Un-Soviet Activities

The Soviet Parliament or the Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R. goes into session in Moscow tomorrow. The Deputies and the Soviet people at large note that the present session will reflect the changed atmosphere in the country wherein the harmful results of un-Soviet personality cult that cropped up in the last years of Stalin's life are being successfully eradicated. The Communist Party and the Soviet government have already done a great deal to develop genuine people's democracy in this country to the fullest.

--2 p.m. Background to the News, Radio Moscow

Democracy was the keynote as the 1,300 members of the Supreme Soviet walked into the white hall of the Great Kremlin Palace to hear Premier Nikolai Bulganin deliver what was in effect a State of the Soviet Union message. They sat in their polished wood pews, drably dressed Baits and colorful Asians in skullcaps and shawls, gawking at the 8-ft. statue of Lenin and reading Pravda, hushing attentively while Bulganin pointed with pride to the nation's industrial output--up 12% over the first half of 1955--and viewed with alarm the disappointing performance of the coal and oil industries. He promised to reduce the number of women employed as heavy laborers, and eventually to abolish heavy work for women altogether. The delegates hushed the quietest and then applauded the loudest, however, when Bulganin proposed a democracy-style election-year special--big boosts in Soviet pensions for men over 60 and women over 55, with bonuses for widows, underground miners and ex-servicemen "to raise political and morale standards among the personnel of our armed forces."

Breaking off into an Upper House and Lower House, the Deputies (all of them nominated by the Communist Party and elected unopposed) then began to debate the Bulganin pension plan. A comrade from hot Turkmenistan argued that people in hot climates ought to retire earlier and get pensions sooner (laughter), but a comrade from the chilly Ural Mountains countered that the hardy cold-weather Russians deserved even better from the republic. Several delegates observed that they did not like Bulganin's plan for 15% lower pensions for country dwellers (on the theory that countryfolk had little gardens and presumably would not go hungry). All in all 33 delegates were scheduled to speak.

But after 23 had their say, Bulganin got up to cry a halt. Most of the ideas from the floor were "fine proposals," said Bulganin, and "the time will come when we will have everything." but for now most of them were "unrealistic." That ended their little essay into debating. According to Radio Moscow, "the Deputies warmly cheered Premier Bulganin," and then passed his pension law unanimously. Next day the Supreme Soviet made up for lost time, rubber-stamped 15 new laws in 35 minutes. Unanimously, of course.

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