MACHINE AND TRACTOR CENTERS OF THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R013900080005-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 2, 2006
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: September 12, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

IMTELLOFAX 21
FORM NO. 51-4AA
FED 1952
Approved For Release 2006/08/08 : CIA-RDP82-00457R013900080005-9.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
CLASSIFICATION SECRET/CONTROL - U. S. OFFICIALS ONLY
SECURITY INFORMATION
INFORMATION REPORT REPORT
CD NO.
COUNTRY Rumania
SUBJECT Machine and Tractor Centers of the
Ministry of Agriculture
DATE OF
INFO.
PLACE
Uur
DATE DISTR. 12 September 1952
NO, OF PAGES 3
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
ACQUIRED ' CIRCULATE
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES, W I T H I N THE MEANING OF TITLE 18, SECTIONS 793
AND 794, OF THE U.S. CODE, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REVE-
LATION OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS
PROHIBITED BY LAW, THE. REPRODUCTION OF,.THIS FORM IS PROHIBITED.
25X1
25X1
25X1
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
1. Between 1945 and 1946, all tractors and agricultural machinery owned by
the Swabians in the Banat district and Germans in Transylvania, as well
as by Rumanian landowners and Kulaks, were requisitioned by the Ministry
of Agriculture and formed. into a loan pool which became known as Statiuni
Pentru Inchiriat Masini Agricole - the Agricultural Machinery Center
(AFSM). These centers were attached to the Gospodarii Statului (Gostat),
the state farms created on.the expropriated landowners' property. In
1948, these machine centers were detached from the Gostat, and became
independent organizations known as Statiuni,Masini Si Tractoare (SMT).
The SMT assists the Kolkhozes, Intovarasire De Tarani - farmers' pro-
duction cooperatives, and individual farmers in areas where there is a
shortage of draft animals.
2. Up to 1 February 1952, a total of 138 SMT centers had been established.
During 1952, the number of centers, which are to be set up i ="important
agricultural districts, is to be 200. Not every district ha the same
number of centers, and there are centers of grades one, two, and three,
in accordance with the agricultural importance of the district. Most
of the centers are. to be found in Ialomita and in the area around
Constanta, as many new "colonisers" have been transferred there from the
evacuated southern and western Banat region (Yugoslav-Hungarian frontier
districts). In 1941, ten new SMT centers were created in the Constanta
area.
EverySMT center has its own workshop for minor repairs on the spot,
as well as a canteen for personnel.. In 1951, farms were set up near
these centers in order to supply the canteens with vegetables, milk and
eggs.
The SMT center employs a manager, a political assistant manager, a chief
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 Approved For Release 2006/08/08 : CIA-RDP82-00457R013900080005-9
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0
accountant, and three or four accountants, a mechanic, a foreman, three
or four locksmiths and between 40 and 60 tractor drivers. The adminis-
trative officials are treated as government officials and receive monthly
salaries according to specified grades. The tractor drivers and other
machine operators are paid in kind, according to their services, and in
accordance with special tables varying for the different districts. In
principle, they are required to sell the grain they receive to the
government at fixed prices, but in actual fact much of it finds its way
to the black market. In spite of strict controls and the relatively
large bookkeeping staff, thefts and fraud occur in the payments in kind
section and also in the fuel department.
5. The SMT centers are under the jurisdiction of the local soviets (Sfatul
Popular Local), which employ specialists.who keep in touch with the
regional soviets. The regional soviets (Sfatul Regional) have a sep-
arate service for agriculture and another for tractors and machinery,
each with a manager, a technician, an inspector and an instructor.
These regional centers are in touch with the SMT Department of the
Ministry for Agriculture in Bucharest, which also employs technicians
and inspectors to supervise its 138 branches.
6. Every SMT tractor center is supplied with a fuel depot for solar and
diesel oil and gasoline. A special SMT type of lubricating oil is
being experimented with, as all of the types of oil used in the IAR
~tractcrs are either too heavy or too light.
7. The tractors and tractor drivers are organized into brigades, a "bri-
gadier" being responsible for the work and fuel consumption of four
tractor drivers and their machines. Each driver must account for his
mileage and fuel consumption. Fuel consumption tables have been es-
tablished for every phase of work. If a driver exceeds his authorized
allocation, the difference in cost is deducted from his earnings. If
he saves fuel, 50 percent of the savings are paid to him as a bonus.
All non-productive journeys must be authorized by the "brigadier".
8. SMT centers undertake work primarily for collectives and cooperatives
but may assist individual farmers who own seven to eight hectares of
land each, after the collectives and cooperatives have been served.
The system of accounting is very complicated as the work is paid for
in a percentage of the grain produced. Special tables have been com-
puted for all districts, based on local conditions and types of soil.
The type of grain grown is taken into consideration, including the
differences for autumn and spring sowings, for deer) ploughing, for
harrowing, cutting and threshing.. For ploughing to a depth of 18-20
centimeters, the payment demanded is 100 kilograms of wheat per hectare
and more for rye. The price for harvesting is 10 kilograms of wheat
per hectare, and for threshing 7 percent of the harvest. There are
special tariffs for cultivators and all other types of work.
9. About 6,000 tractors were distributed to centers throughout Rumania
up to the beginning of 1952, 60 percent of which are usually'in working
order. One thousand of these tractors are old machines requisitioned
either from the Germans or from expropriated landowners, of such makes
as Fordson, Lanz and Hanomag. The remaining 5,000 are of the IAR 22
or IAR 23 types (now called Sovromtractor), which are still being manu-
factured at Brasov. These tractors are copies of the Hanomag model,
but are made so poorly that they last about two months. The cooling
system is bad so that no suitable oil can be found for the motors, and
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the gaskets of the cylinder heads are inferior. The 40 horsepower motor
barely develops 20 horsepower, and breakdowns are very frequent. Provisional
arrangements have been made for the import from the USSR of 2,000 Soviet
KD 35 horsepower caterpillar tractors, but the trial. consignment was
found unsatisfactory.
.10. There. are 100 or 110 combines, pulled by tractors, distributed through-
out Rumania. Seven to ten of these combines are of the Soviet anto-
propulsion type; the others were manufactured in the Vasile Roaita
Factory in Bucharest patterned after a U. S. model. They should be
capable of dealing with 100 tons of grain a day, but in actual fact,
cannot do more than 10 tons per day.
11. In the regional centers, large repair workshops have been set up. There
are about 20 of these and they are known as Centre Mecanice SMT (CMSMT).
The four largest workshops are at Otopeni, Craiova, Arad and Timisoara
and are better equipped than those at Rosiori De Vede, Constanta,
Galati, Tuicea, Iasi, Botosani, Barlad, Tecuci, Giurgiu, Oradea, Sibiu,
Caracal and Cluj. '.t'heY have received large Soviet lathes and cylindrical
grinding machines, and are able to carry out all types of repairs and
major overhaul work.
12. Tractor driver courses of three months' duration are held at every
center, and in the regional center, six months' courses are held
which also include theoretical instruction. Apart from the courses
there are schools for "brigadiers", technicians and inspectors, and
separate schools for agricultural specialists. One technician and
one agricultural specialist are attached to every regional. center as
instructors.
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 Approved For Release 2006/08/08 : CIA-RDP82-00457RO13900080005-9
INTEI.LDFAX 21
FORM NO. 51--4AA
FEB 1952
CLASSIFICATION SECRET/CONTROL U. S. OFFICIALS ONLY
SECURITY INFORMATION
INFORM -T`ION REPORT REPORT
CD NO.
COUNTRY Rumania
SUBJECT Rumanian Government's Attempt
to Enforce Collectivization
25X1
DATE OF
INFO.
PLACE
ACQUIRED
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES, WITHIN THE MEANING OF TITLE 18, SECTIONS 793
AND 794, OF THE U.S. CODE, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMIS910N OR REVE-
PROHIBITED BY LAW. THE REPRODUCTION OF.THIS FORM IS PROHIBITED.
-... _ . _. _ _.. _. _.-~...~._
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
25X1 1. The area of land under cultivation increased greatly during 1951 and
every effort was made by the government to force the peasants into
25X1 the collectives, including such means as confiscation of all their
cattle.
2. Early in 1952,.a law was promulgated requiring every farmer to supply
a certain amount of meat and milk, regardless of whether he raised
cattle or not. If not, he has to supply his quota by buying it else-
where. The meat and milk supplied to the government under this scheme
is of poor quality and is used for local consumption only.
CLASSIFICATION
SECRET/CONTROL - U. S. OFFICIALS ONLY
COP
DATE DISTR. 12 September 1952
NO, OF PAGES 1
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
CIRCULATE
Approved For Release 2006/08/08 : CIA-RDP82-00457RO13900080005-9