Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

676

To: G. Y. SOKOLNIKOV

Published: First published in 1959 in Lenin Miscellany XXXVI. Printed from the original.
Source: Lenin Collected Works, Progress Publishers, 1976, Moscow, Volume 45, page 514^a.
Translated: Yuri Sdobnikov
Transcription\Markup: R. Cymbala
Public Domain: Lenin Internet Archive You may freely copy, distribute, display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet Archive” as your source.

20.III.1922

Comrade Sokolnikov:

Please write to me,

1) whether you have received and read Comrade Belov’s note: “Plan for Financial Campaign until the New Harvest of 1922”, and your opinion.

2) How is supervision of the collection of cash taxes arranged?

Give the facts on one page. What about the 10–day reports? telegraphic or postal?

How many gubernias submit accurate reports?

Average percentage of arrears and from—to?

3) What is the arrangement for the State Bank’s supervision over our lousy state trusts, in which adroit swindlers dupe conscientious and totally canonised Communists, chairmen of boards, etc.?^[1]

With communist greetings,
Lenin

Notes

[1] On March 21, 1922, G. Y. Sokolnikov sent Lenin his reply; in his letter Lenin underlined several passages and made these remarks:

Dear Vladimir Ilyich:

“1. I have read Belov’s note. In my opinion there is nothing worth while in it, but much confusion. The purchases in the countryside should be started not before but after the new crop.

|| Belov needs to be read again.

“2. Our supervision over the collection of cash taxes is very badly organised. . . most taxes have just been announced—there was fumbling over the kerosene and the salt for over two months, now there’s the same fumbling over the sugar.... The main difficulty: the tax revenues are being intercepted by the “localities” to plug their holes. ||

|| That’s the whole point.

# # Now that’s dangerous! This must be expedited at all costs!

|| N.B.

“3. The State Bank is studying (in a well organised manner) the business of the trusts which apply to it for credit... two trusts have been examined. . . ; I have ordered the enlistment of leading accountants for this business to act as ‘balance controllers’.”

Their names should be found out and from their number the best “selected”, to have them in reserve.

“With comradely greetings,

“G. Sokolnikov”

At the top of Sokolnikov’s letter, Lenin wrote to his secretaries: “Show to Comrades Tsyurupa and Rykov and return to me. 28/III. Lenin.”