V. I. Lenin

Source: ru:LS/v18 (Leninskiy Sbornik XVIII). English: machine translation.
Translated: machine translation (DeepSeek deepseek-v4-pro) from the Russian; AI-translated.

For greater clarity regarding the changes introduced by Lenin into the draft of the cooperators, the paragraphs that were edited are printed in two parallel variants. The footnotes give the final wording of several paragraphs which were altered in the course of discussion of the decree at a session of the Council of People's Commissars (SNK) and later in the All-Russia Central Executive Committee, partly, it appears, at the insistence of the cooperators.

DRAFT DECREE ON CONSUMER SOCIETIES

[April 9–10, 1918]

1. Consumer co-operative organisations serve the entire population in each area of their activity. ** The co-operative sells products both to members and non-members with a special surcharge [of] *** 5%, so that after the expiry of the year the 5% additionally received from members shall be returned to them in cash or credited to their share contributions, while that received from non-members shall be paid into the local state treasuries after the expiry of each month. All bodies and private enterprises serving the population with goods are obliged to pay 5% of their total turnover into the local state treasuries.

2. Persons of small means desiring to become members of a consumer society shall pay a minimum entrance membership fee (not exceeding 50 kopeks). The formation of membership shares * The same place adds the word “in cash”. — Ed.
** The second paragraph of point one in the SNK record and in the final text of the decree was worded as follows: “All trading enterprises supplying the population with articles of consumption shall be subject to a special tax in favour of the exchequer amounting to 5% of their turnover. Members of consumer societies shall be exempt from this tax, receiving from their co-operatives 5% of the amount of their purchases back after the annual report has been confirmed.” The amendment, judging by the draft record of the SNK, was introduced by I. E. Gukovsky. — Ed.
*** Crossed out by Lenin. — Ed.

for these persons shall be permitted by means of deductions from the 5% levy on goods purchased.

[Lenin’s wording.]
Note: The method of verifying declarations of small means shall be determined * by the local Soviets of Workers’ ** and Peasants’ Deputies.

3. Each definite district or locality shall be served by a separate consumer society and its branches.

[Cooperators’ wording.]
Note: [The small means of persons desiring to become members of the Society] shall be determined by the local Soviets *** and Peasants’ Deputies.

3. Each consumer society [of the first degree or] its branches [shall serve] a definite district or locality.

4. Within the limits of each locality, territorial area, not more than two consumer co-operatives may operate: a general civil one and a class workers’ one.

[“Registration of co-operatives after receiving the opinion of the respective co-operative unions.”]

5. The norms established by the central or local organs of Soviet power and, in particular, by the supply organs regarding the distribution of products, etc., are binding both on private trading enterprises and on co-operative organisations.

6. **** Representatives of unions of consumer societies participate

5. [The compulsory] norm [for the distribution of rationed products shall be determined by] state and municipal organs, [to whose control co-operative organisations are also subordinated within these limits].

6. In the central and district state organs

* The same place: “shall be established”. — Ed.
** The same place adds: “Soldiers’”. — Ed.
*** The following word is illegible. — Ed.
**** In place of § 6 in the cooperators’ wording, N. P. Bryukhanov introduced a written amendment to § 6: “Representatives of Unions of consumer societies shall be granted the right to participate in the work of the state supply organs.” Lenin reworked this amendment; in his wording, printed in the text, it was adopted at the session of the SNK and in the final text of the decree. — Ed.

in the work of the state, central and local supply organs, which regulate private trading enterprises and have the right to take them over into state management.

Note: [Co-operative] Consumer societies, equated by the co-operative centres to unions, shall have in this respect the rights of such unions.

7. Owners and managers of trading and industrial enterprises of a private-capitalist character cannot be members of the boards of Consumer Societies.

8. Those co-operative organisations which unite in their locality (see § 4) the entire population shall be granted tax privileges, which shall be defined separately.

9. The methods of implementing these provisions shall be determined by the co-operative organisations under the guidance of the state supply organs.

supply, representatives of unions of consumer societies shall participate, state guidance of private trading enterprises belonging to these state supply organs (up to their taking over into state management, etc.).

7. [Persons carrying on] trading and industrial operations of a private-capitalist character cannot [be] members of the board.

8. Those co-operative organisations which unite in their locality [(district, territorial area)] the entire population shall be granted tax privileges.

9. The implementation of these provisions [shall be carried out] by co-operative organisations in [agreement] with the state supply organs [(food organs)].

[regulating private trading enterprises] *

10. As [and after] the co-operatives’ supply with products is ensured, steps must be taken to pay the working population their earnings in certificates entitling them to receive from the co-operatives definite articles of consumption.

[Lenin’s addition.]

11. [The state supply organs shall confirm]. The Commissariat for Food, in agreement with the Supreme Council of the National Economy (VSNKh), [shall confirm] shall establish both the forms and periods of accountability of co-operative societies, and the forms of supervision and control both over co-operatives and over private trading enterprises, in particular regarding the payment by them of the 5% tax on their turnover into the state treasury.

[12. Consumer societies are obliged to deposit their receipts [and keep] in the State Bank and keep in it their monetary reserves.]* [~The inviolability] of deposits and full freedom of withdrawal + The People’s Bank, pending complete merger, [is considered] in this respect as the State Bank also has the right to keep the money of co-operatives.]

12. Consumer societies shall render all-round assistance to the Soviet power in ensuring that all money capitals and circulating means of both private persons and institutions are deposited in the State Bank [and shall support the general legislation to be issued on this subject and shall implement this measure on their part immediately after] and shall implement this measure on their part in respect of their capitals and circulating means immediately upon the establishment, jointly with the Finance Commissariat, of the necessary guarantees and privileges ensuring them free disposal of the means belonging to them. + %

13.** The organs of Soviet power shall enlist the unions

* At this point Lenin, having crossed out the end of the paragraph, wrote: “+ Sokolnikov”. What follows is the preserved amendment to § 12 signed by Sokolnikov, which fully coincides with the wording of this paragraph as recorded in the SNK record and with the printed text of the decree. At the insistence of the cooperators, after the words: “State Bank” the words “or People’s Bank” were added. — Ed.
** This paragraph was written anew by Lenin, replacing a paragraph written by A. I. Svidersky, which Lenin had initially intended to edit: “Unions of consumer societies are obliged, to the extent of the development of their technical-economic apparatus, to carry out the purchase, procurement, processing and production of [goods] and products [with the assistance of the supply organs

of consumer societies, to the extent * of the development of their technical-economic apparatus, for the purchase, procurement, processing and production of products, on the commission of the state supply organs and the Supreme Council of the National Economy (VSNKh), with their assistance and under their control.

under their assistance and under their control,] and on the commission of the State supply organs and the Supreme Council of the National Economy with their assistance and under their control.” — Ed.
* At this point Lenin left a blank.