navigation of 1920 was at a great disadvantage. The boat repairs improved, and deterioration of the fleet is now stopped.
Before the war our textile industry was well organised and produced an enormous quantity of stuff. Under Kerensky the industry rapidly declined; this process of decline continued in the first years of the Soviet Government. The chief cause was the lack of fuel and cotton, which we could not obtain because Turkestan was cut off from us by the Cossack General Doutov and the Czecho-Slovaks. The other cause was that the textile workers, on account of the lack of food in town, fled to the villages. Now, even in this most important branch of industry, the position is beginning to improve. We are getting more fuel now; cotton is coming from Turkestan, and there are already over 2,000,000 poods of cotton, partly
