V. I.

Lenin

768

LETTER TO G. L. PYATAKOV ON LESLIE URQUHART’S CONCESSION

Comrade Pyatakov:

Yesterday you spoke out, like myself, against the
Urquhart concession. That is why I think you are able and
will agree to check once again the matter of this concession
(especially since our decision of yesterday in essence puts
off the question once again).

It is my opinion that the check-up should deal mainly with the question of monopoly; that is the central point
of the matter. Then there is the question of the financial
benefits from the concession.

1) A map of the concession should be obtained at the
Mining Council—I. K. Mikhailov (chairman of the commission which went to the place) says that he gave them the
map.

2) There is need to compile a table: a list of the main,
products; percentage of their production at our other plants
(copper, zinc, and other products); where else they are
produced, whether very far from the centre or nearer, etc.

3) Conclusion: in what branch, for what product
Urquhart is to get a monopoly, its significance.

4) The chief of all the questions—Ekibastuz and its
importance for the Urals.

I was very surprised at Bogdanov’s slip: “Kuzbas is nearer” (it is much farther), while Comrade
Krzhizhanovsky said that I was adhering to Mendeleyev’s obsolete and
rejected views. What is there to argue about when
Ekibastuz has a branch-line running to the Irtysh, and provides
much shorter and cheaper water transport to the Urals?
What is the essence here?

If Kuzbas is much more expensive and distant (no water transport), we have no right to let Urquhart have the
whole of Ekibastuz; he is welcome to take one-half.

Please show this letter only to Krzhizhanovsky; do not assign this check-up to anyone else; do it yourself (of
course, any official will let you have all the statistical
figures about the volume and place of extraction of zinc,
copper, etc., without knowing what they are for); write me
whether you undertake to do this, and how soon you expect
to finish it.

With communist greetings, Lenin

6.X.1922.

---
Notes: