– Again, a request for the future: production and delivery of grain [?] MESSAGE TO RAMIZ ALIA FIRST SECRETARY OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE PPSH TIRANA Dear comrade Ramiz, Thousands of cooperators and agricultural workers in our district, where around 95 percent of the grain bread of circulation is found, as well as all workers and cooperative members from the bridges of industry and mining, were very happy and filled with gratitude for the greeting you addressed to us on the آغاز of the wheat harvest. But especially happy are the women and girls, to whom you dedicated very warm and friendly words, calling them the heroines of our time. They also thank you from the heart for the kind words and for the clear mobilizing message you addressed to us: to spare no force, to harvest every grain of wheat as quickly as possible and without losses. For us this greeting was a great honor and a great trust. It charges us with new responsibilities to move our work forward even more and to serve the country with even better results. All cooperatives and agricultural enterprises are mobilizing to successfully accomplish the tasks of harvesting, threshing, transporting, and delivering the wheat on time. This broad correspondence with the agricultural sectors, including brigades, harvesting plots, and transport units, is helping us follow closely the situation on the ground. Everywhere there is an increase in care to avoid losses and to guarantee the quality of the delivered production. So far, thousands of hectares have been harvested and in many areas the work is progressing at high speed. However, problems remain in organization, in discipline in the use of machinery, as well as in the better activation of all forces. For this, special attention is required from the local leaders. The results achieved so far are encouraging, but not enough. The plan must be fully fulfilled, because bread for the people is a major duty. This is understood and deeply felt by all honest cooperators, who are giving a high example of work and sacrifice. In this context, scientific work takes on first-rate importance. Without study, without experimentation, and without the consistent application of technical-scientific recommendations, high and stable yields cannot be secured. Scientific research must be closely connected with practice, with the field, the stable, the farm, the harvest area. The contribution of scientific institutions and specialists is irreplaceable. They must provide accurate guidance on varieties, agricultural technique, irrigation, fertilization, plant protection, and the most rational use of material resources. Every recommendation must be tested in practice and expanded wherever it produces results. Only in this way can we secure more wheat, fewer losses, greater yield per hectare, and more bread for the people. This is the path to high achievements, to strengthening the economy, and to fulfilling the tasks set for us by the Party. (The article continues on the inside pages) Work moments from the shoe factory. (Photo: N. Xhikusha)

Whose pockets does it stroke? Whose budget balance does it attack? Does it encourage a wage increase of over 20 percent? For what kind of forces is work in the cooperative supposedly so advantageous? Why will millions more remain in the pockets of cooperative members? Why does the state budget benefit? To whom do shortages and unreasonable privileges suit? Why are so many loss-making enterprises kept afloat? Why can these officials also receive 35-40 percent above the permitted wage? The reader finds answers to these and other questions in the article “Financial Whisperings” by economist Vladimir Gostja. The problems of setting wages according to the quantity and quality of work at the “Enver Hoxha” metallurgical combine are addressed in the article “Rigour is needed in applying the wage reform,” prepared by J. Mitrushi. Issues concerning the organization of foreign trade are examined in the article “Why should you hurry?”, by M. Haxhiu. An analysis of the situation in agriculture is presented in the article “Tasks are not fulfilled with hopes alone,” which raises several issues related to the implementation of the plan and concrete responsibilities. FINANCIAL WHISPERINGS Should the finance directorate, together with the enterprises it receives and produces from remuneration, also have the individual profit calculated, while in the cooperative sector this profit should not be linked to the member’s direct result? And if wage criteria based on actual work are applied, by what reasoning and by what law is the inclusion of profit for each member justified? It is clear that income obtained without being tied to work encourages false equality and undermines economic discipline. WAGES AT THE “ENVER HOXHA” METALLURGICAL COMBINE The problems of determining wages according to the quantity and quality of work are current. At the “Enver Hoxha” metallurgical combine, discrepancies between results and remuneration are still felt. There are places where the norm has not been based on technically substantiated indicators, and as a result wages are inflated without real support in production. PLAN ACCORDING TO NORM-BASED CRITERIA The planning directorate and the relevant structures must rely on real work norms and not on an administrative increase in the wage fund. Wages must be a fair indicator of individual and collective contribution. Only in this way can the new economic mechanism be strengthened and distortions avoided.

IN POGRADEC: In discussions with representatives of enterprises and cooperatives in the leather and footwear sector, the situation in the fulfillment of plans and the measures being taken to improve the supply of raw materials were discussed. It was pointed out that there are major reserves for increasing the production and quality of consumer goods. Many cooperatives and small workshops have gained experience in using materials more rationally, saving energy, and organizing work better. This experience should be expanded more widely. In conclusion, it was stressed that the local economy can and must contribute more to meeting the needs of the population.

THE PEOPLE OF THE BANKS OF SEMAN Reportage Nothing but the salty wind and the sound of the waves accompanies you on the journey along the banks of the Seman. There, where the land meets the sea, working people have built their lives over the years, defying nature and the difficulties of everyday life. The low houses, dusty roads, and yards full of tools speak of a world closely tied to the land and livestock. Early in the morning you hear children’s voices, the rattling of carts, and the calls of shepherds setting out toward the pastures. These simple and strong people have learned to love work, the sea, the wind, and the land. They do not complain much. In silence they build their everyday lives and hope for more care, better roads, water, and services that make life easier. The banks of the Seman carry within them a rough beauty and a quiet nobility. Whoever knows them up close remembers them for a long time.

IN POGRADEC: The development of private housing construction in the district requires not only genuine organizational measures, but also sustained support with building materials. The demands are great and better coordination is needed among local bodies, production enterprises, and trade sectors. There are many cases where citizens are delayed in obtaining bricks, cement, iron, and wood, which leads to unnecessary delays in the works. It is necessary to work with concrete plans and with clearly defined responsibilities for each institution. The experience of some neighborhoods shows that when there is organization, technical advice, and regular supply, construction progresses faster and with better quality. This direction requires greater attention from the competent bodies.

The working classes have always fulfilled their duty also in the field of export products. In many enterprises and cooperatives, work is carried out with dedication to increase the quantity and quality of goods that go abroad. However, problems still remain in standardization, packaging, delivery deadlines, and guaranteeing consistent quality. These weaknesses damage not only the plan but also the prestige of our producer. Export requires technological discipline, strict control, and a high sense of responsibility. Everyone must understand that every article produced for foreign markets represents the work and image of our country.