V. I.

Lenin

ON THE SUBJECT OF THE DRAFT DIRECTIVES
TO THE NARROW COUNCIL OF PEOPLE’S
COMMISSARS [1]

Comrade Tsyurupa, I think we arc still radically at odds. The main thing,
in my opinion, is to shift the centre of gravity from writing
decrees and orders (our stupidities in this respect verge on
idiocy) to selection of people and checking fulfilment .
This is the essential point.

Is the Narrow Council unsuitable for this? Let’s assume
that. Then you and Rykov must devote 9/10ths of your time to it (it is ridiculous to expect the Workers’ and
Peasants’ Inspection and the Executive Secretary to do more
than fulfil simple instructions). All of us are sunk in the
rotten bureaucratic swamp of “departments”. Great authority, common sense and strong will are necessary for the
everyday struggle against this. The departments are shit;
decrees are shit. To find men and check up on their work—
that is the whole point. If you+Rykov set about this for
9/10ths of your time, and make the Executive Secretary (and sometimes also members of the Narrow Council of
People’s Commissars) your assistants, then perhaps we can
get by.

Send me once again your draft about the Narrow Council of People’s Commissars.

Lenin

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Notes:
[1]
Written in reply to A. D. Tsyurupa’s objections to Lenin’s
proposal on a draft directive to the Narrow Council (see present
edition, Vol. 35, p. 540).