Bulgaria's Rising Living Standards

FOREIGN LANGUAGES PRESS S of i a, 1 9 5 9

Bulgaria's Rising Living Standards

FOREIGN LANGUAGES PRESS S of 1 a, 1 9 5 9

I. STILL HIGHER LIVING STANDARDS IN A FEW YEARS

In the autumn of 1958 a new popular movement with­ out precedent in the nation's history sprang up spon­ taneously in Bulgaria. And ere long, just as a mountain stream collects the waters of the brooklets to turn into a big river, the waves of this movement coming from towns and villages, mines and factories, building sites and power plants, research institutes and offices, turned into a tidal' wave which swept the whole country. This tidal wave was the unremitting surge of a free people to speed up the development of their country's forces of production and to take a historic leap in their economic and cultural development so as to attain still higher living and cul­ tural standards within the shortest possible time. In essence, this remarkable movement in industry, .building, transport, agriculture, in the nation's entire eco­ nomic life, represents a drive to discover the hitherto un­ tapped yet rich reserves in all sectors of socialrist pro­ duction. The movement had to be organized and guided. Thi~ became the primary concern of the Government and of the Bulgarian Communist Party. The Party came forward with a draft, mapping out a series of practical measures for the fulfilment of the Third Five-Year Plan in shorter terms. This draft was discussed and debated at thousands of pub­ lic meetings. Many new measures were suggested, reveal­ ing new reserves and resources for expanding and acceler­ ating the nation's socialist construction. In March 1959 the National Assembly passed a Bill for the accelerated de­ velopment of Bulgaria's national economy, for the improve­ ment of the living and cultural standards of the people and for the reorganization of state leadership and of economic management. Bulgaria will accelerate her economic development to such an extent that by 1962 the national income will be more than double and by 1965 about three times that of 1957. This leap-like progress of the national. income will make it possible to increase national consumption twice by 1962 and two and a half times by 1965. After completing this programme of economic develop­ ment, i.e. not later than 1965, Bulgaria will figure among the leading countries in the world in per capita production of industrial and agricultural goods. Thus, in 1965 Bul­ garia wiH be producing 1,200 kwh of electric power per capita, i.e. more than the present per capita production of Italy and Japan and only 105 kwh short of France's per capita production. Coal output will reach 4,820 kg per ca­ pita, i.e. more than the present production in the most de­ veloped capitalist countries. Cement production will also surpass the production in the most advanced capitalist countries. The 1965 sugar target per capita is 43 kg as against a present per capita sugar output of 12 kg in the United States, 12.5 in Great Britain, 32 in France and 20 in Italy. In 1965 Bulgaria will also hold one of the wori'd's leading places in the per capita production and consump­ tion of meat, fats, dairy products, cotton and woollen fabrics. It is difficult to visualize the stupendous nature of this historic leap which will bring Bulgaria's living standards to the leve: of the richest and most advanced nations when bearing in mind how backward our country was a mere 15 years ago. I I. B U L G A R I A'S P R E S E N T L IV I N G S T A N D A R D S

Bulgaria lies in the heart of the Balkan Peninsula. Her climatic and soil conditions are most favourable. Wheat, maize, cotton, sugar beet, tobacco and many other grain and industrial crops thrive in the plains, \Vhile in the val­ leys and hillsides there are vineyards, orchards and rose fields.. «The Bulgarians,» wrote Paissi Hilendarski ( 1722- 1798), a leading figure in our National Revival, «con­ quered the best lands of the Greeks and :Romans and settled there.» The French writer Lamartine, who travelled in Bul­ garia during the last century, stated in his book «Oriental Journey» that «the land inhabited by the Bulgarians could become a wonderful garden». Yet, in the recent past, far from being a wonderful gar­ den, this beautiful land \vas a vale of tears and sufferings. When on September 9. 1944 the people overthrew the · monarcho-capitalist regime, the people's government found a country which was not only backward but also ruined and despoiled by Bulgarian and German capital and turned into a supply base of the Nazi army. The production of both agriculture and industry was used as fodder for the German war machine. There was no heavy industry in the country. The little industry that did exist (primarHy canning and textiles) was on a low technical level and was controlled by West­ European, and in more recent years, by German capitaL Transmission belts and lubricants, fuel and spare parts, as well as raw materials - everything was in shortage. Consumer goods and foodstuffs in particular were in short supply. Unemployment was rampant in the cities. Trans­ port was practically at a standstill. Inflation had assumed major proportions and was getting worse day after d~y. The national economy was driving headlong towards ru1n.

A Decade Equal to a Century. The people's government called on aH patriots in town and village to make an all­ out effort to bring the war against Nazi Germany to a suc­ cessful end and to rehabilitate the nation's economy. The first economic agreement was signed with the Sovi'et Union and had a most salutary effect. An internal lo·an was floated with most gratify~ing results. A voluntary labour drive spread all over the country. After working hours and on holidays industrial and office workers enthusiastically helped to build power plants, railway lines, roads, etc. or to clear the rubble caused by the air raids. There was also a youth labour brigade movement in which hundreds of thousands of young people took part. · The people realized that the policy of the Bulgarian Communist Party and the Government was correct. They made all Party and Government decisions their own pro­ gramme of action and spared no effort to help rebuild and develop industry, agriculture - all branches of the eco­ nomy of the new, free and independent Bulgaria. Thus an end was put to economic anarchy and planned socialist construction began. Georgit Dimitrov, in words that have now become historic, expounded the programme of the people's government: «What other countries under different historic cond~tions have achieved in a wh6le cen­ tury must be attained within 15 to 20 vears through the country's industrialization and electrffication and the mechanization of its agriculture». By 1948 the pre-war level of production was reached and even surpassed in many industrial branches as a re­ sult of the implementation of the plan for the rebuilding of the national economy. The First Five-Year Plan, whose object was to lay the foundations of socialism, was fulHlled in four years ( 1949- 11952). The Second Five-Year Plan, under which socialist con­ struction was carried a stride forward, was also success­ fully fulfilled ( 1953-1957).

6 ) . The Bulgarian people are now implementing the Third , Ftve-Year Pl~n (1958-1962)- a plan of accelerated social­ Ist construction which is to pave the way for the gradual I • transition to communism. Socialism, the new socia:1system, has triumphed in Bul­ garia as a result of the fulfilment of the First and Second Five-Year Plans. Socialist property (national and co­ operative) has become the only form of ownership over • J the means of production, both in industry and in agTi­ culture. The victory of socialism in Bulgaria is the main fruit of the people's democratic revolution. The successful socialist industrialization and socialist transformation of agricul­ ture, as well as the cultural revolution, were accompanied by profound changes in the class structure of society. The socialist production relations established in town and vil­ lage alike did away once and forever with the exploitation of man by man, with the exploiting classes - the capital­ ists in industry, trade and banking and the koulaks in the countryside. The antagonistic classes of yore have now been replaced by two fraternal classes, kindred in status and interest and sociialist in character: the working class and the peasantry united in co-operative farms. A new people's intelligentsi'a, boundles!Sly loyal to the people, has emerged. · The victory of socialism in Bulgaria, the changes in the class structure of society and the abolition of exploitation started an economic process whi'ch is only natural under socialism: the steady increase in the quantity of material goods - food, clothing, houses, etc. As a result of this the living standards of the working people increased substan­ tially. Throughout the period of socialist construction the effqrts of government and people alike have aimed at the establlishment of a new and expanded material-technical base offering enormous production potentialities. At the end of the Second Five-Year Plan Bulgaria was already an industrial-agrarian country with her own eng'ineering in­ dustry largely satisfying the needs of the light and food industries and of agriculture.

7 '• The best economic yardstick for the progress of a coun- try is the pace of development of such basic industries as cval mining, power output, metallurgy, the cement indus­ try, etc.; their expansion is of decisive importance for the expansion of the entire national economy. The table re­ produced below shows the dynamics of these indexes dur­ ing the 1939-58 period and the planned targets for 1962-65. ActuaDy, the changes in the levels of production were ef­ fected during the last decade ( 1948-1958) since the period prior to 1948 was one of rehabilitation of the war-ravaged economy of the country.

Unit of 1958 1962 1965 Branch of industry measure 1939 targets

Power 1,000 mil 0.26 3.0 6.5 10.0 kwh Coal mil. tons 2.2 12.7 23.0 40.0 Steel 0 0.21 0.4 0.9 " Rolled sheet iron 0 0.14 0.32 0.75 " Cement 0.2 0.93 2.3 3.0 " The data clearly demonstrate the rapid development of the socialist industry, the excellent results of the free la­ bour of our people and the inexhaustible possibilities of our socialist economy. The rapid pace of development planned for 1962-65 is of particular significance since these targets are expected to be reached largely as a result of the production of enter­ prisrs, the construction of which started already under the Second Five-Year Plan. This fact shows that it is the policy of the people's government to achieve the largest possible industrial expansion today and, simultaneously, to create conditions for further expansion tomorrow. Naturally, it also testifies to the peaceful aspirations of Bulgaria, \vhose economy is planned on the prospects of peaceful co­ existence of the two world social systems. The victory of social'ism in Bulgaria means not only new social relations and a new, higher material and pro-

8 duction base for our economy, but also substantially higher living and cultural standards. This is borne out by the in­ crease in Bulgaria's national income which in 1958 was nearly 2.5 times as high as in 1939. In a socialist country the national income is the main source of rising material and cultural standards. In the past, the lion's share of the national income was appro­ priated by the capitalist class, only a small part reverting to the working people. Most of the capitalists' profits were exported abroad by the Bulgarian subsidiaries of foreign monopolistic centres and a mere one seventh was re­ invested. Under socialism this distribution proceeds from the principle of socialist production of ensuring steadily rising living and cultural standards to the people. The bulk of the nationa 1 income in Bulgaria goes to those who create it, while a smaller yet substantial part is set aside for ex­ panded reproduction so as to ensure the further growth of the national income. The utilization of the national income is characterized by its division into two funds: the ac­ cumulation fund and the consumption fund. The establish­ ment of a correct ratio between these two funds underlies the policy of a socialist state and conditions the upswing of the entire economy as weH as of the general living and cultural standards. In Bulgaria nearly 78 per cent of the national income go to the consumption fund and about 22 per cent- to the accumulation fund. Its distribution ( = 100 leva) and use during the past few vears was as follows: Year Consumption Accumulation 1954 81.1 18.9 1955 83.5 16..5 1956 86.0 14.0 1957 81.5 18.5

In calculating the ratio between the two funds, no ac­ count is taken of the substantial Soviet aid which in the past decade amounted to 8,000 million leva or more than one quarter of the capital investments during the period under review.

9 How the Worker and Employee} the Farmer and Petty Artisan Live Today. A glimpse at the life of workers, em­ ployees, farmers and other categories of toilers during the period between the \vars, when Bulgaria was under capital- .ist rule, will help us to understand better their present life. Interesting data to this effect were published in 1925 by the newspaper Edinstvo, organ of the Independent Trade Union. We shall cite only a few of them. In an enquiry published under the heading: «How do Workers and Em­ ployees Live?» an industrial worker described her life as follows: «After five years of exhausting labour my monthly wage reached 1,600 leva. I work eight hours a day. Each month I send 500 !'eva to my m.other who lives in the coun­ tryside. Another 500 leva go for rent. This leaves me with a mere 600 leva for food, clothing and entertainment. It may be of general interest to know how I can live on 600 leva in Sofda. I usually eat only once a day. If I take breakfast, I do not have any lunch (I usually breakfast at 10 a.m.). If I have 1unch, I take no dinner except for a cup of tea. My food ~onsists of tea, bread and cheese, and very seldom a piece of kashkaval * or a sausage. I get hot meals only four times a month-- on Sundays. My clothes are always worn out and 9ld-fashioned. If I want to buy myself a new blouse, I have to hunger one day a week for two months running (i.e. for eight days I have to go without food except for a cup of tea). To have my shoes resoled, I have to hunger four days per month (one day a week). I spend 15 leva per month on soap. My room is cold since I have no money left for wood. Theatre, mu-sic, newspapers and other cul­ tural entertainments are quite out of my reach. My health is ruined as a result of continual hunger. I suffer from pal­ pitation of the heart, terrible insomnia and neurosis ... ». The worker stated in conclusion that al:though she was only 24 years old, she found no joy in life. · This particular worker made 1,600 leva a month, a ·sala ·ry well above the average at the time. Officially, ac­ :. cording .to the Law on Collective Contracts, the minimum daily' wage was fixed at 30 leva but in practice it often • yellow cheese.

'10 dropped to 20 leva. But even taking 30 leva as a basis, the monthly wage for 25 work-days woul'd be 750 leva. Bearing in mind the above picture at 1,600 leva a month, one can well imagine how those getting 800-1000 leva a month must have fared. And now here is how an office worker getting 1,800 leva a month used to live: his wife embroidered but after falling HI was unable to continue work. Their daily budget was as follows: breakfast - none; lunch - halva, vegetables or potatoes (without meat) costing 15 11eva; din­ ner - also 15 leva; coal - 2 leva; cigarettes - 6 leva; total 38 leva a day or 1,140 leva a month. Their weekly ex­ penditure included: soap - 5 leva; shoe-cream - 5 leva and a kilogram of meat - 30 leva; total - 40 leva a week or 160 leva a month. Adding 500 teva for rent, this made 660 leva, and including the daily expenditure - 1,800 leva. The office worker wrote in conclusion: «l hardly need to tell you that my clothes are turned inside out and that we cannot afford the slightest cultural entertainment. You ask me whether we have experienced anything in particular. Well, my wife is ill, I have no money for drugs, we ar·e short of bread, we have no clbthes, our forces and youth are gone, our home life is rent by family rows and at the office my boss demands efficiency. Under the circumstances the only particular thing is that I have not yet lost the desi ~ re to live». In an article winding up the enquiry the newspaper, among other things, summed up the daily diet of an aver­ age industrial and office worker. The minimum daily diet per person ought to have been: bread, 1 kg 9 leva meat, 200 g. 8 leva butter, 50 g. 5 leva rice, 100 g. 3 leva vegetables, 200 g. 5 leva - - total 30 leva An office worker with a fami1ly of three: (wife and in­ fant) getting 1',800 leva a month on the average couid af-

11 ford ba·rely 30 leva for food daily. He could not increase this amount because he had to meet other vital needs as well. Therefore he and his wife consumed 50 per cent less than the minimum diet. This was chronic undernouri•sh­ me:nt, a constant companion of the bulk of the Bulgarian people in the past. And yet, 1,800 leva a month represented the average monthly salary in those years. One can well imagine the plight of the working people who used to make less, and they were the majority. Today, if that same woman worker of 1925 were work­ ing in a factory, she would be get1ting 600 to 1,200 leva a month, depending on the fulfitl!ment of her target. Let us take 875 leva on the average. First of all, she need not send her mother a large part of her wages because, as a member of a co-operative farm, her mother will be getting a government pension of 100 leva a month and another 100 feva or so from the farm, either in money or in products sufficient to last her all the year round. Besides, she w'i.ll get paid for he:r working days on the farm, doing easy work suited to her old age. In brief, her mother's livelihood will be ensured. Again, the worker will today no longer be compelled to forego dinner or lunch. She may lunch and dine in the factory canteen for 6 leva a day, plus 2 leva for breakfast, making a daily total for food of 8 leva, or 240 leva a month. Should she, on the other hand, decide to cook her own food, observing the minimum diet of the Edinstvo newspaper of 1925, she will have to spend:

bread, 1 kg 1.50 leva meat, 200 g. 2.50 leva butter, 50 g. 1.30 leva rice, 100 g. 1.00 leva vegetables, 200 g. 0.30 leva total 6.60 leva

In other words, her food with sufficient calories will cost her 198 leva a month. Sht spends on food a Uttle more - 240 l ~ eva in order to have some additional treats such as

12 desserts, for example. (If the enterprise in which she works has its own farm, as many do, canteen food will be even cheaper). Ready-made wholesome food will therefore account for some 27.5 per cent of her monthly wage as against 56 per cent in 1925. She no longer needs to go without lunch or dinner or to hunger on certain days dur­ ing the week in order to buy herself a blouse or to have her shoes mended. In the twenties a worker's family used to spend an average of 500 leva a month on rent for a room and kitchenette in Sofia's suburbs; sewerage, water at home and even electricity were rather an exception than the rule. In 1925 the worker of the enquiry used to pay 500 leva a month for rent. Today she will get the same living space on a paved street with convenient tram or trolley connec­ tion for not more than 32 leva, i.e. rent now takes only 4 per cent of her monthly income as against some 30 per cent in 1925. In the past rent, as a rule, accounted for one third of the wages. Today our woman worker would spend 272leva a month on food and rent, leaving a balance of 603 leva to meet other needs. Let us see what life would be like for the office worker with his sick wife and infant. Under present-day laws, the sick wife would not be l~ft without a job and her husband will have no worry about money for treatment. She would be on a sick leave, getting 60 to 90 per cent of her wages, depending on the length of her service. Moreover, she would get free treatment in a hospital, sanatorium or bal­ neosanatorium, since medical aid is free in Bulgaria. Therefore the two incomes - of husband and wife, would guarantee them a comparatively carefree life, without har­ rowing thoughts of insecurity about the morrow. In the past the condition of the toiling peasants was even worse. From dawn till dusk they scratched their sman plot of land to earn a crust of bread soaked in tears of suf­ fering. Despoiled by the village usurers and by the state which took away even their blankets for unpaid taxes, the peasants were ruined and went to the towns in quest of work to swell the army of unemployed.

13 Darkness, misery, diseases, illiteracy and a hard struggle for existence - this was the everyday life of the peasants. The sufferings and destitution of the village were pro­ verbial\. They provided Bulgarian writers with an inex­ haustible source of plots. In one of his satires the great short-story write1· Elin Pelin wrote: «Wfierever you go in Bulgaria, you will find plenty of tell-tales of the peasants' plight: pieces of moccasins, donkey-shoes, bones of a long­ suffering cow that has died in the yoke from toil and pain or the barefooted marks of ploughmen and shepherds ... » The present condition of the Bulgarian peasant bears no resemblance t9 the past. Bulgarian villlages are trans­ formed. The past is only a dark memory. The collective labour of the Bulgarian peasants in the co-operative farms, with all the facilities of modern technique and agronomy, yields rich fruit and brings about a steady improvement in rural living condiHons. In the spring of 1959 we talked with Lazar Bozhilov of the co-operative farm in the village of Peturch, not far from Dragoman. He is 53 and lives with his wife. His chi1l!dren are grown up and work elsewhere: one of his sons - in the vil­ lage of Kostinbrod and the other - in Sofia. His daughter is married in another village. In 1958 Lazar Bozhilov had 585 working days to his credit, not counting his wife's working days. He received in payment: 1,170 kg of wheat, 234 kg of maize, 351 kg of potatoes, 585 kg of sugar beet, 29 kg of sugar, 38 kg of edible oil, 1,170 kg of straw, 409 kg of cabbage, etc. Besides, he received 4,738 leva in cash. In 1958 the co-operative farm in Peturch paid to its members 14.81 leva per working day - 8.10 leva in cash and 6.71 leva in kind. The products used for payment' in kind are calculated below the average market prices. There­ fore, co-operative farmer Lazar Bozhilov received in 1958 a total of 8,663.85 lleva, or 722 leva a month. To tnis income should be added the income from his wife's working days as well as the revenue from his per­ sonal farm of P/4 acres (all co-operative farmers have such farms).

14 Profound changes have taken place in the life of the formeT petty artisans. Now they have said goo~-bye to the sheds in which they used to work from dawn hll du.sk ~n­ der appalling working conditions and in abject deshtuhon as a result of competition with big business, heavy taxa­ tion by the capitalist state and periodic economic crises. Today the Buigarian artisans are united in crafts' co­ operatives. The crafts' co-operatives for garments and shoes, for carpentry and chemicals, etc. are not unlike small factories and greatl1y contribute to increase the out­ put of light industry. Co-operatives engaging in repair work offer efficient services to the population. Alongside with all Bulgarian working people, the mem­ bers of the crafts' co-operatives enjoy on an equal footing all social and cultural rights and gains and work for a brighter tomorrow by striving to overfulfil their plans. «In the past,» Raiko Todorov told us, «I was on my o-wn. I had a workshop for plumbing and electrical repairs. I worked in a shed. My inability to get all the necessary tools and equi,pment caused me the greatest worry. When­ ever I had a bigger order, I was compelled to borrow a kit. Another sore point was the absence of norms for assessing the value of our work. On every job we wasted valuable hours in haggling with the customers. «We had to slave hard to make both ends meet. Often we had to forego new clothes and even food in order to buy the necessary tools. Whenever we had to get materials for a bigger installation, we used to pawn some household valuables. We often worked on credit and were not always able to collect. «I remember once I and a fellow-worker of mine took a plumbing job in the new house of a businessman. We struck a bargain for 400 leva. 'I cannot give you more,' he told us, 'because that's what my neighbour paid for his p 1umbing installation.' «It took us eight days to do the job. Half of the 400 le­ va went for materials. We split the remaining 200 leva. 100 leva for eight days of work! Barely a quarter of the average wage of an industrial worker at the time. There were too many artisans, and there was a fierce competi-

15 [

tion among us. Those that were more cunning resorted to chiseling and cheating in order to earn their bread. «We had no insurance, no old-age pension, not a trace of what is called social security. We worked as long as we could stand it. Often our hands and legs would start shak­ ing, and then we'd call on the Almighty for help. «Now I am a member of the Hristo Botev Crafts' Co­ operative. Like all members, I have a secure job and a fixed monthly income. Our remunerations increase as we fulfil and exceed the targets. We also get premiums. We eat in the co-operative's canteen: a three-course lunch consisting of soup, a meat dish and dessert, costs from 2.80 to 3 leva. «We have the same social security as industrial wor­ kers: pension, free medical aid, assistance in case of tempo­ rary invalidity, etc. Labour protection is in the hands of a commission elected by us. As a matter of fact, our Union of Crafts' Co-operatives has a special Council on Labour Protection which keeps in touch with the commis­ sions in the various co-operatives and has a number of inspectors who make the rounds and take proceedings whenever there are any violations of the law. «Our Union has its rest homes in some of the most scenic parts of the country, where a pleasant and inexpensive stay is assured. In the past, although we were considered as ·bosses', being owners of workshops, we depended so much on the needs of the moment that we were never ab!,e to take a holiday, not even on weekends. «Now we help build a new life and we share the joy at our successes in socialist construction together with the whole nation». In the past there was yet another category of under­ privileged in Bulgaria: the smallest of small businessmen­ petty shop-keepers and hawkers. Actually, these were hired hands of wholesale dealers, buying non-durable or shoddy goods and sellling them at a discount. The petty dealers, like the petty artisans, lived on a shoestring, always short of money and always haunted by the fear of ruin. Today the former petty dealers are employed in va­ rious branches of the economy, in particular in the trade

16 network. They are nov..' free and full-fledged citizens not only in words but in reality as well. The cases we have cited all represent different fac­ ets of the life of various categories of working people in the past and today. They reveal a striking contrast be­ tween the life of the working people, in capitalist times, when they toiled hard to see the profits go into the pock­ ~t s of their employers, and their life today in socialist Bulgaria, when they are masters of their labour and of their fate. * * * An important factor in the substantial improvement of the living standards of the working people is the increase in employment, which also leads to an increase in the national income. In the past 15 years of socialist development indus­ try has made a big stride forward. At the same time, the number of workers increased substantially. Whereas in 1948 the total number of industrial and office workers was 629,204, in 1958 it reached 1,415,435 i.e. a 2.2-fold increase in ten years. This has not only made it possible to assem­ ble under the roof of the factory, the enterprise or the cultural institution the majority of the former petty exist­ ences but has also thrown the doors to employment wide open for all able-bodied members of their families. In connection with tht nation-wide drive for the ful­ fi~ ~ ment of the Third Five-Year Plan in shorter terms, and with the implementation of the economic leap in the country's development, a number of measures were taken -which greatly expand the possibilities of the different sectors of material production to absorb more and more manpower. A whole system of measures is being prepared to free Bulgarian women of domestic chores; these include an extension of the network a) of public kitchens and can­ teens at enterprises, offices, schools and co-operative farms; b) of nurseries and kindergartens; and c) of public baths and laundries. The aim is to relieve mothers of much of the care for bringing up their children and to create better sa­ nitary and health conditions in every home.

17 An important measure contributing to greater employ­ ment and to higher living and cultural standards is the shortening of the working day from 8 to 7 and even to 6 hours. With this in mind the government is now stream­ lining production so as to secure an increase in labour productivity and profitableness as a result of which work­ ers wil get the same or even higher wages while work­ ing shorter hours. A number of industrial enterprises have already gone over to a 7 -hour working day or to an 8-hour working day with two days off at the week-end. The experience of these pioneering enterprises (in textile and engineering) is now being studied and applied in other enterprises in fulfilment of the governmental· decision. Ever since the people's government was set up fifteen years ago, its entire policy and all its radical measures in the different spheres of life- the entire socialist trans­ formation of society - have been dictated by one par­ amount concern and have been inspired by one sole pur­ pose: to raise the general standard of living and to ensure the ever fuller satisfaction of the people's material and cui tural needs. This policy has had particularly fruitful effects upon the I iving condirions of all sections of the people in the past few years. A number of important measures were carried out: the wages of low-paid industrial and office workers were raised; pensions were increased; child allowances in the monthly pay of industrial and office workers and co-operative farmers also went up; pensions were granted to farmers; canteen food was cheapened, etc. On May 1, 1959 the Government abolished the system of compulsory quotas and payments in kind to the machine-tractor sta­ tions and mills and estabHshed an unified system for the buying out of agricultural products by contracts . . All th~se important measures have greatly helped to raise the Income and purchasing power of the working people. Within a decade, from 1948 to 1958, the average an­ nual salary of industrial and office workers rose from 4,853 to 8,368 leva, i.e. by over 72 per cent. The acceler­ ated development of the forces of production and the tap-

18 ping of internal reserves in production should substantial­ ly raise real wages in the next few years. The wages of low-paid workers will again increase, bringing up the minimum from the present 400 leva to 600 leva a month. Pensions are also to be increased. Peasant incomes are also rapidly going up. Conditions have been created tor the average co-operative farm house­ hold to reach and even to surpass the living standard of the well-to-do peasant in the past. It ought to be pointed out that in the past the bulk of the income of the private farmer was spent on the purchase of land and cattle, on the payment of taxes, huge interests and debts. Onlly a small portion of this income was con­ sumed. Now almost the entire income of the co-operative farmer is consumed by the latter, i.e. it helps to improve his own and his family's living standard. Practical measures are being taken to improve the pay system in the co-operative farms by introducing a monthly salary; thus a unified wage system will be established in town and village. One of the principles of socialist economy is to raise the purchasing power of the masses parallel with the increase in production. It is not only a question of increasing their nominal wages, their incomes in cash, but of increasing their real! wages as well, i. e. of enabling them to buy more goods with their wages. The real in­ .comes of the population of our country are substantially increased as a result of a whole system of health, social, cultural and other undertakings, such as free medical aid, social security, pensions, etc. The reductions of the prices of consumer goods are an important means of increasing real wages. In Bulga­ ria the prices of consumer goods are steadily falling. This is the result of the steady expansion. perfection and cheapening of social:ist production and of the consistent application of our state's policy to lower consumer good prices and to stabilize our national currency. With the money saved last year, for instance, the working people are able to buy more commodities this year and even more so next year. The rapid expansion of retail trade is the best proof

19 of the population's increased purchasing po\ver, as can be seen from the following table:

Retail Sale of Commodities

1 1948 1 1952 1954 1956 1958

Meat (1,000 tons) 21.4 30.5 37.3 48.9 56.7 Sugar ., , 25.81) 31.6 39.5 42.1 Cotton fabrics (I ,000,000 m ) 41.3 55.7 77.9 Shoes (1,000,000 pairs) 1.8 2.82 ) 5.4

1) 1950 2) 1953

It is most significant that ns1ng purchasing povver is accompanied by greater exactingness as to th·e quality and variety of goods. In the past few years there has been a substantial increase in the purchase of household goods that go to make home life more pleasant: el\ectrical ap­ pliances, washing machines, refrigerators and wireless sets. The consumption of such articles has increased tenfold since 1944. The increased cultural needs of the people and large­ scale housing construction, especially in the countryside, have resulted in an overall increase in the purchase of fur­ niture and other household goods. In spite of the rapid in­ crease in the production and trading of consumer goods, demand is steadily rising - a proof of the vitality of the socialist economy. According to an estimate of the period between the \Vars, per capita consumption of sugar (incl. confection­ ery) amounted to a few lumps per 1day (just enough for a cup of tea). Yet there was a «surplus» of sugar. Obviously, the population could not even afford to buy these available small quantities. Due to the very low purchasing power of Bulgarian workers, peasants, artisans and other work­ ing people, the local sugar trust often closed down this or that factory in order to get rid of its unsold stocks. Compared to 1939, sugar production has increased several-

20 fold and continues to grow, yet supply still falls somewhat short of demand. Sugar is only a case in point of the constant increase of the people's purchasing power. Actually, the increased consumption of the working people depends solely on increased supply, i. e. on increased production. That is why workers, employees, co-operative farmers and co­ operated artisans are doing their best to expand produc­ tion.

A Budget of Steadily Rising National Prosperity. The state budget is the fundamental financial plan of the so­ cialist state. It is the basic form of the planned forma­ tion and utilization of the centralized monetary fund, en­ suring the expansion of production and the satisfaction of the growing requirements of society as a whole. The budget is closely related to the state economic plan and provides the necessary funds for its fulfilment. The budget is a powerful means in implementing the development programmes in all fields of the nation's econo­ my. It is also a major lever in running the economy of a socialist state. A social\ist budget is distinguished by its planned income and expenditure, the nature of its sources of revenue, the character of its expE;nditure items and its overall organization. Bulgaria's budget mirrors the policy of the people's government, aimed at raising the general standard of life. Even a cursory glance at the structure of the budgetary revenue will show us that most of it is derived not from the population but from the nation's economy - from the sociaHst enterprises in the field of production and trade. Moreover, the relative share in the volume of budget revenue is constantly increasing. Thus, for example, in the 1958 budget this revenue amounted to 89 per cent of the total and in the 1959 budget - to 90.3 per cent, as against a drop in the relative share of the budget revenue coming from the population from 11 to 9.7 per cent. Most significant is the diminishing role of taxation as a revenue item: from 5.7 per cent in 1958 it dropped to 4.6 per cent

21 in 1959. Taxation is obviously no longer a burden to the population. Even more characteristic and eloquent is an analysis of the structure of the expenditure side of the budget and of the distribution of budgetary funds. The bulk of the 1959 budget (85.5 per cent) goes for the expansion of socialist production in all branches of the economy so as to effect a leap in Bulgaria's economic dev~lopment and to improve the geneTal standard of living through a number of social and cultural undertakings. Whereas defence ac­ counts for a mere 6.3 per cent and administrative expenses for only 2.3 per cent, the budget allotments for pensions and other social allowances form more than 8.5 per cent. Most impressive is the rising trend of the relative share of expenditure on education and health, since both public education and medical aid are free of charge and are constantly being perfected. What the Family Budget Shows. The family budget of workers, co-operative farmers and other strata of the popu­ lation calculated by the Central Office of Statistics is of particular interest. It clearly reveals the material and cultural level of the population. In 1955 the average household in Bulgaria consisted of 3.5 persons and the average number of employed family members was 1.48. By 1957 the latter figure had risen to 1.58 with an increase of 162 leva in the average monthly family income. Thus, the increase in family income follows two lines: rising wages and more family members at work. Let us see how a Bulgarian family spends its income:

1953 1954 1955 1956 1957

Food and drinks 49.7 44.4 43.4 42.7 40.7 Clothing and shoes 14.6 16.3 15.5 16.7 16.3 Housing 2.0 2.6 4.5 4.2 5.8 Furniture and household goods 2.8 - - - 4.5 Cultural needs theatre, cinema, books, etc) 2.4 - - - 5.2 Kindergartens and nurseries 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.3

22 The preceding table shows some major anld charac­ teristic items in the family budget in percentage of family income during the past few years. 1 The Hrst thing that strikes the eye in this table i S the steady drop in the share of food. This is a most healthy sign, for it does not mean, as in the past, undernourishment due to crises and unemployment, but is a natural result of the systematic reduction of food prices. If in 1957 a person kept the same diet as in 1953, he would be saving 20 leva on every 100 leva spent on food. Naturally, the money thus saved will be used to satisfy other needs. On the other hand, during that same period ( 1953-57), there has been a steady increase in the money spent in canteens and restaurants. This is due to the increase in their number and to the reduction of their food prices. Between 1953 and 1957 every family spent respectively 2.7 leva, 3.6 leva, 3.5 leva, 4.2 leva and 4.5leva out of every 100 leva in canteens and restaurants. There are practically no changes in the expenditure on rent and communal services; as in the case of food, we have a reduction in the money spent on heating; there is a simi­ lar reducti'On in all other types of expenditure for daily needs. The spending habits of the average Bulgarian working class family show a fairly steady trend. The relative share of expenditure on food decreases constantly. Though as yet slowly, the money spent in restaurants and canteens steadily increases; this means that the process of relieving the woman of some of the domestic chores is advancing. The rising trend nf the relati·ve share of expenditure on clothing and shoes, on furniture, on new housing, on thea­ tre, opera, cinema, books, etc. reveals the material and cul­ tural progress of the Bulgarian people. The introduction of technique in the production processes and the rising labour productivity enable the working people to spend less labour and wages on vital everyday needs, and use more on a growing range of materi:al and cultural neces­ sities, as befits individuals living under socialism. In other

23 words, what was yesterday a luxury today becomes a ne­ cessity. Such is the picture of the budget of working cla·ss fami- lies. Bread has always been the basic food of the Bulgarian worker and peasant. In 1953 every member of a working class family consumed 236.5 kg of bread and 28.7 kg of flour on the average. In the following years the consump­ tion of bread declined as a result of a gradual increase in the consumption of other products hitherto out of the reach of the majority of the people and not on their usual daily diet. The following table shows how the average Bu1 garian's diet is getting more \Vholesome and balanced:

Per capita consumption 1953 1957

Meat, kg 19.4 28.7 Lard, kg 1.9 3.6 Sugar, kg 6.3 9.1 Fruit, kg 16.2 43.8 Eggs 67 86

The family budget of co-operative farmers and of other sections of the population reveals the same picture. A characteristic feature of the family budget of the co-oper­ ative farmer is the rapid increase of the relative share of expenditures on fabrics, clothing, shoes, housing, cul­ tural entertainment, furniture and household appliances. Between 1953 and 1957 the expenditure on fabrics, clothing and shoes rose almost twofold, on housing - almost four times. on furniture and household appliances - almost three times, etc. Today, in contrast to the past, the typical folk cos­ tumes made of home-spun fabrics are found only in th.e dance ensembles on the town and village stages. Every­ where the peasants are dressed like townspeople. All vil­ lage shops sell not only woollens, silk and cotton fab­ rics, but also ready-made clothes. The typical arrangement

24 inside the old-time Bulgarian village home with a hearth, \vickerwork beds and smoky shelves for kitchen utensils is increasingly fading into the limbo of peasant life history, g~ving way to modern furnishing. At the same time, in spite of the fall in the relative share of the expenditure on food, the per capita consump­ tion of various foodstuffs is constantly increasing.

Savings. The increase of savings is a clear indication of the steadily improving living standards of the popul:a­ tion. Savings enjoy special protection and encouragement by the state. Bulgaria is among the countries with the highest savings. The State Savings Bank, which is the central institu­ tion of its kind in Bulgaria, has 240 branches and mo-re than 2,600 smaller offices throughout the country. Savings have greatly increased in the past 15 years. Whereas at the end of 1944 they amounted to 951 million leva (in 1952 money rates), at the end of 1958 they at­ tained 4,400 million leva and continue to grow. Saving accounts increased from 1,464,583 at the end of 1944 to well above 5 million. The savings in the State Savings Bank and its branches belong to industrial and office workers, to co-operative farmers, to intellectuals, i.e. they are genuine savings of · the people. According to its regulations, the State S·avings Bank holds several types of deposits, each of which with its own features but all enjoying special protection. Increase has been most marked in workers' saving deposits; these are voluntary monthly installments de­ duced from the monthly pay of workers, employees, co­ operative farmers and so on. ' Personal insurances play an important role in the in­ crease of savings. The real estate and movables of the pub­ lic organizations and of private citizens are protected by insurances. There are also Life and Accident Insuran­ ces, the former being extremely popular. At the end of 1958 more than 1,200,000 people had taken life insurances for a total of over 1,600 million leva. An-

25 other form of savings are the savings for a home. These de­ posits which are made with the Bulgarian Inve:stmens' Bank rose from 16 million in 1953 to 555 million in 1958, while the number of accounts rose from 5,412 to 57,807 and continues to grow. Mass Construction of Modern Dwellings. Parallel with the other measures to improve the life of the people, in the past 15 years the people's government engaged in large­ scale housing construction. State assistance in this field according to the economic plan amounted to 557 million leva in 1949, 539 million leva in 1950, 378 million leva in 1951, 462 mil:lion leva in 1952., 475 million leva in 1953, 845 million leva in 1955, etc. State assistance takes the form of credits, of lots grant­ ed free of charge or at low prices, of building materials allotted to co-operative or indivjdual bui1lders, etc. As a result of this policy of housing promotion, every year thousands of peoplle in towns and villages build themselves hygienic and comfortable dwellings. In the past ten years 415,440 new houses were built in the coun­ tryside alone; this means that more than a third of all vi1- lage dwellings are new. During the period of the Third Five-Year Plan further steps will be taken to expand group, co-operative and individual housing, the state pro­ viding 1,700 million leva in the form of loans and the citi­ zens investing 1,000 million leva of their own funds. These funds will be used to construct some 100,000 new houses which should go a long way to normal­ ize living conditions in the towns and the industrial centres. State-owned dwellings are tenanted at very low rents - not more than is necessary to maintain them in a good state of repair. The Bulgarian laws consi.der private houses and flats as the personal1 property of the citi'zens and they are not taxed heavily as fn the past.

Electricity Has Become Part of Our Way of Life. When the· people's regime came to power on September 9, 1944, the power stations in existence, both small and big, had

26 a total capacity of 105,000 kw. The need of electric power increased tremendously due to industrialization and mecha­ nization of agriculture. New localities were electrified year after year, new factories were built, new districts sprang up in the bigger towns, electric transportation ex­ panded and there was a big increase in the need of electric power for everyday household uses. The rate at which e:ietcrifi'cation has advanced in Bul­ garia can be assessed by the fact that power output has in­ creased more than 40 times in the past 15 years. In the I 879- I 939 period, i. e. in 60 years a total of 4.4 miHion kwh of electric power was produced in Bulgaria while in the 1944-58 period, i. e. in 14 years, 194.4 million kwh were produced. During the I 959-65 period this figure will rise to 996.6 million kwh. In 1944 only 791 localities in Bulgaria were supplied with electricity; in 1957 their number reached 3,462 and in 1958 - 3,722. Today all Bulgarian towns and the majori­ ty of villages are electrified. Only mountainous and outlying villages are not yet electrified. Now most of these are built anew, on new locations, and they are provided with electricity, radio and cinema.

Canteens. Older workers recall with bitterness the w"ay they ate in the past. The capitallist enterprises maintained no c.anteens. Only towards the end of World War II were canteens set up for employees at the bigger government offices, but these covered an insignificant part of the office workers. A typical illustration of the conditions at the time was the break for lunch in the tobacco factories: tobacco work­ ers squatted on the pavement, spread out newspapers and placed on them bread, cheese, onions or jam - this was their whole menu. The factory bosses allowed them to eat inside only when it was raining. The poisonous nico­ tine dust adhered to the food. Building workers ate on the new concrete sllab, or on the scaffolding, or on the pave­ ment, too. Their menu was not richer than that of the tobacco-workers. The conditions in all other enterprises and trades \Vere not much diifferent.

27 At present canteens have been set up with all enter­ prises and offices; they are situated in sanitary and sunny premises. This solved one of the basic problems of the working people - the problem of normal eating. Most of these canteens can rival first-class restau­ rants in cleanliness, comfort and the quality of the food served. Workers, artisans, office workers, scientists, etc., taking their meals in canteens, pay for the products at wholesale prices. All other expenses - service personnel, fuel, in­ ventory, premises, etc. - are borne by the enterprise or the office. In 1956 the government published a special decree on improving and cheapening canteen food; the number of canteens and of their patrons has rapidly increased since. In 1956 there were 2,379 canteens and in 1958 - 3,086 with respectively 225,241 and 450,000 people taking their meals in them. The families of workers, employees and other categories of working people may also take their mea:s in canteens or take canteen food home under the same conditions of pay. Many enterprises run their own farms which supply their canteens with milk, meat, vegetables, etc. This makes food even cheaper and better and its cost swallows up only an insignificant part of the workers' budgets.

Social Insurance. Social insurance holds an important place in the system of social vvelfare in Bulgaria. All con­ tributions, amounting to 1~.5 per cent of the wages, are defrayed by the enterprise. Insurances cover various risks - accidenL, illness, birth, quarantine, nursing a sick member of the fami)y, death. Social insurance covers wholly or most of the holiday expenses in the trade union homes, cures in the country's resorts, balneo-treatment, maintainance of night sanatoria, prophylactoria, establish­ ments for dietetic food, etc. The social insurance funds are also used to pay old-age pensions, monthly child allowances, etc. When temporarily incapacitated or ill, a worker or an employee gets 60 to 90 per cent of his wages, depending

28 on his length of service. Pregnant women are entitled to 4 months paid leave- one month before and 3 months after childbirth. During this period their wage is paid out in fulL The accident risk is covered from the very first moment a worker starts work. Child aflo\vances are as follows: one child - 12 leva a month, two children - 100 leva, three- 190 leva, four - 280 leva, five - 370 leva and above five - 100 leva per child. In the past only government employees had paid leave. \Vorkers acquired this right only under the people's gov­ ernment. Depending on the length of service and the nature of one's work, paid leave ranges between 14 and 45 days a year. Every trade union has its own rest homes, some of which are real palaces for rest and cultural entertainment. A number of bigger enterprises also have rest homes of their own. In these, the workers, employees, co-operative farmers and craftsmen spend their vacations, paying only a minimum fee. A shift in the trade union rest homes lasts 14 days and costs only 80 leva. This covers a comfortable bed, service and food: breakfast, a three-course lunch, an afternoon snack and a two-course dinner. Every hol1iday­ maker selects his meals on the previous day from a stand­ ard menu. There are three main types of rest homes in the coun­ try: seaside, mountainous and at spas. Deciduous ano coni­ ferous forests famous for their beauty cover large areas of Bulgaria's mountains. The rest homes situated in the Bal­ kan, Rila, Pirin, Rhodope and Sredna Gora mountains and M.t. Vitosha offer fine opportunities for hiking, skiing, hunt­ ing and fishing. All these mountains abound in places of historic interest and in monuments commemorating the struggles of the Bulgarian people in the distant and recent past. Bulgaria's seaside resorts are on the Black Sea coast. The mild sea climate, the golden sands and the beautiful sea attract not onl(y Bulgarian workers, employees and co­ operative farmers but also tourists from all over the world. Many new rest homes and hotels have been built recently.

29 Bulgaria is famous not only as the land of roses, to­ bacco and fruit, but also as a land of mineral springs. There are nearly 100 spas with over 500 mineral springs, many of which were known in Roman times already, as, for instance, Hissar. Rest homes and balneo-sanatoria have been built in almost every spa. Ovcha Koupel, Sapareva Banya, Gorna Banya, Bankya, Narechen, Momin Prohod, Vurshets, Velin­ grad, Kyustendil, Sofia and many other places have be­ come first-class resorts. Almost all of them are situated at the foot of picturesque mountains or on hillsides. Rest in the spas is usually accompanied by mineral water treat­ ment recommended by the physician in the respective en­ terprise or office. Every year more than 250,000 people spend their holidays in the trade union rest homes alone. Besides, the trade unions organize special summer camps, in which tens of thousands of children spend their vacation. The so-callled active rest organized by the trade unions is very popular, especially among intellectuals and white­ collar workers. The holiday is spent in mountain-climbing, in excursions to places of historic interest, or sailing on the Black Sea or the Danube. The cost of such group ex­ cursions is very low and everyone has the opportunity of getting to know his country and of enjoying its scenic beauty.

A Secure Old Age. The new Pension Law ( 1957) which introduced a number of improvements in old-age pensions, is a major gain of the Bulgarian workers and empl'oyees. This law considerably increased pensions, especially the low pensions, and made broader sections of the population eligible to pensions. Bulgaria now ranks among the coun­ tries with the best social and labour legislation. The mini­ mum monthly old-age pension is 300 leva (the minimum monthly sal ~ ary is 400 leva). Persons with a gross monthly salary or wage up to 600 leva receive a pension equal to 80 per cent of this amount; if they earn between 601 and 800 leva, they get 75 per cent of their former salary; if they earn between 801 and I ,000 leva a month, they get 70 per cent, etc. Besides, for years served above the minimum

30 needed to obtain a pension, as much as 12 per cent is paid in addition. The new Pension Law also improved the basis on which pensions are calculated. The calculation is now based on the average monthly pay for any three consecutive years which the pens.ioner himself chooses from among his last ten years of service. A fact which also deserves mention is that the new law lowers the minimum age entitling one to a pension to 55 years for women and 60 for men. This is a considerable social acquisition of which no capitalist country can boast - in most ~apitalist countries old-age pensions are given at the age of 65 and even above. The new Law also considerably reduces the length of service required to get a pension. The new pensions and the rising purchasing power of the Bulgarian people enable old-age pensioners to spend their last years free of worry and without having to look for a part-time job. They may engage in scientific or cre­ ative work, or in social activities. All co-operative farmers are entitled to pensions. Their pensions range from 60 to 150 leva a month. Besides, all ~o-operative farms have a special fund of their own from which they grant additional allowances to aged people. The amount of this additional assistance may vary according to the financial possibilities of the farm but in many cases it is equal to the state pension. In other farms, instead of additional assistance in cash, pensioners are granted pro­ ducts lasting them the year round. The third type of pensions provided for by Bulgarian laws are disabil!ity pensions. Such pensions are granted in cases of accident or illness caused by the working condi­ tions, whenever a worker has to be absent for a long time from work or is permanently incapacitated. The length of service required to get a disability pen­ sion has also been reduced. Young people below the age of 20 are given disability pensions when permanently in­ capacitated, irrespective of their length of service; for workers and employees up to 25 years of age a minimum of three years of service is required and for those over 25

31 years of age - five years of service. Many other categories of workers and employees enjoy big privileges (labour re­ adjustment, for example), irrespective of their length of service or their age. The Labour Code provides for the granting of national pensions and of pensions for special services - to active fighters against fascism, to worthy public figures, to eminent men of science, to distinguished artists and workers, etc. Such pensions are granted in addition to the regular state pension. There are at present approximately 230,000 such pensioners in Bulgaria.

National Health Service. As already pointed out, med­ ical aid in Bulgaria is absolutely free of charge. Hospital treatment is free for every patient, whether a townsman or a peasant, a Bulgarian citizen or a foreign visitor who has suddenly been taken ill. When a patient is treated at home, he only pays for his drugs which cost relative~y little. The past evokes many unhappy reminiscences in this respect. Tuberculosis was particularly dangerous for the workers. In a 1926 statistical publication of the former League of Nations Sofia ranked first among 72 world cities in the number of TB cases! Medical treatment and drugs were subject to profiteering. Drug prices were extremely high. Today tuberculosis is no longer a calamity for the work­ ing people. Special attention is paid to prophylactic medi­ cine. A regular check-up is made on the health of indus­ trial and office \Vorkers, peasants, housewives, chiidren, etc. Every citizen has his own card at the local dispensary on which all the observations of the local physician are marked. These data help the doctor plan the necessary course of action to protect the citizen's health against any possible danger or to recommend suitable resorts or spas. Workers in larger enterprises who have been gravely ill or are predisposed to serious ailments have night sanatoria at their disposal. They spend their nights there under direct medical supervision and a special regime which protects them against possible diseases ~nd improves their health. In combating diseases the doctors extensively rely on r32 the help of the population through the Red Cross. Health lectures are organized, sanitary first-aid stations are set up locally, many citizens get first-aid training, hygienic drives and similar initiatives are launched. In 1944 there were 72 medical ~ establishments with 8,008 beds in the towns; in 1957 they numbered 139 with 23,349 beds. In the villages their number rose from only 7 in 1944 to 270 in 1967. These figures do not include the newly set up hospitals for infectious diseases, the special hospital for TB cases, the TB dispensaries and special children's hospitals, which did not exist in the past. A great advance has been made in the field of maternity homes. In 1944 there was a single maternity home in Bul­ garia - in Sofia. In 1957 there were 11 ~ 1 maternity homes. Besides, every district and local hospital has its own mater­ nity ward. Apart from the hospitals, I ,563 medical centres have been set up in the villages. In the past there were only 313 such r,entres, each with a medical assistant in charge. Now every ~entre has a specialist in internal diseases, a dentist, a midwife and a hospital attendant. In 1944 one doctor took care of an average of 1,966 people, in 1957 - of 77 4 people. A comparison with two of Bulgaria's neighbours :;haws that in Greece there is one doctor per every 925 people and in Turkey- per every 3,400 people. Bulgaria's new medical industry has made a substan­ tial contribution in the field of health. Many complex medical apparatus and equipment as well as all new drugs such as penicillin, biomycin and many others are now pro­ duced in our country. The increase in the living and cultural standards of the people ?nd our successes in the field of health and child­ care have resulted in an impressive drop in the death rate both in towns and villages. Between 1921 and 1940 it ranged between 13.7 and 20.8 per mille; by 1957 it was down to 8.6 per mille. Bulgaria's present death rate is well below that of all the advanced Western countries and tends to catch up with the Soviet Union which has the lowest death rate in the world (7.5 per mille).

33 Exceptional achievements have bee:n real1ized in the battle against child mortality. In the 1936-40 period child mortality was 14.3 per every 100 children born alive; in 1957 it was 6.6. A large number of grave diseases have either disappeared or have become rare exceptions. Up to 1944 some 300 to 400,000 people were struck down with malaria every year. In 1957 there were only 147 malaria cases in Bulgaria. A mass disease in the past, now it occurs only in isolated cases. Typhoid fever and typhus fever have also practically disappeared. In 1944, 2.24 people per mille had typhus fever. In 1957 only 18 cases were recorded throughout the country! These statistical data underscore the great achieve­ ments in the field of health protection. During the period of the Third Five-Year Plan the funds allotted by the State and the People's Councils to the health services will fur­ ther increase, and still greater successes may be confident­ ly expected.

Labour Protection. Labour protection is one of the most valuable acquisitions of the Bulgarian people under social­ i_sm. The Bulgarian proletariat has fought epic struggles tor an 8-hour working day, for labour hygiene and safety and for the protection of women's and child labour in par­ ticular. Labour legislation in the past, adopted under the pressure of the working class, was not compullsory for factory-owners as other laws were. Just a few enterprises observed the labour laws and only in cases when the trade union was strong enough to impose them. Instead of re­ specting these laws, the bourgeois governments persecuted and ill-treated the workers who fought against the infringe­ rnent of the labour laws adopted by Parliament. Now all the problems pertaining to the protection of labour are regulated by the Labour Code. The workers themselves are entrusted with the task of observing the Code. They . exercise this right of theirs through their unions. This is what we were told in March 1959 by Magda

34 Velichkova, President of the Factory Union Committee at the Voroshi'lov Works in Sofia: «The Unions are entrusted by law with the observation of the Labour Code. Our Union Committee exercises its rights in this respect most strictly. Thus, for example, it takes care that the air-conditioning be always in good order, that drafts be eliminated, that the machines be made safer, that the 8-hour working day be observed, that the workers stay in good health, etc. «Once the workers of the foundry shop complained to us that sanitation in their shop was poor. On the initiative of the Union Committee, the work in this shop was thor­ oughly reorganized, several new machines were installed, and smoke, vapours and dust completely disappeared from the shop. The food of the foundry workers was reinforced with more sugar, milk and eggs. «The manager and the chief engineer make periodic reports to the Union Committee on the protection of labour. They tell the Committee members what has already been done in the various shops and what they intend to do in the near future. The members of the Committee comment on the management's proposals and make their own sug­ gestions. Thus the permanent contact between us and the management helps to remove all weaknesses and ir­ regularities. «A shop foreman once violated the 8-hour working day. The Union Committee fined him and made him strictly observe the normal working hours. «In the autumn of 1958, like every other autumn, the Union Committee submitted to the Union members a de­ tailed plan for the protection of labour during the winter. Thi.s plan was discussed at length at a large number of workers' meetings. «Reducing the cost of canteen food is one of the prim­ ary concerns of the Union Committee. In our canteen food contains enough calories and is very inexpensive. A three­ course lunch costs from 2.60 to 3 leva. If there is no meat in the meal, it does not cost more than 2.50 leva. - «The Union Committee and the management endeavor

35 to create comfort in the canteen and to ensure efficient service there. «Health protection is also controlled by the Union Com­ mittee. We have a polycUnic of our own. Experienced doc­ tors watch over the health of the workers through periodic examinations and take effective measures whenever a workeT is taken ill. There ils a special night sanatorium for those of our workers and employees who have been gravely ill or are predisposed to certain diseases. In the sanatorium they spend their lieisure hours and their nights under a special regime and under direct doctor's observa­ tion. Five times daily they are given free food. No deduc­ tions whatever are made from their wages. Thus they can improve their health without leaving their jobs. «We also have a kindergarten for the workers' children. First we had one group of children with a tutor, then an­ other one, and now we have three. Every summer we send the children to spend their vacation in our summer camps up in the mountains. «All trade union rest homes - seaside, mountainous and at spas - are at the disposal of our workers. However, we are not fully satisfied and we are doing our best toes­ tablish our own factory rest home. Last summer we or­ ganized a temporary one in the beautiful hi1ghland town of Koprivshtitsa. «The Union Committee at the Voroshilov Works does its best to create good conditions for workers who want to pursue their studies either through correspondence courses or in evening schoo::s. We also have excellent opportunities for amateur art activities for all those who have talents. Our dramatic group, for example, produced several plays and won the first place in the district. We have 25 people in it. Our dance group is also pretty good - its 30 young members have given fine performances even outside the factory. Our literary circle is also a success. Every eve­ ning during rehearsals we seTve free snacks to our amateur artists. <

36 \Vorkers who are not on duty. The management has pro­ vided the funds for its construction. «Our library has two departments: fiction and scientific literature, including specia: technical literature in Bul­ garian and in foreign languages. We get almost all forei,gn publications in our field. Many of these are in a special technical study-room, where the workers perfect their tech­ nica 1 kno\vledge. «The Union Committee tackles all questions pertaining to the remuneration of labour. Monthby wages in our fac­ tory range between 600 and 1,200 leva depending on the fulfilment and overfulfilment of the targets. The average monthly wage is 750-800 leva. Every year our real wages rise by a few points, parallel with the rising productivity of labour. Naturally, when we fulfil the Five-Year Plan ahead of schedule and bring about considerable improve­ ments in labour organization and technique, the overall in­ crease in our wages wfll be very considerable. «Such is the goal of our economic progress.» This is what Magda Velichkova, President of the Trade Union Committee at the Voroshilov Weak-current Works, told us. Her story actually reflects the activities of all f ac­ tories and plants in the country and demonstrates the beneficial role of the Bulgarian trade unions in improving the living conditions of the workers. Recently our National Assembly took a number of decisions, which further ex­ tended trade union rights. Now the unions take care not only of the protection of labour but of social insurances as \vell. What the workers fought for in the past - to be mas­ ters of their factories - is a living reality today.

Childcare. Before the war there were only 254 kinder­ gartens and playgrounds in Bulgaria with 286 tutors and 12,859 children. In 1958 there were 6,314 kindergartens and playgrounds with 10,329 tutors and 275,540 children. Behind this contrasting pictures between the figures of the past and the present Ees the diametrically opposed conditions of the growing generation in Bulgaria then and now. In the past, there was no organized childcare and

37 protection. Despite a formal ban, child labour was often ~mployed in tobacco, textile and other factories. Today the children of pre-schpol age spend their time in daily and weekly children's homes, in kindergartens un­ der a special regime and under the care of experienced tutors and doctors; they get wholesome food regularly. Let us have a look at one of the children's homes, the Tina K.irkova Home in the Kolarov District of Sofia, for exam­ ple. Most of the residents of this district work at the raii­ way station or in the neighbouring factories. The Children's Home has 130 inmates who are divided in­ to f'ive groups: Four of them, comprising 105 children, are daily groups and the fifth one with 25 children is a weekly group. Parents leave their children in the dailiy groups at around 7 a. m. before going to work and pick them up at 7 p. m. after work. In the weekly group the children are left on Monday morning and taken back on Saturday afternoon. The home's programme i's as follows: from 7 to 7.30- admittance, from 7.45 to 8 - gymnastics exercises; at 8 o'clock - washing and breakfast, then play or study until 12. A three-course lunch at 12 is followed by an afternoon nap which lasts until 4 p. m.; then tea and play again. Children in the weekly group also get a two-course dinner at 7 p.m. «During their hours of study,» the home's matron Alex­ andra Popova told us, «the children get familiar with life, with nature, with society and with work. They learn new words and get prepared for the elementary school. A music teareher develops their musical culture by songs and musical exercises. A~hother specialist takes care of their physical culture. Every effort is made to make the child­ ren physically strong. In the summer, they take sun or air-baths. We also have artistic activities: drawing, model­ ling, construction and applied arts. The older children make their own toys of cardboard, wood, etc. with the help of their tutors. We have special parties, concerts, film shows, dances. The Home has a small garden with ani­ rnals. They help us demonstrate to the children what they should do and what they should not. Trees and flowers

38 in the park as well as the animals are tended by the child­ ren. They grow to love each other and their tutors, the beautiful surroundings, the flowers, the pictures, the toys and the hours of study, and when their parents come to pick them up, they simply do not want to go. And every morning we can read in their eyes their overwhelming joy at being here again». Ill. CULTURAL PROGRESS

Statistical data for 1957 show that a mere 0.5 per cent of children of school age are not attending the 7 -year schools in which education is compulsory. The state gene'f­ ously allocates funds for the construction and equipment of new schools. More than 1,100 new schools were built during the past 15 years. Now every village has its own school. Jacques Kayser, a well-known French publicist who visited our country in 1958, wrote in the French press that the school is the largest building in every Bulgarian village. In 1944 there were 214 secondary schools for general education. By 1957 their number had risen to 362, eighty of them in vH1ages. They train a total of 174,120 pupils. During the 1957-58 school year 75 per cent of the 7 -year elementary school graduates enrolled at secondary schools. Vocational training has also made notable progress. Our mechanized agriculture, our big new factories and our socialist trade need many specialists. During the 1957-58 school year 77,737 young men and women were studying in vocational and technical schools and 2,763 in teachers' colleges. We have some 130 technical! schools, 116 labour reserve schools and many other special schools. There are also 73 evening schools for those who work in industry and wish to follow up their studies. Nearly 18,000 young men and women start for these schools every day after work. Immediately after September 9, 1944 a campaign to eradicate illiteracy once for all was launched in Bul\garia. Today there are practically no illiterates i'n Bulgaria. At the factories there are special study rooms for the technical education of the workers. We already saw that

40 the technical study room at the Voroshilov \Vorks has a rich library of technical literature. All other factories have their own libraries. The striving for more qualifications is also a striving to increase production, to lower costs and thereby to improve the living standards of the people - that is why it is common to all workers and working teams in the country. Even small enterprises with modest funds maintain model technical study rooms. Let us examine the technical study room at the railway station in Dimitrovo, an industrial town situated some 20 miles from Sofia. The study room actually consists of two halls. In one of them photographs, drawings, models, etc, show how the raihvaymen should act in various cir­ cumstances whenever there is any danger of accident. Photos of the correct and incorrect position are given. Every \Vorker has to pass a course on labour safety and this is v:here he gets trained for his examination. In the second hall models of fields, forests, declivities, rivers - the most different relief - are shown. Railway lines cross them. There are also railway stations - big and small, for passenger trains and for freight trains of every possible type. The stations have their own offices, railway signals and railway points. The members of the qualification course are shown in practice \Vhat they should do as engine-drivers, ticket collectors, brakesmen, etc, in every conceivable case: in the field, on a slope, when arriving at a big or small station, and so on and so forth. Meetings for the exchange of experience are usually held in the study rooms. At such meetings the best work­ ers and rationalizers share their experience with their colleagues. The experience of our leading workers is our golden fund. Whereas in a private capitalist enterprise the owner locks up his achievements in secret files so as to be able to compete more successfully with other enterprises, quite the opposite happens in Bulgaria, as in every other socialist country, for that matter: every effort is made to bring these achievements to the knowledge of all so that everybody may make his contribution to the development 0f our national economy.

41 One of the first steps of our people's government was the .abolishment of discrimination towards national mino­ rities. Particular care is being taken to expand and im­ prove the school network for the Turkish, Gypsy and other minorities. The 7 -year education is compulsory for them, too. They are given every opportunity to continue their studies in the secondary schools, in the vocational schools and in the universities. No distincti:On is made between a Bulgarian youth and a youth of a national minority. Every capable and industrious young student is enabled to edu­ cate himself and draw from the treasure-store of science. Measures are being planned to introduce a compulsory secondary-school education in the very near future. University education is also on the upgrade. In 1944-45 there were only 7 universities in Bulgaria with 26,412 students. Now we have 20 universities with nearly 43,000 students. In the past there were 30 specialities all told at the universities and now our twenty universities have more than 200 specialities. Nearly half the students in Bulgaria receive state scholarships. The main task now confronting our education is to establish closer links with practice, with material produc­ tion, with socialist construction; a new draft for the reor· ganization of our educational system along these lines has been submitted to a nation-wide discussion. The Ministry of Education constantly perfects the school curricula, link­ ing more and more the theoretical studies in the schools with practical work in factories, co-operative farms, in the nations's entire economy. The intellectuals in town and countryside participate in all educational groups set up by the public organiza­ tions. More than 60,000 doctors, agronomisfs, engineers, architects, teachers, lawyers, zooteclinicians, etc. make their contribution not only to the construction of socialism but al1so to the education of the working people, helping them through lectures, study circles and other forms of education to become conscientious builders of our new life.

42 The Press. Twelve dailies are published in Bulgaria­ eight in Sofia and four in the provinces. Their total circu­ lation exceeds 1,375,000 copies. More than 38 local weeklies or fortnightlies are pub­ lished in the provinces. The Bulgarian papers are a platform accessible to all Bulgarian citizens. Every citizen can write: in them expres­ sing his own views on a given subject and making various proposals. 144 magazines are published on a fortnightly, month­ ly, bimonthly and quarterly basis; they deal with all problems of our economic, social, political and cultural life. Cultural Clubs and Libraries. Cultural clubs and libraries have existed for over a century novv and have played a historic role in Bulgaria as educational centres during the period of National Revival, helping to main­ tain the national consciousness and spirit in the struggle for freedom and independence during the dark days of Turkish rule. The cultural clubs made a truly amazing progress in the past 15 years. From 2,425 in 1944 their number jumped to 4,394 in 1958. Hundreds of new bright and large cultur­ al clubs were built. Their libraries steadily increased their stocks and now possess six million volumes. The cultural clubs are centres of lively scientific. liter­ ary, theatrical and social activities. LiTerary and art par­ ties are organized there, as well as theatre and other per­ formances, readers' conferences and discussions of scien­ tific works and novels; exhibitions and lectures on social, cultural\, health, agricultural and other topics. Besides, there are different amateur art groups and ensembles at every cultural club, including dance ensem­ bles, drama groups and choirs which play a great role in promoting the artistic and esthetical education of the working people.

Theatre, Opera and Cinema. The Bulgarian theatre is a genuine popular institution. The democratization of our

43 theatre after 1944 is evident mainly in the fact that it is now accessible to the broad masses and helps their patriotic and socialist education. The number of drama theatres rose from 10 to 37, with a five-fold increase in the number of theatre seats. The number of performances has trebled. Theatres have also been opened in many working class districts. The repertory of all theatres is quite diversified, includ­ ing plays of Russian and West European classics, of So­ viet as well as of modern Bulgarian and Western play­ \vrights. In the past there was only one state opera and a single symphony orchestra in Bulgaria; now we have five state cperas (in Sofia, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Rousse and Varna), one light opera, twelve state symphony orchestras, a state philharmonic orchestra, a state chorus and a num­ ber of other professional musical ensembles. A musical academy, three musical schools, a secondary ballet school and several smaller ballet schools train musicians, sin­ gers and dancers. Fi:1m art has made important progress in new Bulgaria In 1939 there were 155 cinemas in Bulgaria, of which only 32 in the villages. Their-present number ( 1957) is 1, 195, of \Vhich 992 are in the villages.

Amateur Art Activities. Amateur art activities: music, dancing, dramatic art, fine arts, etc., are protected and encouraged by the state. There is no enterprise, building site or district in town and village alike without an ama­ teur art ensemble: cho-irs, orchestras, dance groups, drama groups, etc. Love for the arts and the aspiration to develop their talents in this field attracts thousands of ordinary working people to these ensembles. There are over 13,000 amateur art ensembles with more than 300,000 members. In their majority these are young people, but everywhere there are adults side by side with them. These ensembles are a fine school of education of popular talents. In a country with a population of slightly over 7.5 mil­ lion we have nearly 4,700 choirs, 560 orchestras. 2,288 dance

44 ensembles and 4,670 drama groups. Under the people's government five amateur opera companies, nearly 60 light opera companies and hundreds of variety ensembles have been set up. Many of these have won international renown. The Kaval Chorus, the Gousla Chorus, the Sofia Teachers' Chorus, the Georgi Dimitrov Academic Chorus, the Bodra Smyana Children's Chorus and many others are very popu­ lar abroad. Many talented artists take their first steps in these ensembles. The Bulgarian people love art. Even during the darkest years of the Turkish yoke they found consolation iln the folk songs. In those songs they expressed their joys and sorrows, their yearning for freedom and for happiness and their passion to fight for them. The arts are now flourishing under the care of the people's government, and every citizen can induldge in them, work according to his possibilities to enrich them and use them as powerful outlets for his selfless struggle to build a happy and prosperous life i!n Bulgar::ta.

* * * The fifteen years which passed since the historic victo­ ry of September 9, 1944 have been years of all-round de­ velopment and progress of the People's Republic of Bul­ garia. Within a short span of time a formerly backward agricultural country turned into an industrial-agricultural country in which the forces of production are steadily ad­ vancing. The Bulgarians bade their final farewell to dark­ ness and Hliteracy and became incontestable masters of their life and their labour. The living standards of the working people in town and village improve year after year. The main task of the Bulgarian people in the next sev­ en years is to put into effect the new impressive program­ me of economic development. Industrial output will in­ crease at a still speedier pace, productivity in agriculture will rise sharply and the material and cultural standards of the people will vastly improve as a result. This is the task of all tasks. It is the lodestar in the new leap in

45 the economic development of the country, inspiring the masses for still greater labour exploits. Once the new economic programme is fulfilled and so­ cialist society is built, conditions will be created for the gradual transition to the higher stage of socialist socie­ ty - communisn1. The communist society, based upon a high labour productivity in all branches of the national economy, will have at its disposal powerful production ca­ pacities which will make possibl·e the ever fuller satis­ faction of the growing material and cultural needs of the new socialist individual. CONTENTS:

I. Still Higher Living Standards in a Few Years 3 II. Bulgaria's Present Living Standards 5 A Decade Equal to a Century 6 How the Worker and ElmplO!Jee, the Farmer and Petty Artisan Live Today 10 A Budget of Steadily Rising National Prospe::-:ty 21 What the Family Budget Shows 22 Savings 25 Mass Construction of Modern Dwellings 26 Electricity Has Become Part of Our Way of Life 26 Canteens 27 Social Insurance 28 A Secure Old Age 30 National He·alth Service 32 Labour Protection 34 Child care 37 III. Cultural Progress 40 The Press 43 Cultural Clubs and Libraries 43 Theatre, Opera and Cinema 43 Amateur Art ActivitieE 44