Letter to the Narrow Council of People's Commissars, August 19, 1921

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These notes were written by Lenin in connection with the regulations “On House Management”, adopted by the Narrow CPC on August 8, 1921, which made the house manager most responsible for the good repair of housing facilities. On August 12 and 22, 1921, the Narrow CPC examined the question of elaborating the additional measures proposed by Lenin to enhance responsibility for the maintenance of houses in good repair.

1

Our houses are terribly fouled up. The law is not worth a damn. There must be a tenfold more precise and fuller indication of the persons,responsible (not one, but many, one after another), and remorseless incarceration.

2

I do not agree without these additions:

1) apart from the manager, the responsibility shall also fall on his “deputy”.

There must be a deputy;

2) apart from them, the responsibility shall also fall on a control commission consisting of tenants. There must be such a commission. At least three persons, who should always be available, or their deputies.

3) All these persons shall be subject both to legal and to administrative responsibility.

11/VIII.

Lenin

3

That is not enough.

This must also be added:

1) responsibility of the tenants for failure to elect a manager and his “deputy”;

2) ditto, for failure to elect a control commission;

3) it shall be the duty of the manager and his deputy and the control commission to see that a responsible person (either the manager himself or his deputy or a member of the control commission) is on duty daily

apart from specially employed persons (yard-keeper, etc.) where such are employed;

4) responsibility of tenants in houses of less than 10 flats.

How is the tenants’ responsibility to be established? This must be considered, and a way found.

19/VIII.

Lenin