Word: gierek
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...summer protests marked the third time in two decades that insurgent workers had illegally struck against unpopular government measures and won their case. Workers' demonstrations in 1956 and 1970 had even brought down the reigning party chiefs in Warsaw. This time, the present Polish party boss, Edward Gierek, survived the riots by immediately rolling back prices. Still, lingering discontent in Poland, tied to a worsening economic crisis, has produced the classic formula for rebellion. TIME Correspondent Henry Muller recently visited Poland to gauge the public mood as the nation entered what threatens to be a long turbulent winter...
After listening to Mr. Ford, Polish Communist Party Chief Edward Gierek died...
Hoarding Housewife. Last week Gierek took a risky new tack in dealing with food shortages: he restored rationing to Poland for the first time since 1950. He restricted purchases of sugar, a basic and highly prized commodity, to two kilos (4.4 lbs.) per person per month at the legal price of 50? per kilo. (Extra amounts can be bought at 2½ times that price.) He also announced that rationing may soon be extended to meat, for which he has already proposed a 30% price increase...
...sugar, but this summer's drought severely cut production, and the shortage has been aggravated by hoarding. One farsighted Warsaw housewife recently managed to stockpile 1.5 tons of sugar for herself. In addition, the Soviets last spring tripled their purchases of Polish sugar (to 151,000 tons). When Gierek asked permission to make smaller or later deliveries, Moscow refused...
...country remained calm last week, but, as one West German businessman in Warsaw observed, "You have the feeling the place could explode any minute." To avert new violence, Gierek has promised to conduct "a frank, open dialogue" with the public about his food policy. Just in case that should fail, he has also canceled military leaves so that Polish forces can maintain a state of semi-alert...