A Bird in the Hand or Two in the Bush

Minister Peshekhonov uttered many beautiful and high-sounding phrases in his speech. He said that "we must divide equitably all we have", that "the resistance of the capitalists has apparently been broken", and many more phrases of that kind.

But he cited only one exact figure, only one exact fact in his speech, devoting six lines to it out of eight columns. Here it is: nails leave the factory at 20 kopeks a pound, but they reach the consumer at 2 rubles a pound.

Isn’t it possible, since "the resistance of the capitalists has been broken", to pass a law on publishing (1) all letters of guarantee concerning prices of supplies under the war con tracts; (2) all prices of supplies to the state in general; (3) the cost price of products delivered to the state; (4) isn’t it possible to give the workers’ organisations an opportunity to verify all these facts?