There is today in Moscow and throughout all the cities and towns of the Russian land a highly complex political structure, which is upheld by the vast majority of the people and which is funetioning as well as any newborn popular government The Soviet state is based upon the Soviets -or Councils-of Workers and Peasants' Soviets .... [which are] based directly upon the workers in the factories and the peasants in the fields...
The Petrograd Soviet of Workers" and Soldiers' Deputies, which was in operation when I was in Russia, may serve as an example...
It consisted of about 1200 deputies, and in normal circumstances held a plenary session every two weeks. In the meantime, it elected a Central Executive Committee of 10 members, based upon party proportionality._ Elections of delegates are based on proportional representation, which means that the political parties are represented in exact proportion to the number of voters in the whole city. And it is political which are voted for not candidates.. Also, the delegates are not elected for any particular term, but are subject to rocall No political body more sensitive and responsive to the popular will was ever invented. And this was necessary, for in time of revolution, the popular will changes with great rapidity. For example, during the first woek of December, 1917, there were parades and demonstrations in favour of the Constituent Assembly - that is to say, against the Soviet power. One of these parades was fired on by some irresponsible Red Caards, and several people killed.
The reaction to this stupid violence was immeWithin twelve bours the complexion of the Petrograd Soviet changed, More than a dozen Bolshevik deputies were withdrawn, and replaced by Mensheviks. And it was three weeks before public sentiment subsided — before the Mensheriki were one by one retired and the Bolsheviki sent At least twice a year delegates are elected from all over Russia to the All-Russian Congress of Soviets.
This body, consisting of about two thousand delegates, meeta in the capital in the form of a great soviet, and settles upon the essentials of national policy. It elects a Central Execulive Committee... which invites delegates from the central committees of all democratic organisacions...
It consists of about three hundred and fifty persons, Between All-Hussian Congresses, It is in supreme authority, but it must not act outaide the lines laid down by the last Congress, and is strictly responsible in all its acts to the next Congress.
democracy...
organisations. damaged as much as possible..
conceal orders: the owners tried to strip the works plant without permission.
the worker to self the product.
could take their places in the machinery of workers" control. by the workers.
Also the workers of Russia nave fashioned from their necessities and the demands of life an economi: organisation which is evolving into a true industrial Along about the first part of June began the more or less conscious campaign of the entire bourgeoisie to halt the revolation, and break down the democratic The army was disorganised, supplies and munitions and food diverted from it, and actual positions be trayed to the Germans — like Riga; in the country the peasants were persuaded to hoard their grain, and provoked to disorders, which gave them an exeuse to the Cossacks to 'restore peuce'; and in industry, more important than all, the machinery and operation of the factories themselses were sabo taged, transportation was still further wreeked, and the coal mines, metal mines and sources of raw materials This the workers were forced to resist, The Factory Shop Committee sprang up and took charge.
The owners attempted to falsify the books tr Factory Shop Committee was foreed to find out ways to control the books The so the committee had to rule that nothing should go in or out of the When the factory was going to close down for Inck of fuel, raw material, or orders, tbe Factory Shop Committee had to send men half across Russia to the mines, or down into the Caucasus for oil, to Crime for cotton; and agents had to be sent out by So it was that all over Russia the workers were getting the necessary education in the fundamentals of industrial production, and even distribution, so that when the November Revolution came they It was in June, 1917, that the first meeting of delegates from the shop committees was held... In the political world the Bolsheviks were relterating that no socialisi had any right to participate in a coaition government with the bourgeoisie.
The meeling of shop committee delegates put itself on record as taking the same astitude towand industry. In other words, the employing class and the workers have no interests in common; no class-conscious worker can be a member of an arbitration or conciliation board except to acquaint the employers with the demands of the workers. Industrial production must be absolutely controlled Red Weekly 7 November 1974 Page 7