Date: 1921
Source: ru:PSS/v53

Source: PSS, Volume 53

TELEGRAM ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FOOD TAX*

To All Provincial Food Commissions, Provincial Executive Committees,
and the All‑Ukrainian Central Executive Committee—except in regions afflicted by famine

The Republic’s gravely dire situation, exacerbated by the famine in the Volga region, compels us to take every possible measure to ensure the full collection of the food tax at 100%. This obligation was formally entrusted to the People’s Commissariat for Food Supplies by the resolution of the Fourth Session of the All‑Russian Central Executive Committee. All local Soviet institutions are hereby required to render the fullest and most unwavering support to the food supply authorities in this critical endeavor. The most crucial step toward the complete collection of the food tax is a resolute campaign against the concealment of arable land and the deliberate inflation of household headcounts—a task that necessitates the strict implementation of the Council of People’s Commissars’ decree dated October 19. Given the limited time remaining before the onset of winter and the first snowfall, I hereby order: 1) To declare the fight against the concealment of arable land a top priority for food supply agencies, with the mandatory cooperation of all Soviet institutions. 2) Within twenty-four hours, establish provincial commissions for combating the concealment of arable land, comprising the provincial food commissioner, the head of the provincial land department, and the labor commissariat, with the participation of the provincial statistical bureau; likewise, form mobile commissions composed of the same institutions, each bearing personal responsibility for identifying and locating arable land in accordance with the acreage figures approved by the central authorities. 3) No later than November 10, complete the work of determining arable land within the province, adjusting taxation to reflect actual holdings. 4) Launch an extensive public awareness campaign in the press, publishing statistical data by volost regarding the total area of land under cultivation and the population, as compared with the figures used for taxation—and calling upon all honest Soviet citizens to report instances of concealed land. 5) Present the arable land figures determined by the volost commissions to the volost executive committees, demanding that, in cases where the results of taxation diverge from the official assessments, the volost executive committee assume personal responsibility for investigating the concealed land, providing detailed explanations, and—should the findings prove unsatisfactory—allocating the assessed shortfall among the villages in proportion to their respective arable land areas. Once the resulting official record has been submitted for approval to the Food Supply Tribunal, proceed, upon its endorsement, to tax households in accordance with paragraphs 4 and 5 of the Decree. After November 10, bring all guilty officials—and indeed all landowners who have concealed arable land—to justice before the Food Supply Tribunals. 6) Strengthen the work of the volost verification commissions established pursuant to the People’s Commissariat for Food Supplies’ Order No. 1032 of September 9, assigning them clear targets for the volost-level totals of arable land and household heads, based on the county-level figures approved by the provincial commissions, while simultaneously increasing their numbers and providing them with the necessary support. 7) On the request of the food supply authorities, the county and provincial sub‑departments of land management, the provincial statistical bureau, and the county statistical bureaus shall furnish all required information and conduct expert evaluations of existing maps and documents pertaining to the acreage of land holdings in volosts and villages. By a resolution of the Council of People’s Commissars dated October 21, sixty percent of surveyors were placed at the disposal of the food supply authorities for a period of one month, assigned to carry out tasks delegated by the commissions. Make full use of these newly available resources, directing surveyors—in all cases of doubt—to promptly visit the sites and report to the volost commissions for the purpose of on‑site measurement. 8) Introduce a system of combat reporting for all commissions operating in the field, requiring them to report regularly on their progress in fulfilling the tasks assigned by the county commission. I hereby instruct the provincial food commissioner to submit reports to the presidium of the provincial executive committee every three days concerning the status of ongoing work. Every five days, provide updates on the progress of the work to the Food Commissariat and the Organizational Department. You will receive instructions on the implementation of the Decree in the coming days.

Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars, Lenin*

Written on October 24, 1921.

First published in 1933.

In the Lenin Collection, Volume XXIII.

Printed from a typewritten manuscript signed by

V. I. Lenin