Textile officials are fired in Soviet drive on graft

Factory managers and officials have been fired and government ministers reprimanded in a major shake-up of the Russian textile industry, the Soviet newspaper Soviet Industry reported.

It said the purge had been carried out as part of a crackdown on theft and waste of materials in textile plants throughout the Russian Federation, largest of the 15 Soviet republics. The shake-up appeared to be part of a wide-ranging drive against corruption and inefficiency that has been stepped up since Yuri Andropov took over as Communist Party leader.