The present note is a reply to the objections of A. D.
Tsiurupa regarding Lenin's proposal to the draft directive
to the Small Council of People's Commissars (see previous document). In reply to this
proposal, Comrade Tsiurupa wrote on February 24, 1922:
"Vladimir Ilyich! It seems to me that your amendment (addition)
to the draft directive on the Small Council of People's Commissars will negate the entire
scheme. If you entrust it with strict supervision of the observance
of laws by the People's Commissariats and verification of the legality, expediency,
and speed of actions of the People's Commissariats, it will impede everyone, turn everything
upside down, and directly contribute to the stoppage of all work. Think about how many requests it will send out, how many
answers, reports, and accounts, etc., it will demand!
This opens up an immeasurable "field of activity" for it. I think
it will put the entire Soviet machine (which is already working poorly)
into neutral. Supervision and verification must be carried
out, but not through the Small Council of People's Commissars. Who will do this—the Workers' and Peasants' Inspection
and the Administration of Affairs of the Council of People's Commissars—but not the Small Council of People's Commissars.
With Communist greetings, A. Tsiurupa."
30.
8304/1654
* NOTE TO A. D. TSIURUPA REGARDING THE
DRAFT DIRECTIVE TO THE SMALL COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS.
[February 21, 1922.]
Comrade Tsiurupa! It seems we still have a fundamental disagreement.
The main thing, in my opinion, is to shift the center of gravity from writing decrees
and orders (we are being idiotic here to the point of imbecility) to the selection of people
and verification of execution.
That is the crux of the matter.
Is the Small Council of People's Commissars unfit for this?
Let us assume so.
Then you and Rykov must devote 9/10 of your time to this (it is ridiculous to expect more from the Workers' and Peasants' Inspection and the Administration of Affairs than the execution of simple
tasks). We have all drowned in the lousy bureaucratic swamp of "departments."
Great authority, intelligence, and a firm hand are needed for
the daily struggle against this. Departments are shit; decrees are shit.
Looking for people, verifying work—that's what it's all about. If you
and Rykov take this on for 9/10 of your time, and make the Administration of Affairs (and sometimes members of the Small Council of People's Commissars) your assistants, then perhaps it will still be alright.
Send me the draft on the Small Council of People's Commissars again.
Lenin.