V. I. Lenin

Source: ru:PSS/v50;es:MT
Translated: machine translation (DeepSeek) from the Russian; AI-translated.

Tambov
To the Gubernia Executive Committee

I enclose a telegram from Tambov, No. 344. I request that another general meeting of these 252 (it is not clear whether these are all the members of the cooperative or only a part, and out of what total number) be arranged and that the following be explained to them:

"The Council of People's Commissars has adopted a decree on the formation of consumers' communes in the interests of the proper distribution of products. It is unjust that only a part of the population should participate in the distribution of products necessary for the entire population without exception, as was the case under capitalism. In all countries, cooperatives under capitalism embrace mainly the upper strata of the workers and peasants. It is necessary that now not only the upper strata, but all, all the working people without exception, should take part in the distribution of products.

There is hardly a single one of the great founders of the world cooperative movement who did not point to the transformation of this movement into socialism. Now precisely this time has arrived, and all the best elements of the cooperative movement sympathise with such a development of cooperation as is represented by the decree on the transformation of cooperatives into consumers' communes embracing all the working people without exception.

The rights of control, fully independent, as well as the rights to conduct affairs independently, remain with the members of the consumers' communes. That is why I request the meeting to reconsider its decision, to recognise the obligatory nature of the decree of the Council of People's Commissars, and not to compel the workers' and peasants' government to resort to undesirable coercive measures.

Chairman, Council of People's Commissars, V. Ulyanov (Lenin)"

Read this part in quotation marks at the meeting, print it in the local newspaper. Explain in greater detail (and tactfully, without harshness) what I have said. Telegraph fulfilment.

Chairman, Council of People's Commissars, V. Ulyanov (Lenin)