In the districts of the country's lowland and coastal areas, the important wheat-harvest campaign is continuing. Its progress is generally good. According to operational data, around 45 percent of the area has so far been harvested nationwide. Compared with the same period last year, the harvested area represents around 30,000 hectares more. The campaign is advancing at a faster pace in the district of Elbasan, which has harvested around 80 percent of its area, in Durrës with 75 percent, Lushnjë with 73 percent, Vlorë with 70 percent, etc. Nevertheless, overall, the campaign can be said to be at its peak. There are areas where the work, compared with the most advanced areas, needs to speed up. All the more so because the harvest is about to reach the hilly and mountainous areas, and equipment must move there as quickly as possible. In addition, the campaign sets in motion a chain of tasks connected with the new bread crop and the livestock feed base. The motto “harvest, thresh, gather the straw, plough and sow the stubble fields” must prevail in every farm and every district. This photograph, taken by our photojournalist Niko Xhufka at the Maminas agricultural cooperative in the district of Durrës, shows a moment of work in the important wheat-harvest campaign.

WE DRAW YOUR ATTENTION In the district of Fier, most specialists are village children who were trained in secondary schools to work not on the asphalt, but among the fields, where wheat and corn are grown, livestock is raised, and most of the country’s population lives. This is not the usual situation in Ballsh, a relatively new town. There are conspicuous disparities in the distribution of specialists among the farms on the outskirts of the city of Fier and those in more remote areas. Çlirimi, Grecallia, Lëvan, Porvëlcë and the poultry-breeding enterprise have half of all the district’s livestock specialists. At the poultry-breeding enterprise, there is only one such specialist in charge, who also does the work of an ordinary worker (!), while other farms in this very necessary sector have none. Selita, Kuta, Greshica, Krapsi, Kreshpani, etc., in remote areas, have only one or two such specialists, even though they have developed livestock farming and face challenges in raising it properly. Quite a few others have unmet needs for agronomists and economists, while more than necessary have been concentrated at some farms near the towns. The personnel section of the Executive Committee of the Party Committee of the Fier district is concerned about this imbalance. It is said that a study is being carried out on the distribution of livestock specialists. The disparities, of course, have built up year after year, but they have been “reinforced” particularly in recent years. The relevant bodies, it is said, have been “victims” of interventions; on some occasions decisions have also been made on sentimental grounds. This is an observation, but we believe such explanations are not justified. Fier is not some vast district with extremely remote areas like Shkodra, Kukës or Dibra. Even if a specialist works at the most distant cooperative, they can be in the centre of Fier within an hour, in an emergency—especially since everyone travels by vehicle today. Therefore, we can say that the responsibility lies with the Party Committee and the cadres in charge of assigning specialists, who have created this “climate” in which everyone wants a job at their own doorstep. The point is not to impose this by orders; rather, people should be persuaded, also by the many very good examples in this district, so that specialists understand that wherever they are, they can make progress and contribute more. Why does this happen with agricultural specialists? Because, at times, the matter is judged too casually: agriculture on the outskirts of Fier, in Poshtat and Ballsh, and agriculture in Fratar, Kurjan, Agim..., it is all treated as the same. Indeed, it should be so, but this casual attitude, applied case by case, works to the advantage of those who want to avoid the remote areas, at the expense of much-needed specialists. The intervention of a friend or comrade, or sentimentality, wins out and determines where the individual would be better off. The interest of the farm—where it would be better served—is thus “forgotten” and pushed aside. And the farm is better served when, among other things, intellectual forces are properly placed at the direct service of production. Naturally, this is not about a merely arithmetic distribution, but about taking proper account of how these forces are deployed where the fruits of their labour are “worth” the most. Those who seek a comfortable corner, using their diploma to serve narrow personal interests, must be opposed by the many positive examples found in this district as well. At the same time, these examples reinforce the case for an assessment—sometimes not objective or continuous—of specialists’ work by the relevant bodies. For example, the agriculture sector and personnel section of the Executive Committee of the Fier district Party Committee say that there are quite a few specialists who are women with children and live in town, yet distinguish themselves through good work on distant farms and have made no request or complaint. These include Luiza Strati in Seman, Amilja Sheka in Bishan, Dita Mehilli in Topojë, Dhurata Ahmetaj in Vërri, Vitore Puka in Pojan, etc. Is there not, then, a right to say that their work and conduct should be treated as they deserve, just as those who expend more energy to fulfil their wishes—far from the real demands of production—should be dealt with accordingly? In these cases, we believe, transfers prompted by a genuine assessment of each person’s work also have an educational character and are essential. The main thing is to implement a fair policy in assigning and treating specialist personnel everywhere. VANGJEL STEFA

Summer has arrived

This summer season the town has changed. The green areas have increased by 30,000 square metres. The roads, squares and areas around the commercial service establishments near the boulevard have been attractively supplied with plants, and the planted areas have been made decorative. From the lakeside promenade to the depths of neighbourhood No. 5, around 5,000 square metres of roads have been asphalted. Good work is also being done on decorative lighting for these areas. In this tourist town, one can also find the family recreation areas, which will serve as the main suppliers of flowers to the market. To cope with the demands of the summer season, measures are being implemented as a priority throughout the retail network, whose capacity is increasing by around 350 places. Measures are also being taken to ensure an abundant supply of food and industrial goods, as well as seasonal fruit and vegetables, eggs, milk, meat, etc. This year, 10 percent more soft drinks, 15 percent more kitchenware, and just as many more livestock products will be sold than last year. The increase in retail capacity and improvements in supply are being accompanied everywhere by improvements in quality and in the culture of service. Efforts to enliven cultural and artistic life are also evident. Thirty different concerts are planned for this season. Exhibitions of visual arts and ceramic works will also open, along with an art-sales salon, and many other educational and recreational activities will be held in cooperation with the Committee of Culture and Arts.

A report from Kruja Patoku beach, just 11 km west of the town of Laç, attracts many holidaymakers in summer. Its good reputation is also due to the high-quality municipal and commercial services. The holiday season has got off to a good start here this year too. Comprehensive measures to repair the cabins, provide shade and supply the necessary equipment have met the holidaymakers’ requests. The beach, especially in the afternoons and on Sundays, fills with hundreds of holidaymakers from Laç, Mirdita, Lezha and the town of Kruja. But... this is where the shortcomings begin. Can the beach in its current condition meet the holidaymakers’ needs? The head of the municipal section (Continued on page 2)

The employees of the diversified-products enterprise in the district of Kukës are distinguishing themselves by meeting the plan’s economic and financial indicators steadily. From the beginning of the year through June 15, they produced 110 square metres of rugs for export above the target, and of high quality. Total industrial output exceeded the plan by 1 percent, while the enterprise’s net income exceeded it by 0.5 percent. More than 50 percent of the overfulfilment in rug production was achieved by the workers at the “8 Marsi” and “Rinia” workshops, who stand out for increasing productivity and exceeding the norm by an average of 3 to 4 percent. Significant overfulfilment was also achieved in the production of other items. Recently, a new line was opened to produce baskets for the domestic market. These products are also being supported by the implementation of new forms of service. Workers are being helped through on-the-job guidance from experienced colleagues to exceed the daily norm and achieve the set targets. On the basis of the results achieved so far, the employees of this enterprise are striving to begin implementing the new economic mechanism at the start of July, with the main aim of further increasing production and reducing costs. (ATSH)

On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the death of communist militant Ali Kondi, a commemorative event was held in his native village, Nivan of Zagoria, in the district of Gjirokastër. Among those attending were the chairman of the Executive Committee of the district Party Committee, Flamur Çani, the secretary of the district Party Committee, Faik Kërpaçi, etc. At the event, a report and several presentations were given on the life and revolutionary activity of communist militant Ali Kondi, a talented leader of the youth, etc. Visits were also made to the regional museum established in his house, and the pupils of Nivan presented a musical-literary programme. (ATSH)

— SARANDË — “This year, not only in the town but along the entire coast, from Butrint to Borsh, the beaches are welcoming holidaymakers better,” says Ilirjan Haxhiu, secretary of the Executive Committee of the Party Committee of the district of Sarandë. What has been done to accommodate the many holidaymakers in the district and those from other towns? On the beaches of the town of Sarandë, from the holiday home near the tourism [area] to the “Kodër” neighbourhood, the seaside area has been covered with fine sand. With (Continued on page 2)

At the invitation of Flamur Çani, chairman of the Executive Committee of the People’s Council of the district of Gjirokastër, a delegation from the Municipality of Janina, headed by the municipality’s chairman, Filipopa Vllos, arrived in our country on Thursday for a visit. Views were exchanged with the delegation of the Municipality of Janina on the further development of trade, cultural, artistic and sports exchanges between the two border areas. The delegation visited social and cultural centres in the districts of Gjirokastër, Berat and Lushnjë. (ATSH)

OUR CORRESPONDENTS WRITE FROM REMOTE AREAS The village is in its season of beauty. Day by day it is becoming more pleasant, more lively and more attractive. That is what you say of Shtrez, and it seems that this is no small thing for a tiny mountain village set among the hills and sun-baked shores beside Lake Uizë. Well laid out, as though it were a fertile plain, it first draws you in along that long road through the oak woods. Then, as we admire the cultivated land, tended with such care, and the shady plants, we meet the cooperative chairman, Viktor, and Simon, the brigade leader. We walk together and talk about the land, wheat and corn, mechanization and the quality of vegetables. On the left, the beans are nearly ripe, growing on a fine plot. Simon says the wheat-production plan will be exceeded; the fields are doing well, and so is the corn... Meanwhile, among the rows— Impressions —it has been grown before and has a tradition. “The aim is to harvest at least 200 quintals per hectare,” says Viktor. Then they calculate how much the entire Ujë-Shtrez agricultural cooperative will obtain from this crop. The economic benefit is substantial, and it seems a source has been found for increasing the value of a workday with little land and much labour. Perhaps this is a “screw” in the economic mechanism that moves work forward. The mechanism has many parts, some small and others large, but each has its own value and its own influence. It is good for all of us to keep moving forward. But how? That was the question, and the subject of a discussion in Shtrëz of Mirçakë these days. At the foot of an ancient mountain, men, women, young men and women, leaders of the agricultural cooperative and of the Party gathered. And this is beginning to happen; it was a major and important matter. Impressions from a visit to a nearby place are among the most vivid that one takes away from life; they offer a picture. They told us, and they had also begun to do some things... These words came from among the old ones. They began to put forward proposals about how to increase the farmers’ work day by day. It is fair to say that the work and good management of these meetings, the meetings of the cooperative as a whole and of the people of Shtrëz in particular, are something to be proud of. On a piece of land measuring 1.5 dynym, with its plots laid out so well, several crops are in view. We have decided to increase vegetable production, since demand is high and it brings a good income. This is being planted here for the first time, whereas it has been planted in the neighbouring village... In the district, people sit together and discuss how to “prepare” the source of the village’s major tasks. What will be done about the new school, since the village has a suitable school? And what about the shop and the children’s nursery? Everyone has an opinion, but at the assembly they speak without speculation or unfounded assumptions. It is clear to everyone that the district executive committee has set the school issue in motion. For the shop, it would be best to use the buildings that were constructed some time ago by the lake. As for a children’s nursery, given how few children there are in Shtrëz, would it be in our interests to establish one? The women discuss it and make concrete “calculations”. Their judgment on this is... Someone raises their own concern at the assembly, or something else that seems important to them. Simon says these matters have already been discussed and there is no need to waste more time on them. People agree with him. The meeting, with its full attendance and its [unclear], is a continuation of an earlier meeting—