TELEGRAM TO THE KAZAN GOVERNORATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
AND TO THE GOVERNMENT REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE*.
Kazan Governorate Executive Committee. Copy to Volgoprod, Governorate People’s Commissariat, [District Oil Administration],
Governorate Forestry Department, Governorate Fuel Administration, Governorate Revolutionary Committee
January 16, 1920
You are tasked with ensuring, without fail, the transportation of all rye and wheat
from the Arakchinsky and Paratsky backwaters to the mills beyond the Volga, and with arranging for their delivery to Yudino Station for loading.
Be sure to secure firewood supplies for grinding grain prior to the ice break-up; and only in the most extreme cases—when, under the personal responsibility of the Deputy Governorate Executive Committee and duly documented in a report submitted to the Council of Defense, it is established that firewood cannot be procured—should you resort to utilizing the existing oil reserves at the mills.** Mobilize the peasantry to bring in firewood. Please telegraph your progress meticulously. [29]
Chairman of the Council of Defense: Lenin.
*
The text of the telegram was typed on a typewriter. Corrections and additions to the telegram were made by Lenin himself. Ed.
** Struck out by Lenin. Ed.

ON THE PROCUREMENT OF GRAIN BY COOPERATIVES AND BY THE ORGANS OF THE PEOPLE’S COMMISSARIAT FOR FOOD SUPPLIES.
January 26, 1920.

a.
MEMORANDUM TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COLLEGIUM OF THE PEOPLE’S COMMISSARIAT FOR FOOD SUPPLIES AND TO THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE UNION.
I have the honor to humbly request that the food supply comrades and our unionist allies provide answers to the following questions:
1. What proportion (in percentage terms, approximately) of grain is procured
by cooperatives, and what proportion is procured by the organs of the People’s Commissariat for Food Supplies—without the involvement of cooperatives? (Lezhava)
| Schmidt: Same as Lezhava | 1
2. Other products besides grain
Cooperatives, with cooperative participation; cooperatives, without cooperative participation; organs of the People’s Commissariat for Food Supplies
£

NOTES ON A MEMORANDUM BY A. I. SVIDERSKY.
From August 1919 to January 1, 1920, a total of 90 million poods of grain were procured. At collection points operated by cooperatives of various types, 27 million poods were gathered.
(This includes 3.9 million poods.)
There were 868 collection points under the administration of the food supply organs.
Of the entire cooperative network, 770 collection points were working in coordination with the People’s Commissariat for Food Supplies.
Our own collection points had a capacity of 90 million poods, while cooperative collection points had a capacity of 27 million poods.
Sviderksy wrote this on January 26, 1920.

A. M. Lezhava recorded his response directly on Lenin’s memorandum, affixing a series of figures beneath Lenin’s corresponding questions. To Lenin’s first question, Lezhava replied: “Up to 40%.” The phrase, framed by Lenin, indicates that O. Yu. Schmidt, a member of the Collegium of the People’s Commissariat for Food Supplies, confirmed Lezhava’s answer. To Lenin’s question, “Without cooperatives, the organs of the People’s Commissariat for Food Supplies,” Lezhava responded: “60%,” then filled in the remaining questions with the figures: “20, 60, 20.”

FOOD SUPPLY AND PROVISIONING

ON THE UNLOADING OF POTATOES.
January 27, 1920.
a.
DRAFT RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE’S COMMISSARS.
1) The potato campaign
2) The garrison
3) Labor duty?
4) Snow drifts.
b.
DRAFT RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE’S COMMISSARS 1.
1. Direct the People’s Commissariat for Food Supplies to, within a three-day period,
draft a resolution on the re‑launch of the potato campaign² and submit it to the Council of People’s Commissars.
2. Instruct Burdukov³
Rattel, Kamenev, Dzerzhinsky, Kursky⁴ to present data on the number of able‑bodied
men, their non‑working time, and their utilization for urgent tasks in the city, along with a draft resolution on their
employment.
3. Assign the All‑Union Extraordinary Commission for Combating Counter‑Revolution and Sabotage to appoint a responsible, party‑affiliated,
experienced investigator to examine the data concerning the widespread dissatisfaction with the implementation of labor duty in Moscow—among both workers and white‑collar employees.
Report to the Council of People’s Commissars through Dzerzhinsky or his deputy within a four‑day period.
4. Instruct the People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs to adopt more energetic measures to carry out the snow‑related duty and to submit a report on this matter to the Council of People’s Commissars within a three‑day period.
1 The draft plan and the draft resolution were written by Lenin during the meeting of the Council of People’s Commissars on January 27, 1920, while discussing A. A. Burdukov’s report on the unloading of potatoes at the Moscow Railway Junction and on clearing railway tracks of snow. The draft proposed by Lenin was approved by the Council of People’s Commissars (Minutes of the Council of People’s Commissars No. 348, January 27, 1920).
2 The resolution establishing the first potato campaign was adopted by the Council of People’s Commissars on November 15, 1919, during the discussion of a report by the representative of the People’s Commissariat for Food Supplies on potato procurement (Minutes of the Council of People’s Commissars No. 326, November 15, 1919).
3 A. A. Burdukov was the Commander of the Moscow Military District and the commander of the garrison in the city of Moscow.
4 D. I. Kursky was the People’s Commissar for Justice.