V. I.

Lenin

Draft Decision for the C.P.C. [1]

Re Comrade Shlyapnikov’s inquiry concerning rates of pay
for high ranking officials, the C.P.C.

1) confirms that the decree establishing 500-ruble monthly salaries for
members of the Council of People’s Commissars is to be interpreted as an
approximate norm for top salaries and contains no prohibition to pay
specialists more;

2) calls attention once more to the fact that the decree of the
C.P.C. contains a demand for revolutionary measures to be taken to reduce
excessively high salaries; [2]

3) directs all People’s Commissars immediately to report what has been
done in fulfilment of this decree;

4) directs the Commissar for Finance to submit a report as to whether
resolute measures have been taken to collect income tax and eliminate
evasions in the payment of this tax;

5) directs the local Soviets of Workers’, Soldiers’ and Peasants’
Deputies to take more energetic measures to collect the special tax on
excessively high incomes.

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Notes:
[1]
This motion of Lenin’s was adopted at a meeting of the C.P.C. on
January 2 (15), 1918, during the discussion of an inquiry by
A. G. Shlyapnikov, People’s Commissar for Labour, concerning the rates of
pay for high officials of the factory managements.

[2]
Lenin is referring to the decree of the C.P.C. of November 18 (December
1), 1917, on “Remuneration for People’s Commissars and High-Ranking Office
Employees and Officials”. The draft of the decree was written by Lenin
(see p. 37 of this volume, and Note No. 7).