Slalin has said in connection with our economic objectives
that "... mechanization of labour processes is for us the
new and decisive factor, without which we shall be unable
to maintain either our tempo or the new scale of produc-
tion.'^1 Our potentialities in this respect have grown im-
mensely. The industries of the Soviet Union can now
produce any machine, and the scale of machine building
has, moreover, already far surpassed the prewar scale.
The number of machine tools in our country has greatly
increased as compared with 1940, and within a short
period may be increased still further. The systematic in-
troduction of up-to-date technique in all branches of the
national economy is a powerful lever for enhancing the
might of the Soviet State,
One highly important measure introduced in our coun-
try since the 30th anniversary of the October Revolution was
the currency reform, coupled with the abolition of the ration
isystem of supplying the population and the establishment
of uniform and reduced state prices for manufactured
goods and foodstuffs. This decision helped rapidly to elim-
inate the pernicious effects of the excessive amount of
money in circulation, a heritage of the war period, and
crealed favourable conditions for accelerating the progress
of the national economy. As a result of the reduction of
state retail prices for foodstuffs and manufactured goods
and the accompanying reduction of prices in cooperative
trade and on the collective-farm market, the purchasing
power of the ruble increased twofold. Thanks to this, and
also to the growth of money wages, the real wages of
workers and office employees have more than doubled as
compared with last year. (Prolonged applause.)
Thus the currency reform and the government's meas-
ures to improve trade have greatly contributed to raising
the standard of living of the workers and office employees.
37-561	5?~