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ДОКУМЕНТЫ СОВЕТСКОЙ, ХИ Ittp: sovdoc. rusarchives lines, either owned by British companies or recently acquired by American capital. And there is something like a central system which runs through the center of the country which goes from Bogota to Buenontontura and from thero one has to go by bus, on these railways we have established very good connections. Our comrades had displayed a little bit of s111 we would have had all the railronds organized. We had good beginnings of a union in Bogota, Girordot, and in all the principal railrond points, also on the Vano del Gituen 11nes and on the modellin Railway when left we had OTRANsed locals on railronds in Borota Otrordot down in Call and we had 11ttle local in Armenio and another one in Helva. The reason that we made so mueh herday is that the rat way men received three wage cuts In nine months which reduced their wages, let us say, from 00 to 30 centa, and in some places even more. They were following whenever we called for instance In Girordot we called a meeting to which 1200 workers came. That was oight weeks before lort. To could then have called a strike by July. but my Ides was to first organize the railroad men on the 11 nes that ran to the capital to a corte in dogree and not to call a general strke until we had all these points ready. There was also a strike in Amenio. But there, due to bed organisation this was smashed, but by the time left we had then organised to some extent.
The Central Railway system is not the only one, but wo had tied up the system, 11 transport would have to go up on the Magdalena river, which is often dry and so this would have tied up transportation. At that time the river was dry at lorst one day a week. To have also somo organization on the Magdalena river, and figured if we can concentrate on this transportation we could sufficiently tie up the river at least to malce 16 un profitable, and this would have forced the bosses to come across with at leest the former pages that they paid to Longshorement, marino men and railWy men. don know what happened after loft. Then lost this is a real blooming movement. Te had sent some reinforcementa to upper river points, and this was quite a promising situation there. The wgos they pay there are fantastieslly low. Even the workers in light Industry are higher pata than the ra 11 wey men. This gives you an idea about the condition of this type of workere. O ETOKONDIOX In light Industry we have in almost every city contaets with these workers. Answer to question: on the railroad these wages apply to all categories of workers, but the engine drivers received hidher wages, and thoir go out was not so groot. Then there is 11 kinds of other things. discrimination ete.
Those relayo are owned 11ke this, Formerly they were owned by the state.
About a few weeks before left they were mading don to turn them over to foreign capital)
This gives you an idea of the relation of proletarians to the rest of the population. The wagos of the workers generally are lowThey are anywheres between 30 to 80 cents. On thegeneral average Industrial products are higher then in New York. If you want pair of shoes or ahnt. It is hicher than here In the states. You would be surprised what you PAY in Bogota cor Lousy maorable hole to 11ve in. So with this lind of wage Scrlo they live in terrible holos, way up on the hill, whero, of course, the bourgeoisie do not go because it is too high and because of this situation the city crews up on the hi11. You have to walk a half an hour until you elimb up there.
There the land 1s cheap and the rent is so that they can live there. In one 11ttle room there would live about ten or twelve and somethhos fifteen people.
Of course we concentrated first to malce connection with the workers in the cities in 1ht Industry. Then we tried to roomerate our wound in the benann zono. To established some organization there and then in the oil territory, we established some groups there, but sa TID organisation is very work, at lonst 1t was at the http: sovdoc. rusarchives. ru CATE