V. I.

Lenin

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

Having heard the report concerning the disastrous state of
the inland water transport and acquainted itself with the draft decree
drawn up by the Supreme Economic Council in agreement with the Central
Committee of the Water Transport Workers’ Union and the representatives of
the Central Committee of the Volga Fleet, the C.P.C. endorses this draft as a temporary measure; — urgently asks the Nizhni-Novgorod Congress of Water Transport
Employees to put this draft into effect immediately and without any
deviations; — should the congress consider it necessary in future to make any
amendments to the decree, the C.P.C. asks the congress to send its
authorised delegation to the C.P.C. to discuss and finally settle the
question of such amendments.

The C.P.C. impresses upon the congress that the disastrous state of
inland water transport precludes any possibility of delays and makes it
absolutely necessary to strictly and conscientiously carry out all the
orders of

Kavomar. [2] Only on this condition will the C.P.C, be able to justify
the allocation of immense sums on the national fleet in the eyes of the
country.

V. Ulyanov (Lenin)

Chairman, Council of People’s Commissars

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Notes:
[1]
This draft was proposed by Lenin at a meeting of the Council of
People’s Commissars on March 26, 1918, at which A. G. Shlyap-nikov reported
on the All-Russia Congress of Inland Water Trans-port Workers held in
Moscow on February 14-26, and at which the Draft Decree on the Management
of Water Transport on the Volga presented by Y. Larin was
discussed. Lenin’s motion was adopted by the C.P.C.

The Nizhni-Novgorod Congress of Water Transport
Employees mentioned in the decision was held in March 25-April 10,
1918.

[2]
Kavomar- the Board of Management of the Caspian-Volga-Mari-insk
System-was organised under the Decree on the Management of Water Transport
on the Volga for administering the nationalised fleet and all freight and
passenger traffic. By a decision of the C.P.C. dated May 18, 1918,
providing for the reorganisation of the water transport management bodies,
Kavomar was abolished and its functions transferred to Glavvod-Chief Water
Board.