V. I. Lenin

Source: ru:PSS/v54; en:CW/CW45;es:MT
Translated: machine translation (DeepSeek) from the Russian; AI-translated.

AND INSTRUCTION TO N. P. GORBUNOV

Comrade Kursky:

I enclose Koblents’ reply to me.* After reading it, please return it to N. P. Gorbunov.

1) I strongly suspect that Koblents is no good and that this whole department is no good.

Koblents has obviously “forgotten” that an enterprise leased from the Soviet authorities is also a Soviet enterprise;

2) — — he has confused the question of subsequent or preliminary inspection with the question of whether it is subject to inspection at all or not;

3) he has apparently “forgotten” that the rights of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Inspection are not narrower than the former rights of the State Control (Collection of Laws, 1920, No. 16); he has forgotten much else besides.

* See present volume, Appendices, Document 16. Ed.

Conclusion: Koblents’ opinion must be verified, and if careful study shows that Koblents has lied, he must be replaced by a more competent lawyer.

Let me know whom you will appoint to be responsible for such verification.
— — — If our laws are “contradictory” (which is beyond doubt), then what is the People’s Commissariat of Justice and the Department of Legislative Proposals for?

What is being done for codification? — for eliminating contradictions?

In particular, it is now necessary urgently to work out a clear and precise law extending the right of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Inspection to inspect and obtain information to all and every (both private, and cooperative, and concession, etc.) institution and enterprise.

Let me know to whom you entrust this.

With Communist greetings, Lenin

Comrade N. P. Gorbunov! Please read this and make a note to yourself to follow up its execution.

Have it copied and sent to Comrade Kursky. 281