on the situation of water transport
1 9 9

ON THE SITUATION OF WATER TRANSPORT.
DRAFT RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS.
[March 20, 1918
Having heard the report1 on the catastrophic situation of water
transport and having acquainted itself with the draft decree worked out
by the Supreme Council of National Economy in agreement with the
representatives of Tsekvod and representatives of Centrovolga, the Council of People's Commissars approves this draft
as a temporary measure; — most urgently recommends to the Nizhny Novgorod Shipping Congress [of river workers] to immediately
and without any deviations to implement this draft into life;
— in the event that the congress in the future deems necessary certain [corrections] amendments to the decree, the Council of People's Commissars
proposes to the congress} to send [immediately, its authorized
delegation to the Council of People's Commissars for discussion and final resolution
of the issue of these corrections! amendments.
The Council of People's Commissars points out to the congress that the catastrophic condition
of water TpaiiCjiiiopTa necessitates the complete impossibility
of delays and the absolute necessity of precise strictest
and conscientious execution of all orders of Kavomar.
Only under this condition can the Council of People's Commissars justify before the country
the allocation of enormous sums for the nationalization of the Fleet;.
Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars V. Ulyanov Lenin.

Lenin refers to A. Shlyapnikov's report at the meeting of the Council of People's Commissars
on March 26, 1918, about the All-Russian Congress of Water Transport Workers
that took place in Moscow at the end of February — beginning of March 1918.
-
The draft decree "On the Management of Water Transport on the Volga"
was submitted for approval to the Council of People's Commissars by Yu. Larin on March 26, 1918.
Published in "Izvestia VTSIK" AS 63 of April 2, 1918, under the heading:
"On the Establishment of the Administration of the Caspian-Volga-Mariinsky system ("Kavomar"). The printed resolution was adopted by the Council of People's Commissars on both
above-mentioned reports.

The decree of the Council of People's Commissars on the nationalization of the merchant fleet was approved at the
meeting of the Council of People's Commissars on February 5 (January 23), 1918. Published in "Gazeta
Vrem. Rab. i Krest. Pravit." D1 18 of February 8 (January 26), 1918.