Having heard a report on the catastrophic situation of water transport and having acquainted itself with the draft decree drawn up by the Supreme Council of National Economy in agreement with the Central Committee of Water Transport (Tsekvod) and representatives of the Central Volga Board,

the Council of People's Commissars approves this draft as a temporary measure;

– most urgently proposes to the Nizhny Novgorod Navigation Congress to put this draft into effect immediately and without any deviations;

– and in the event that the congress in the future deems certain amendments to the decree necessary, the Council of People's Commissars proposes that the congress send its empowered delegation to the CPC for discussion and final decision on the question of these amendments.

The Council of People's Commissars reminds the congress that the catastrophic state of water transport makes all delays utterly impossible and necessitates the strictest and most conscientious execution of all orders of Kavomar.{77} Only under this condition can the CPC justify to the country the allocation of enormous sums for the nationalization of the fleet.{78}

Chairman of the CPC

Written on March 26, 1918.

First published in 1933 in Lenin Miscellany XXI.

Printed from the manuscript.