NINTH PLENUM SPEECH OF STEFAN MATUSZEWSKI ON TASKS OF PEOPLE'S COUNCILS AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN POLAND

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700180155-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 6, 2011
• Sequence Number: 155
• Publication Date: May 7, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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STAT
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 Sanitized Copy Approved
XNFAN CAL MAATUSZEWSKI
ON TASKS OF PEOPLE'SCOUNCILS vANA'LO
_M ES IH POLAND
Nowe Drogi, Vol VII
Warsaw, Oct 1953
[The following report of Stefan Matuszewski was give!, at the
Ninth Plenum of the KC PLPR (Central Committee of the Polish United
Workers' Party), held in Warsaw on 29-30 October 1953.
The report was given at the plenum as an amplification of the
featured report of Premier Boleslaw Bierut, "Task of the Party in
Struggle to Raise Standard of Living of Workers in Current Phase
of Building Socialism." An English-language translation of Bierut's
report is available in the PAP (Polish Press Agency) release of
6 November 1953, pages 1-44.)
One of the main problems of the present period in the building of socialism
is to raise the standard of living of the working masses. In his speech Comrade
Bierut told the party, the state apparatus, the trade unions, and the people's
councils what should be done to assure a more rapid improvement in the welfare
and culture of the people.
I
iinterestwoinuldwhatevelike demphasize that the people's councils must increase their
The councils have done some work in this direction. They have improved their
style of work, they have come closer to the people, and they have mobilized them
to participate in governing the state. However, there are still many shortcomings,
much negligence, indifference, and incomnetcnce.
To improve the welfare of the working masses, these shortcomings must be
regarded seriously; they must be eliminated.
Many other elements besides wages make up the standard of living, the most
important of which may bey an efficient commmal economy or administration, and
a well organized health service and welfare program.
Good housing, proper maintenance of roads and streets, development of uroan
transportation, public bath facilities, adequate source of electricity, adequate
water supply, adequate gas supply, a well organized medical service, care of the
sick, care of the aged, and care of the disabled -- all these are the tasks which
the people's authority must contemplate in order to raise the standard of living
of the working masses. These tasks must be studied more carefully by the party
organizations at all levels and by the regional governing bodies.
Let us look at the work of the people's councils in housing. We have been
expanding housing construction on an unheard-of scale. We have been expending
large sums on communal maintenance, repairs, and installations. However, we have
not followed through to see that the work was carried out. We have been lax in
dispensing the allotted sums properly, and in eliminating willfulness, waste, , and
poor
cts. For ties a eltoycover 513,400 1953 rgenerally been fulfilled,
but certain wojewodztwos, especially Olsztyn end Lublin, have been very lax in
carrying out their plans. The administration of regional housing offices is very
inefficient.
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 Wojewodztwo passed resolutions7to'reTne 's counc of duceeallotments of lhn singaspace for
private tenants and office use, and to increase housing space allotments of
the working class. However, the action stopped with the resolution. The
presidium of the municipal people's council allocated only two rooms to
miners in the first quarter. The situation was improved in the second and
third quarters at the intervention of the ceniral authorities. The miners
were allotted 143 housing units, a total of 236 rooms.
The housing administration in Kc :alin is also very inefficient. Many
workers must commute daily from outlying powiats, live with their families in
tourist rooms, or sleek in their offices. Meanwhile, the housing space is not
being properly utilized. At a session in 1953, council member Wojcik stated
that some persons were subleasing buildings and converting them into rooming
houses. The presidium of the Municipal People's Council passed a resolution
in the matter, but so far there has been no interest in implementing it.
It is apparent from the Koszalin example that certain people's councils
have not properly utilized their capabilities, and that valuable public property
has been badly mismanaged. The block committees could be very helpful by per-
suading tenants to make small repairs, clean up the grounds, and take good care
of the property. Unfortunately, many block committees have not had proper sup-
port from the presidium of the councils. In many instances, they have treated
the block committees merely as their lower administrative cells.
Next in line is water, gas, and light supply. Technical equipment must be
improved, losses throughout the system reduced, and waste of water and gas elim-
inated. The demands for service could thus be covered without additional invest-
ment outlays. In the cities of Olsztyn Wojewodztwo, especially Szczytno, about
50 percent of the water is lost along the water systems while only 22 percent of
the credits allotted for repairs to water systems were util;zed in the first half
of 1953.
Attention is called to the fact that 8 percent of the water in the public
water system is impure. The problem of water pollution is closely connected with
the problem of public wells, which are not always properly maintained.
The plans for gas supply to the network and to the consumer have not been
properly fulfilled. One reason is the laxity in repairing .is stoves, and
another is waste and increased losses of gas throughout the network.
The people's councils an party organizations must show pore interest in
the adequate supply of electric light. Cutting off electric power is often
looked upon as something for which there is no remedy.
There is much work to be done in the improvement of health services. The
Ministry of Health has been combating bureaucracy, helping the field office in
improving medical care, organizing clinics, and training health service personnel.
However, the quality of work is hampered in many ways. The ministry has employed
many office workers but has not adequately increased the professional personnel.
Although we have 2.5 times as many doctors and 6 times as many nurses as we
had in 1945, there are still not enough for the needs of our people. Medical and
nursing personnel are not properly distributed, nor are they used to the best
advantage. In certain parts of the country the shortage of doctors and trained
nurses is very acute.
We must take steps to increase the number of hospital beds, especially in
sanatoriums, hospitals for infectious diseases, and maternity hospitals.
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The health service and the people's councils must increase their efforts
to provide regular living quarters for health-service personnel now occupying
hospital space and to wake room for more hospital beds. We must also provide
better quarters and equipment for out-patient clinics.
Up to now, the Ministry of Health has not exercised systematic supervision
over the construction of health-service facilities.
Although, in general, our health service personnel is very devoted, there
have been many complaints of the heartless attitude of some members. There is
the case of Doctor Srebrny of Zielona Gora. He made a wrong diagnosis and to
avoid having to admit h!s error refused to admit a child to the hospital. The
child died from the lack of proper medical care. Several other complaints had
been made against Doctor Srebrny. He was tried, found guilty, and sentenced to
prison. There are more examples like this. The lenient attitude of the Ministry
of Health and the people's crmcils in these matters is demoralizing to a cer-
tain degree to the health service,
The Trade Union of Health-Service Workers and the Polish Red Cross ought to
instill a feeling of great responsibility in workers and a desire to give the
best possible service.
The regional authorities show little understanding of the problem of raising
the level of public health and hygiene. Disinfection measures, swimming pools,
and public bath facilities have not been properly utilized. The equipment and
sanitation of many public baths is most unsatisfactory. The bath enterprises are
out to make a profit and are not concerned with proper equipment. Instead of
reducing prices, they have kept them rather high.
In employment and social welfare, the problem of the working mother should
receive more attention. We must study the problem of employment for women in
small towns containing no large industrial ent.erorl.ses.
The development of industrial centers and work cooperatives in these towns
and settlements will not only increase the volume of basic commodity production,
but will provide employment for persons who, up to now, have not participated in
the building of socialism.
In his speech of 21 July to tae People's Council of Warsaw, Comrade Bierut
hinted out, among other things, that the people's councils mist fight bureau-
cratic warping of the party line more vigorously by giving immediate attention
to the complaints of peasants. We must combat favoritism and protect the working
peasants from kulak speculators and unscrupulous officials under their influence.
The present method of the people's councils in examining grievances and complaints
must be improved.
The many complaints of bureaucratic attitudes of certain presidiums of people's
councils which come into the central offi.e of the party and the government daily
indicate that certain workers are very arrogant in handling the complaints of the
peasants and make no effort to understand their problems.
This, of course, affects the attitude of the peasants toward the people's
councils, affects the course of grain deliveries, and also the peasants' feeling
of responsibility toward the government. Where the people's councils have treated
the peasants as allies and with understanding and sympathy in the class struggle
against the kulak speculators, the peasants' reaction has been more favorable.
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Comrade Bierutrs speech and the theses indicate that there are available
reserves for improving the conditions of the working masses
culturally. Todayrs plen
materiall
,
y and
um of the Central Committee should increase our in-
terest in the welfare problems of the workers and the peasants, in the develop-
ment of the worker-peasant alliance, and in a full exploitation of all possible
reserves to assure an improvement in' the standard of living for the workers in
the cities and in the villages,
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