Cseh Valentin szerk.: „70 éve alakult a MAORT” – tanulmányok egy bányavállalat történetéből (2009)

Tibor Laklia: MAORT through the Eyes of a Former Employee

the holiday season a lot easier. Five months passed in "close to the frontline" state. At this time, the front meant the BabócsaMarcak-Bdatonkeresztúr line from our perspective, in other words a distance of just forty kilometres. The spring of 1945 was characterised by the nodons of evacuation - shutdown fleeing. Families at the Hahót plant returned in full complement, under the leadership of Mr. Szilas, the engineer. The front quickly passed us by, and the reconstrucdon of damage began. Despite the shortage of goods, and world record inflation, the company managed to find ways of helping out, and barter trading evolved: we gave gasoline, diesel oil, motor lubricant, sulphur-strip, and lye-ashes in exchange for food. Our securing the grounds adjacent to the plant for housing plots with the help of the competent county agency and the press, and the concurrent starting up oi the plant's "brickworks" were two further important steps. This was the year MAORT turned ten! The second ten years in oil industry work started by continuing the old style. American managers appeared once more, but the company- soon found itself right in the midst of the crossfire between party politics. The management certainly had to have been aware of the fact that the distance between the interests of MAORT and the state was becoming ever greater. The rational production program and the state's plan figures did not correspond to each other. This trajectory led to accusations of "sabotage" as early as the summer ot 1948, through to the arrest of the management, and the "MAORT trial". In its law-decree of December 31, 1949, the state terminated MAORT's government management, and ordered nationalization. An endless series of reorganisation thus began. The one and a half decades of the MAORT era came to an end. Esteemed Guests! I attempted to summarise the results of these fifteen years - which lasted through the years, and I hope have an effect to this very day - in just a few thoughts. MAORT's prestige was primarily developed through its conduct associated with the environment, and this is what maintained it. Let us underscore three of the many factors. The first one should be the relationship between the company and Zala County. Every now and then, the truck and trailer of the county's road maintenance crew passed along the "post-road" between Zalaegerszeg and Becsehely, rolling through Söjtör as well. Then, ever more often, we started noticing other lorries on the road as well, bearing a new, as yet unknown caption (logo), these were MAC )RT's vehicles. News quickly spread in the village: the county and MAORT is rebuilding the roads and bridges of Southern Zala in a joint effort, what more, even new concrete bridges are being built. It was no secret either, that when the county proved unable to commit to even the very first job, nor was it able to pay, MAORT did both on its own. What more, the oil industry- even "win over" one of the county road construction crew's young engineers. This engineer then went over to become the head of the company's foundation engineering jobs, then built technology related improvements (e.g. tank stations) on the oilfields. Mr. Ferenc Póra, engineer, served the oil industry for forty years. The second also demanded day-to-day cooperation.