164. TELEGRAM TO V. N. KHARLOV

First published in 1931 in Lenin Miscellany XVIII. Printed from the original. · page 137

21. VIII. 1918

People’s Commissar Comrade Kharlov
Saratov

The amount of surpluses mentioned by you is clearly underestimated. Collect more accurate information. Exemplary villages and volosts, i.e., those with the best   organisation of the poor, should be singled out in order, first, to determine without concealment the amount of grain surpluses and, second, to award a big bonus to the volosts which have cleaned out and delivered all grain surpluses without exception. Pass this on to all food officials and telegraph reply. Push on grain shipments.

Lenin
Chairman, Council of People’s Commissars