OUR INFORMATIVE OBSERVATION Nature in Dibër offers extensive opportunities and reserves for supporting electricity generation. According to a study, Dibër could produce 10 times more electricity, or supply 3 times more than its needs. Researchers believe this energy could also be used for heating in the town and the countryside. In this plan, they also intended to protect the forests, which in this region are becoming poorer from year to year. But where are these water resources? For example, the water from the Kacnië reservoirs, as it descends toward the Bllacë reservoir in winter and toward Selishtë, Zogjejt and Luzni in summer for irrigation, falls from a height of 1,400 metres by way of several waterfalls. The plans for this project included several small hydroelectric plants along the watercourse. Waterworks supplied by the lakes of Lurë, the Valikardhë canal, the Sllatinë canal, the Setë canal, etc., have operated in terrain so suitable for building small hydroelectric plants that any number and installed capacity they could provide would reveal further reserves. The water-supply systems, which have been expanding through the work carried out in recent years, are another reserve. The two hydroelectric plants at Fushë-Bulqizë, installed on the town’s water-supply system, have been operating profitably for years. And the Korab water-supply system, with its three utilization schemes... But who should take on this work? This, too, is a problem that needs to be resolved. Large hydroelectric plants, above 2,000 kilowatts, are built by the Ministry of Heavy Industry and Energy, while small hydroelectric plants, from 50 to 2,000 kilowatts, are built by the Ministry of Communal Economy. Plants below 50 kilowatts are not even considered because, as they told us at the relevant directorate of the Ministry of Communal Economy, they are «loss-making»? We think these criteria should be reconsidered. The approach to building small hydroelectric plants and exploiting water sites (because every drop of water generates energy when it falls from a height) must be broadened. Could the chromium mines also be involved in building 2–3 hydroelectric plants on the Bulqizë pipeline water-supply system? Not only would the electricity produced be quite inexpensive, but these hydroelectric plants would serve as reliable «switches» that could be turned on whenever needed, supplying power in good time to the critical points in the mines. The geology sector could become an exploiter of the many water resources in the mountains. And why build entire long power lines through the mountains when a small hydroelectric plant, say at Shtrungëz, could meet the needs of two or three drilling rigs and a geological team? The water enterprise in Di... While it «does not sell water», it buys the electricity generated by hydroelectric plants installed on its infrastructure solely to power its irrigation pumps. Could water enterprises also become electricity producers on a broader scale? Where there is water, this can be done, thereby covering their expenses and supplying the grid as well. We can broaden our outlook further still. Where there is water, electricity can be generated. At Gramë, for example, on that very powerful watercourse, a «summer» hydroelectric plant could operate two pumping stations to irrigate the beautiful alpine meadows and increase forage production, while also providing lighting and improving the shepherds’ way of life. Several years ago, an innovator from the food enterprise installed a «hydroelectric plant» here with a capacity of 1.5 kilowatts, which powered the dairy’s cream separator and also provided light for the station and the nearby buildings. These are a few examples. But how can they be put into practice? Here is one example: in Muhur, several years ago, the communal enterprise built a hydroelectric plant itself in five months. The machinery, with an installed capacity of 250 kilowatts, was manufactured locally. It is among the most profitable and reliable hydroelectric plants in Dibër. Today our industry has the capacity to manufacture turbines or generators. Construction of a plant exceeding 2,000 kilowatts... Is electricity that could be generated from water-supply systems also taken into account during the design stage? Both yes and no. In Bulqizë, a new water-supply system is to be designed, drawing water from a gallery deep inside Mount Durric. The project has not yet been drawn up, so we think it appropriate to make a suggestion. The water to be taken from here, 40–70 litres per second, at an elevation of 500–600 metres, could be used in 2–3 hydroelectric plants before reaching the town. …can be supplied by the many mountain sources. a small hydroelectric plant—for example, at Shtrungëz—could a geological team? The waterworks enterprise in Dibër has built such waterworks, which constitute a valuable experience in popular creativity. The well-known hero of this undertaking, Gani Tusepi, designed and built many canals and small local hydroelectric plants. Can we not return to this tradition? How? Simply by building small hydroelectric plants on waterworks. It is interesting that when this enterprise has to supply water to hydroelectric plants built on its «own» canals, it not only does not «sell water», but is obliged to answer to the municipal authorities for failing to clean the canal! …at the large sources. a small hydroelectric plant—for example, at Shtrungëz—could failing to clean the canal! …from the many mountain sources. a small hydroelectric plant—for example, at Shtrungëz—could failing to clean the canal! Here is an example: in Muhur, a few years ago, the municipal enterprise itself built a hydroelectric plant 250 kilowatts, was manufactured locally. It is one of the most economical the capacity to produce turbines and generators. The other construction projects are symbolic, and are delayed for several months. In closing, it is worth reiterating one fact: by installing hydroelectric plants on its existing water network, Dibër can produce three times more electricity than it needs. Specialists say that the operating parameters of these hydroelectric plants are above the average for the developed regions of Europe. This is an experience that deserves recognition in Dibër and in other districts.

The daily chronicle of «Zëri...» A NEW WORK SITUATION IN AGRICULTURE Experience is based on earliness The cooperative members’ work these days is focused on three main areas: tending the wheat, tending the sunflower, potatoes and forage crops, and planting maize, beans and vegetables. The 66 mm of rain that fell a few days ago have created very good conditions for everything. The difficulty the wheat had in taking up nutrients is being alleviated by the work of applying nitrogen. The fourth application of nitrate has been made on 90 per cent of the entire sown area. Alongside tending the sunflower, potatoes and forage crops, the day’s main task is planting maize, beans and vegetables. As of 13 April, the figures for all 46 plantings stand at 46 per cent for maize, 80 per cent for beans and 91 per cent for vegetables. Turani, Maricaj, Qesarati, Krahësi and Duka[jt] are above the district average, while Izvori, Kalivaçi and some others are behind. This year, cooperative members have undertaken, under a target plan, 60 per cent of the entire area planted with maize. To this end, the experience of the Selckë brigade, which has consistently fulfilled its task, is being generalized. This experience is based on earliness. Accordingly, everyone is working toward the objective of completing planting by 20 April. SEJMEN GJOKOLI

- POGRADEC - At the current stage of wheat development, with 60 per cent of the area at the beginning of stem elongation or in full stem elongation and the rest in extensive tillering, growers have focused their attention on combating pests and diseases. The infected plots have been identified, and each farm has secured the necessary materials to deal with the problem. So far, chemical spraying has been carried out on 1,300 hectares, and the fourth application of nitrate continues on 3,500 hectares. The pace of daily work is also high for planting spring crops. After completing the planting of potatoes and alfalfa, concentrated efforts are now going into planting beans and tending the second crops. For maize, care is being taken to follow the technological stages, such as properly preparing the seedbed, for which 200–250 quintals of organic fertilizer per hectare have been used, and, depending on conditions...

- DURRËS - Over three days, according to a rough estimate, 50 mm of rain fell, which means a bene-... In particular, this is very good for the wheat. But the rains have also speeded up work on other fronts. Met Rapiki, an agronomist in the Vrinë sector of the Rrashbull agricultural cooperative, tells us: «The rains created good conditions everywhere, especially for maize. So far we have planted 78 per cent of the maize for grain and silage. We have now increased the pace, and under the new conditions our objective is to finish planting maize in the sector by 20 April.» The chief agronomist of the agriculture section, Figiri Guza, gives us this picture: «The situation created in agriculture by the rainfall has put us in a healthier working position, enabling us to make maximum use of it. For wheat, we are taking advantage of the moisture created and speeding up the final application of nitrate. On the planted areas, as well as on the unplanted ones, depending on conditions, we will harrow or roll the soil to preserve moisture. The pace of tobacco planting has increased. For forage crops, we are taking care to apply their full required dose of nitrogen fertilizer to speed up growth for consumption. In the fields planted with sunflower and forage crops, and in the plots of emerged sugar beet, they are hoeing and cultivating, accompanied by a full application of nitrogen fertilizer. Meanwhile, the rains are being exploited especially to increase the pace of maize planting, which is behind schedule, so as to ensure the necessary earliness.»

- MIRDITË - The latest rain and snowfall in the district of Mirditë are reminiscent of the end of winter. Snow has fallen in the highland areas of the agricultural cooperatives of Zajsh, Orosh, Spaç, Klos, Xhuxhë, Fang and Domgjon. In these areas, the main attention and care are devoted to livestock and its feed, so that it can get through the difficulties, especially the sudden changes in temperature, which make the need to transport feed supplies all the more pressing. In addition, work is under way there to dig drainage ditches, divert high water from the sown fields, clean existing ditches and remove organic manure, with the main focus on draining the maize fields, both those already planted and, even more, those still to be planted; if we do not remove the excess water accumulated in ploughed fields, planting will be delayed considerably. This work is also being carried out in several agricultural farms. But in Fierë, Munaz, Ndërfushaz, Perlat and Upper Perlat, many have concentrated on draining the wheat fields and extracting and transporting organic manure. These tasks are important and worthwhile as they are carried out, but we must not forget that only 38 per cent of the maize area has been planted so far. Planting has begun in 17 of the district’s 19 farms. This delayed return of winter...

The Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania, Comrade Adil Çarçani, sent the following congratulatory telegram to the Prime Minister of the Greek Republic, Konstantin Micotaqis: «On the occasion of Your appointment to the high office of Prime Minister of the Greek Republic, I send You my sincere greetings and very best wishes. I take this opportunity to express my conviction that the relations of friendship and fruitful cooperation between Albania and Greece will develop further in the future, to the benefit of our two neighboring peoples and countries, and of peace and cooperation in our region.» (ATSH)

From waste and by-products, feed for livestock For many years, bardë, a by-product obtained from processing molasses into alcohol at the sugar combine in Maliq, was treated as waste and poured into the Devoll River. A valuable product, useful as livestock feed, was thus being squandered. This practice has now come to an end. Following cooperation between livestock specialists and food-industry specialists, a study was carried out to establish a production line so that this by-product could be used to feed calves at the cattle-raising enterprise near the sugar combine. A complete line was built for this purpose. From the alcohol factory, the bardë is carried through pipes to a distribution tank, and from there, through an underground network, to 16 cattle sheds, in proportions adjusted to the dry-matter content and at a temperature of 30–35 degrees. The line was set up in three months. Employees of the sugar combine in Maliq, the construction enterprise and the cattle-raising enterprise all contributed. 350,000 lekë were invested in construction and installation. KOSTAQ DUKA

Within the framework of cultural exchanges between the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania and the Federal Republic of Germany, the Albanian Committee for Cultural and Friendly Relations with the Outside World and the National Gallery of Figurative Arts in Tirana organized yesterday afternoon the opening of an exhibition by painter Kate Kollvic in one of the institution’s halls. The exhibition of painter Kate Kollvic was opened yesterday afternoon in one of the halls of this institution, within the framework of cultural exchanges between the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania and the Federal Republic of Germany, organized by the Albanian Committee for Cultural and Friendly Relations with the Outside World and the National Gallery of Figurative Arts in Tirana. The exhibition presents 75 works in engraving, drawing and sculpture, with themes from the work and life of the German working class in the 1920s and early years of this century, such as the etching cycles «March of the Weavers» and «Class War», the woodcuts «Homage to Karl Liebknecht» and «Schulz», the lithograph «The Mother Protects Her», etc., created to a good artistic standard. Painters and sculptors, employees of cultural and artistic institutions, students and lecturers of the Higher Institute of Arts, and pupils and teachers of the «Jordan Misja» secondary art school, among others, took part in the ceremony organized on this occasion. Also present were the chairman of Outside World, Jorgo Melica; the deputy chairman of the Committee for Culture and Arts, Çapajev Gjokutaj; director of a department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andon Bërxholl; and other comrades. Also present were the chargé d’affaires a.i. of the FRG embassy in the PSR of Albania, Verner Daum, and other embassy officials. The Gallery of Figurative Arts director, Ksenofon Dilo, delivered the address for the occasion, noting, among other things: (Continued on page 4)

ONE OF THE DAY’S INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS Upon taking office on Thursday, the coalition government in East Germany declared that achieving monetary, economic and social union with the Federal Republic of Germany was an urgent priority, stressing that it wanted to accomplish this on July 1 of this year. Monetary union is regarded by specialists as a major and difficult challenge for one of the highest-valued national currencies, the West German mark, which is tasked with maintaining inflation at a low level. But most West German officials believe that the prospect of economic union in the East outweighs such a risk. They emphasize that the «deutsche mark» will give East Germany a strong currency as the basis for a market-oriented capitalist economy. The most difficult part of the monetary-union talks is expected to be the exchange rate. The East German coalition wants private savings to be exchanged at a rate of one to one, while the Bundesbank insists that all East German funds be exchanged at a rate of 2 East German marks to 1 West German mark, with the exception of an amount of 2,000 marks from private savings, which would be exchanged at a one-to-one rate. FRG Economics Minister Helmut Haussman emphasized that the amount of money exchanged one to one could be even greater than this figure, while his East German counterpart Gerhard Pol wants a limit of 30,000 marks. East German workers also demand that wages be exchanged at an equal rate. In this regard, West German officials have warned of mass unemployment in the East if a one-to-one rate raises companies’ costs before they increase productivity enough to compete in the world market. ARBEN KARAPICI

These days in Zogaj of Tropojë, special attention is being paid to livestock farming. Brigade leader Qamil Isufi stands out for his tireless work. (Photo: L. Hoti)