Letters and telegrams have been addressed to Comrade Ramiz Alia and continue to arrive from workers, cooperativists, intellectuals and students, soldiers, from young people, pioneers and veterans of war and labor, who, expressing their thoughts and feelings about these developments taking place in our country and about these issues being examined and resolved, express their confidence and readiness to carry them forward successfully. Below we give several letters and telegrams and excerpts from them. Musineja Sotiri, at the “Gaqo Tashko” sewing cooperative, Tirana: “A few months ago we had a heated discussion about the implementation, in the conditions of a market economy, of the mechanism of profit, taking concretely the organization of work and pay. How delighted we are that with the latest decisions of the Plenum of the Central Committee of the PPSH, the issues we dealt with are also receiving concrete solutions! Today we feel clearer and more convinced of the necessity of the great changes taking place in our country. We, like all our society, are being freed from the obstacles that tied our hands and minds. Now we feel freer to think and act, setting in motion all the forces and reserves we have, which will contribute to strengthening the economy and our position, but also to better solving our socio-economic problems.” Zunilda (Sofri) Posaç, delegate of the Tirana Conference, member of the Women’s Forum, distinguished teacher, decorated with the order “People’s Teacher”: “We are truly delighted with the demands of our communist women, with their sense of party commitment and with their ability, as well as with the courage and determination to carry through to the end the goals we have set for ourselves, and with the political clarity and maturity of those who, with arguments, oppose everything outdated, conservative, bureaucratic and that slows the advance of democratizing processes and the strengthening of socialism. People want to know, to participate in political and social life, to control the state and government in the implementation of laws, to have as many opportunities and as much space as possible so that free thought and open debate become a reality for all.” Iljaz Jaupi, lecturer at the Academy of Arts: “The life of the country is becoming democratized, the force of the individual’s thinking is being allowed to operate more and more, things and phenomena that until yesterday were taboo and a sin to touch upon are being spoken about. This is very beautiful and strengthens my conviction that further steps forward will be taken. It gives a person heart to fight more strongly against conservatism, bureaucratism and routine, from which not a few times our Institute and our creative and scientific activity have also suffered.” Rexhep Bislimi, scientist in the design office of the Metallurgical Combine “Çeliku i Partisë”: “There is a need for the troubles and many socio-economic problems of ours to be treated more seriously, also with other views. If we turn the great source of dormant energies and unused resources into action, if we remove the bureaucratic and conservative obstacles, our socialism will advance much further, will be strengthened and enriched.” Mirvete Bungu, nurse in the gynecology department of the Vlora hospital: “I consider the decisions of the Plenum of the Central Committee of the PPSH to be right and wise. They made people see things more realistically and optimistically. I am also following carefully the people’s views on the activity of power. There are problems. People want to hear not only the voice of the state, but also their own voice, to be active and to cooperate in finding solutions and ways out. The people of our country are very emancipated to understand that in democracy there are not only rights, but also the responsibilities of each individual.” Jana Veliu, economist in the trade sector in Fier: “If a range of bad phenomena and outdated obstacles are being touched and set aside, a more favorable ground is being created for advancing socialism. Trade is a service to the people and, when this service shows shortcomings, they also come from administration and organization. I think the time has come for things to be seen with more responsibility, more effectiveness, with clear criteria and with greater control from below.”

The development today of consumption activities and of the construction of the agricultural cooperative, with the implied regulation of new relations with the state and the transition to economic accounts and financial profit, has made the management of banking institutions much more complex and demanding. All this requires from the bank a more active role and place, not only in providing services, but, above all, in exercising control through credit and money. Only in this way will the bank fully fulfill its function as the state’s political and economic instrument, in accordance with the current stage of development. In today’s legislation, which is being perfected, the rights of the bank, as well as its obligations, are being better defined and clarified. Thus it has become clear that the financial means transferred into the hands of the agricultural cooperative are social means and not private ones. Their management concerns not only the interests of the cooperative, but also those of the state and society. We are not speaking of revoking the cooperative’s right of use or infringing on its rights, but of exercising bank control as a means of ensuring the effective and economical use of resources. In conditions of the expansion of credit and payment activities, the bank must be closer to the production units, know the real state of the economy better, identify shortcomings in time and intervene with professional arguments. Credit cannot be granted mechanically. It must be closely linked to the fulfillment of the plan, to repayment capacity, to turnover ratios and to financial discipline. This is also the meaning of the bank’s active role under current conditions. At the same time, the bank must help the economy with analyses, studies and recommendations, not only with transactions. It must take the initiative in identifying internal reserves, improving monetary circulation, strengthening control over funds and combating every misuse. Its work requires better qualification, higher responsibility and closer ties with the other economic bodies. (To be continued on page 2)

The 10th Plenum caused a great stir and brought with it new developments in people’s thinking and actions. Everywhere people are talking about democratization, removing obstacles, changes in the way work and leadership are carried out. These processes cannot but be reflected also in creative life, in art, literature and journalism. Creators, as an active part of society, have the duty to be more open to the truth, more demanding of themselves and more honest in presenting problems. One can no longer move forward with rigid patterns, with general phrases and false pathos. The person of today demands sincere words, art that helps them understand the times and face them with a clear mind. In this sense, criticism and self-criticism are not only political notions, but also indispensable categories of creative culture. Only through such a climate can the civic responsibility of the artist grow and their connection with the people be strengthened. Courage is required to say things as they are, without excessive embellishment, without fear and without alibis. This does not mean harming the ideal, but cleansing it of rhetoric and emptiness. Only thus can art be contemporary, useful and true. RENZI PULAHA (To be continued on page 2)

In the government and the General Committee: The staff were reduced by 50 percent No issue of transport control has dealt with a series of questions of organization and management. In accordance with the latest decisions, measures are being taken to reduce the apparatus, simplify procedures and increase the responsibility of the structures. The adopted opinion is being implemented. Workers’ concerns about the administrative burden, delays and bureaucracy have been justified. Therefore, alongside the review of structures, work is being done on a new work discipline, on more direct links with the base and on more effective control of task implementation. Concrete moves are being made in the government and the committee. The apparatus of the central and local administration can no longer remain behind work and reform. It too must set an example in economy, simplicity and efficiency. The 50 percent reduction of staff in a number of sectors is an important step, but not enough if it is not accompanied by a change in management method. (To be continued on page 2)

Today, when so much is being said about reform and democracy, it is often forgotten that the history of our people has left valuable lessons for the days we are living in as well. A nation that does not know its own experience, that does not study it with a critical eye and with responsibility, finds it harder to discover the right path for the future. History is not only a recounting of facts. It is also a school of thought, a source of experience and proof of how peoples, in different circumstances, have known how to defend their freedom, independence and dignity. Therefore, the treatment of history requires scientific seriousness, liberation from rigid schemes and a more vivid connection with today’s needs. The study of different periods of national development should also help us better understand current phenomena: the relationship between the state and the citizen, the role of law, the need for participation, the place of free thought and the importance of public responsibility. These are not issues detached from history, but rooted in it. This also calls for a clearer and more comprehensible language in historical publications, less ceremonial and more analytical. Only in this way can history truly be at the service of the present. QAZIM SUZHA (To be continued on page 3)

Tirana, 21 April (ATSH) — The trade protocol between the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania and the People’s Republic of Poland for 1990 was signed. The document sets out the main exchanges of goods and the forms of economic cooperation between the two countries in areas of mutual interest. The signing of this protocol was valued as a useful step for expanding economic relations and creating new opportunities in trade exchange. Confidence was expressed that its implementation will contribute to the further development of bilateral cooperation. (To be continued on page 3)

On 20 April, in the “Ali Kelmendi” house of culture, the jubilee meeting was held on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the birth of V. I. Lenin. It was attended by representatives of social organizations, party and state officials, workers in education and culture, veterans and young people. In the speech delivered at this meeting, the importance of Lenin’s figure for the international revolutionary movement and for the experience of socialist construction was underlined. It was also emphasized that his teachings should be viewed in the light of concrete conditions and current tasks of development. In the discussions, the determination was expressed to deepen ideological work, to increase the role of the basic organizations and to strengthen the political education of the masses. (To be continued on page 3)

Everyone can add something to this theme 4-5 years ago, a series of articles had been published on the good work and the high results achieved by the agricultural enterprise “29 Nëntori” in Shkodër in terms of production and organization. Today, when so much is being said about changes and about better use of the land, such positive experiences gain even greater value. Nothing can replace land. It is a source of life, a fundamental wealth and a guarantee for feeding the people. Therefore every inch of it must be preserved, organized, irrigated and used with care. This requires not only technology and equipment, but also a new mentality at work, greater responsibility and stronger discipline. In some areas, negligence is still encountered in parcel organization, drainage and irrigation, in the maintenance of canals and in the effective use of arable land. These are weaknesses that damage production and harm the common interest. They must be seen openly, without excuses, and corrected with concrete measures. On the other hand, good examples prove that when organization is correct, when the specialist is listened to and when the collective works conscientiously, the land yields much more. This applies to fields, hills, orchards and livestock; it applies to enterprises, cooperatives and auxiliary economies. In today’s conditions of reform, work with land takes on an even broader meaning. It is linked to market supply, to improving rural life and to strengthening the national economy. Every inch of land is immeasurable wealth and must be treated as such. (To be continued on page 4)

The changes we are making do not happen by themselves. They require more qualified work in all directions. The new tasks cannot be solved with old methods and old mentalities.