Written: Written between May 17 and 22, 1921
Published:
Published in part in August 1921 in Izvestia C.C., R.C.P.(B.) No. 32.
First published in full in 1959 in Lenin Miscellany XXXVI.
Printed from the manuscript.
Source:
Lenin
Collected Works,
3nd English Printing,
Progress Publishers,
1977,
Moscow,
Volume 42,
pages 305-306a.
Translated: Bernard Isaacs
Transcription\Markup:
D. Walters
Public Domain:
Lenin Internet Archive
(2003).
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The Central Committee approves Comrade Chubar’s theses (adopted by the group’s bureau) and rejects Comrade Holtzmann’s theses in view of the fact that the former far more correctly take into consideration the actual state of our resources, capabilities and means, which entail the necessity of planning slower realisation of our immediate aims.
The latter theses, those of Comrade Holtzmann, on the other hand, verge on the fantastic in many ways, they are out of touch with reality, which is also one of the failings of Comrade Larin, who zealously supports these theses.
The only important similarity between the two theses, practically speaking, is the idea expressed in the note to Point 3 of Chubar’s theses[1] and in Point 6[2] of Holtzmann’s theses, both comrades confirming here, and not disputing, the decision passed by the C.C. on 10.V.1921 in connection with the motion of Comrade Larin and the A.C.C.T.U.[3]
The R.C.P. group of the Trade Union Congress, despite the recommendations of the Party’s C.C., approved Holtzmann’s theses by 5 6 7 votes, and rejected Chubar’s theses, which collected 3 1 7 votes.
Not wishing to revoke the decision of the group on an issue that does not immediately affect the Government’s policy-since this policy is predetermined by the decision of the C.C. of 10.V.1921, which, as pointed out above, is approved, and not disputed, by both Comrade Holtzmann and Comrade Chubar—the Central Committee in this particular case waives its right of interference in the proceedings and decision of the congress.
The C.C. confines itself to prescribing that this decision he announced at the group meeting and that the attention of the delegates be strongly drawn to the obligation they are taking upon themselves in adopting Holtzmann’s resolution, namely, to display not only extraordinary heroism, but a degree of persistence, firmness and pertinacity in the fight against all habits, customs and conditions of life among the working-class masses far in excess of what is customary even in revolutionary times. It is now incumbent on the trade unions, on the strength of the decision they have made, to achieve an unusually rapid reduction in the number of enterprises and workers by concentrating the latter in a minimum of the best and biggest enterprises.
[1] Here is the text of this note: “The whole above-mentioned system of distribution should be effected by way of experiment at several enterprises, where, in place of individual rationing issues’ a system of collective supply should be introduced for the personnel of the enterprises on condition that they raise labour productivity.” —Lenin
[2] Here is the text of this 6th Point: “Pending the formation of a wages food fund, the afore-mentioned system of distribution should be applied by way of experiment at several enterprises, where, in place of individual rationing issues a system of collective supply should be introduced for the workers of the enterprises’ on condition that they raise labour productivity.” —Lenin
[3] Here is the text of this decision.[5] “The motion of Comrade Larin and the A.C.C.T.U. in the part relating to tariff policy shall be rejected and its authors asked to go into the matter more thoroughly with an eye, especially, to the possibility of ensuring a minimum of real food supply to a minimum of workers. Upon revision, the motion is to be submitted to the C.P.C. or the purpose of introducing at several enterprises, by way of experiment and in place of individual rationing issues, a system of collective supply on condition that labour productivity is raised.” —Lenin
[4] The draft resolution for the C.C., R.C.P.(B.) on the question of the decisions of the R.C.P. group at the Fourth Congress of Trade Unions was written by Lenin in connection with the group’s adoption of A. Z. Holtzmann’s theses on the question of wage rates, which ran counter to the C.C.’s directives. This draft was adopted by the Politburecu on May 22, 1921. The congress group, on the motion of delegations from a number of industrial trade -unions (the metalworkers, textile workers and miners) as well as delegations from the leading proletarian centres (Moscow, Petrograd and lvanovo-Voznesensk), revised its decision and by a majority vote adopte’d as a basis the theses of V. Y. Chubar, which were approved by the C.C. The theses adopted by the group were approved by the Fourth Trade Union Congress on May 24.
[5] The draft decision for the CC, was written by Lenin (see Lenin Miscellany XXIII, p. 142).
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