V. I. Lenin

Draft Decision On The Use Of State
Control [1]

On the question of using State Control for keeping check on work
and improving defence capacity, the majority on the commission
have voted for lightning control, that is, dispatch of groups or
commissions with wide powers to check on various institutions.

We must have concrete, factual, numerical data on the forces at
our disposal (Party members first, then non-Party, but absolutely
honest men) for exercising genuine control. We must know the
number of specialists in the various branches; the number of those
experienced in administration and management.

Tasks of control are of two kinds:

the very simple task of checking on warehouses, goods, etc.; the more difficult one of checking on the efficiency of the
work; combating sabotage, completely exposing it; checking on
the way the work is being organised; ensuring the greatest
efficiency of work, and so on.

No. I task is to improve work in the Food and Communications
Commissariats.

Endnotes

[1]
This draft decision was submitted by Lenin on December 3, 1918,
at a sitting of the commission set up by the Council of Defence
(see Note 151) for the purpose of regulating the work of Soviet
bodies and enhancing the country’s defence capacity. The
commission’s decision on the question was based on
Lenin’s draft.