The technical significance of the program consis- 

 ted in the changeover to a new base model of truck, 

 the ZIL-130, instead of the ZIL-150, in simultane- 

 ously increasing production from 100 to 200 thou- 

 sand trucks per year, and in the introduction of 

 basically new technical solutions in the areas of 

 welding, forging, assembly, transport, and other 

 technological processes. 



The social significance of the program consisted 

 in that it was viewed as a first order mechaniza- 

 tion and automation of labor intensive and heavy 

 work, as well as of unattractive or harmful opera- 

 tions. Significantly improved were the working 

 conditions. Social significance of the program 

 also consisted in the fact that it can be seen as 

 the accomplishment of large social measures in the 

 localities of the main plant and its branch facil- 

 ity: large residential and cultural construction, 

 including the building of health and sports facil- 

 ities, nursery schools and pioneer camps, etc.°3 



Though automation brings obvious economic benefits in 

 higher productivity, the social consequences asso- 

 ciated with alleviating or eliminating heavy physical 

 labor appear to be further considerations behind at 

 least two of the current basic S&T problems. One of 

 these deals with the development of modern machinery 

 for handling materials and mechanizing warehouse op- 

 erations; the other focuses on equipment to mechanize 

 the process of timber cutting. The social signifi- 

 cance of these programs lies in the fact that one- 

 third of all Soviet industrial workers are still en- 

 gaged in manual labor and 16 percent do heavy physi- 

 cal labor. 8^ 



In another example, ecological factors are said to 

 have been of importance in the development of the 

 250,000 kilowatt thermal-electric turbine, one of the 

 early "basic S&T problems" selected by the regime: 



Combined heat and power supply also has great so- 

 cial significance, since it facilitates an increase 

 in the purity of the atmosphere, a reduction in 



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