Letter to V.M. Molotov, September 22, 1930

Source: Tom 17

22/IX-30.

Vyacheslav!

1) It seems to me that the question of the Soviet leadership must be resolved definitively by autumn. This will at the same time resolve the question of leadership in general, since the party and Soviet spheres are intertwined and inseparable from each other. My opinion on this matter:
a) Rykov and Schmidt must be removed, and their entire bureaucratic apparatus of consultants and secretaries must be dispersed;
b) You will have to replace Rykov in the post of chairman of the Council of People's Commissars and chairman of the Council of Labor and Defense. This is necessary. Otherwise there will be a split between Soviet and party leadership. With such an arrangement, we will have complete unity of the Soviet and party leadership, which will undoubtedly double our strength;
c) The Council of Labor and Defense must be transformed from a talking shop into a combative and effective organ of economic leadership, and the number of its members should be reduced to approximately 10-11 (chairman, two deputies, chairman of Gosplan, People's Commissar of Finance, People's Commissar of Labor, Supreme Council of the National Economy, People's Commissariat of Transport, People's Commissar of War, People's Commissar of Trade, People's Commissar of Agriculture);
d) Under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, a permanent commission ("Commission of Execution") should be established for the exclusive purpose of systematic verification of the execution of decisions from the center, with the right to swiftly and directly hold accountable both party and non-party officials for bureaucratism, non-execution or circumvention of decisions from the center, mismanagement, waste, and the like. This commission should have the right to directly use the services of the Workers' and Peasants' Inspection (above all), the GPU, the procuracy, and the press. Without such an authoritative and swiftly-acting commission, we will not break through the wall of bureaucratism and sloppiness in our apparatuses. Without such or similar reform, directives from the center will continue in many cases to remain on paper. Sergo should be placed at the head of this commission (as deputy chairman of the Council of People's Commissars and People's Commissar of the Workers' and Peasants' Inspection).

Thus, under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR there would be a total of three main commissions: Gosplan, the Council of Labor and Defense, and the Commission of Execution.

e) The current Conference of Deputy Commissars should be abolished, leaving it to the chairman of the Council of People's Commissars to confer with his deputies (with the involvement of various officials) at his own discretion.

All this is between us for now. We will talk in detail in the autumn. Meanwhile, think over this matter in a close circle of trusted friends and communicate their objections.

2) Things are going badly with the Urals. Millions of tons of ore lie at the mines, but there is nothing to transport it with. There are no rails for building spur lines and intra-plant tracks -- that is the whole trouble. Why could we not halt new railroad construction for a year somewhere in Ukraine or another place, and having freed up rails for 200-300 versts, give them immediately to the Urals? I think this could be done. And it would free Ural metallurgy from its dependence (ruinous dependence!) on the horse, on oats, and other such devilry. Can you push on this?

Why has Kosior not left for Sverdlovsk?

3) Rozengolts came to see me. He asked me to help him transfer to the Supreme Council of the National Economy (instead of the People's Commissariat of Trade). I replied that I would fight for his remaining at the People's Commissariat of Trade. Then he began asking me to help him take along from the Workers' and Peasants' Inspection three or four colleagues (Sudyin, Belenky [an engineer], Izrailovich, and one more whose surname I cannot recall). I promised to support this and said I would communicate it to you.

4) Hold off on the matter of bringing the Kondratyev "case" to trial. This is not entirely safe. Wait until autumn to decide this question. In mid-October we will decide this question together; I have certain considerations against it.

Well, that is all for now. Warm regards.

Stalin.

Source: Letters of I.V. Stalin to V.M. Molotov. 1925-1936. Pp. 222-224.

RGASPI. F. 558. Op. 1. D. 5388.