Soviet deputies are true representatives of their people,

 A. I. Tikhonov

SOVIET deputies are true representatives of their people, expressing their will and promoting their interests. They art. the best people in the land of Socialism-innovators in all branches of national economy, representatives of science, foremost workers and collective farmers, the best representatives of Party, Soviet and business organisations. Among Soviet deputies are repre­sentatives of all nationalities and peoples of the country. 

"The further development of the Soviet organisation and State", Lenin said, " amounts to this: that every member of a Soviet should be bound to work constantly at the management of the State, in addition to taking part in the meetings of the Soviet-and then that the whole population, without exception, should be gradually drawn both into participation in Soviet orga­nisation (on condition that this is done under the supervision of the working people's organisations) and into performing public service in the manage­ment of the State." 

The Soviets of Working People's Deputies, developing and perfecting their work, paid particular attention to measures for drawing the mass of the people into the management of the State. 

As Stalin pointed out (at electors' meetings in the Stalin constituency of Moscow, 1950), in the USSR" the functions of the electors are not limited to elections but continue throughout the term for which the Supreme Soviet has been elected". He further pointed out that the duty and privilege of electors was constantly to keep their deputies under control, and to impress on them that they must not in any circumstances sink to the level of political philistines. 

For this purpose, among many other forms of connection between deputies and their electors, the systematic reporting-back of deputies to their electors, and the right of the latter to recall their deputies, are of tremendous importance. 

SYSTEMATIC reporting by deputies to their electors represents the basic form of connection between deputy and elector; and it is one of the most important planks of Soviet democracy, reflected in the Stalin Constitution and profoundly differentiating it from the constitutions of bourgeois democratic countries, where deputies are left to decide themselves whether they will report or not. 

In our country the obligation of deputies to report to their electors was laid down in the first days after the October Revolution, and has been widely practiced at every stage of Soviet development. 

In keeping with the Fundamental Law of our State, many territory and regional Soviets and Presidiums of the Supreme Soviets in Autonomous Republics have in recent years pointed out to deputies the necessity of reporting to the electors. Some have only spoken of periodic reports, while others have laid down that they should be made after each session of the Soviet. 

Thus, Kuibyshev Regional Soviet at its fifth session on March 22, 1949, recommended "all deputies who have not yet held meetings in their con­stituencies to make reports, to the electors before the end of March, on the work of the Regional Soviet and on their activity as deputies during 1948 ". Pskov Regional Soviet, at its sixth session on July 14, 1949, resolved that" in order fully to acquaint the electors with the results of our work during the last eighteen months, and the degree to which their instructions and pro­posals have been fulfilled, all deputies of the Regional Soviet shall have meetings organised during the election campaign to report to the electors on their work and on the work of the Soviet". 

Most deputies reported last year more frequently than previously, but some reported for a period covering from one to two years, while others reported two or three times in the course of the year. 

As a general rule, such reports are made at meetings of the electors in one constituency. It cannot be considered right that, as happens in some regions, deputies should report to the electors of several municipal constituencies at joint meetings, or at general meetings of workers and employees in offices and factories-since those present at such meetings may be living in different electoral constituencies. For example, in the town of Slavsk (Kalingrad Region) the population of six or seven constituencies is usually invited to attend the same reporting-back meeting, at which one of the deputies gives a report on the work of the Town Soviet as a whole, while the other five or six deputies report only on their own personal activity as deputies. Deputy Lozhkina, of Kirov Regional Soviet (from Kirov City constituency No. 8) reported in December 1949, at a general meeting of workers and employees of the sheepskin factory, although the majority of the workers and employees at this factory live in other constituencies. Urlasheva, a deputy in Cliita Town Soviet, reported in November 1949 to the medical staff of the Railway District Health Centre (Polyclinic), while deputies Zhernosekov and Russin reported to employees of the Regional Agricultural Department. 

In some territories, regions and Autonomous Republics, insufficient attention is given to this question of deputies' reports. In Krasnoyarsk Territory the executives of a number of district Soviets do not give the necessary assistance to deputies in their constituency work. For this reason, only a few deputies in Bolshe-Murchinsky District have reported to their electors. In most of the districts and towns of Tarnbov Region the majority of the deputies did not report to their electors. In Stalingrad Region, only · four deputies out of twenty-three in Kletsk District Soviet made reports to their electors in two years, and thirteen deputies out of seventy in the rural Soviets of Railway District. 

This is not only a question of some deputies not realising their obli­gation to maintain constant contact with those who elected them, but also of the Executive Committees of the local Soviets not getting together 

material for the reports and organising the meetings. This would sugifest the necessity of special instructions from the Presidiums of Supreme Soviets in Union and Autonomous Republics as to the procedure and periods of such reporting. 

It would appear desirable tliat deputies in territory, regional and major city Soviets should report not less than once a year, deputies of area and district Soviets not less than twice a year, and deputies of town, rural and settlement Soviets not less than once a quarter. In addition the deputies should report through the local press and radio. Such reports should be both on the work of the Soviet as a whole and on their own activity. 

THE instructions and proposals of electors are of great importance in strengthening the connection between deputies and their electors. The system of instructions, widely applied at every stage of Soviet development, has produced documents of great political significance, determining the direction and nature of the work of the deputies and providing a yardstick by which the electors can mea,sure it. 

During the elections to the local Soviets in 194 7-8 the ele<;:tors adopted a great number of such instructions and proposals for the improvement of the work of the Soviet authorities. They contained quite concrete instruc­tions to the local Soviets, as the machinery of State directly serving the needs of the population. Thus, for example, the electors in Altai Territory adopted about 12,000 proposals, in Moscow Region over 10,000, Leningrad 4,000, and so on. During the last two years reports by the deputies of local Soviets in Moscow Region to their electors have produced 246 supplementary instructions, in Kuibyshev Region 310, in Rostov Region 450. 

In character these instructions by the electors cover every sphere of activity of the local Soviet, although for the most part they deal with the municipal services and cultural needs of the people. In the sphere of industry the electors proposed steps calculated to produce fulfilment of the post-war Five-Year Plan in four years, the broader development of local industry, an increase in the output of mass consumer goods and the improve­ment of their quality. In agriculture the proposals dealt with precise obser­vance of the collective farm statutes, measures for further improving yields and animal husbandry, and the electrification of collective farms. In munici­pal economy, the electors made many proposals for improving public baths and town transport, extending the network of piped water supply and electric lighting, repair of roads, tree planting along streets, and the restora­tion of houses wrecked during the war or the building of new houses. Much attention was also paid in the instructions to questions of trade, particularly of developing trade in the countryside. A large number of proposals bore on the extension and improvement of cultural and social services. Others indicated the need for greater precision and effectiveness in the work of the local Soviets themselves, their executive committees and departments. 

The executive committees of local Soviets frequently examine at their sessions the instructions adopted by the electors and consider ways and means of fulfilling them. As a result, a considerable number have already been fulfilled, while others have been included in the plans of work of the Soviets, their executives and their departments. 

The instructions adopted in the post-war period differ from those of earlier years by including pledges given by the electors to fulfil national economic plans, raise harvest yields, improve town amenities, and so on. Thus the electors of the thirty-second constituency at Omsk, on a report by deputy Mostova, pointed out to the District Soviet that it was essential to take steps to improve certain amenities and municipal services, but at the same time undertook in the course of 1948 to build pavements, dig gutters and repair certain roads within the constituency. The electors of constituency 198 in the town of Armavir (Krasnodar Territory) instructed their deputy Telepina to secure an improvement of the water supply to the population. When Telepina, during her report to the electors at the beginning of 1949, suggested that they might take part in building the new water-pipe system, they accepted the proposal, and the new system was completed within a very short time. The electors of Mikhailovskoye Rural Soviet (Shipunov District, Altai Territory) made proposals at a report-back meeting for the building of collective-farm dubs and for the electrification of the village. The Rural Soviet supported this valuable suggestion. _In the summer of 1949, with the active participation of the whole population, three dubs were built in the collective farms of this locality, and a power station serving the whole village. 

v. 1. LENIN taught us that members of Soviets "must work themselves, them­selves put their own law's into effect, themselves check what is the result in practice, themselves answer directly to their electors". On this basis deputies are obliged actively to take part in the work of their Soviet and its commissions, work constantly among the electors and show good results in production.

The most important duty of the deputies is to take part in the sessions of the Soviet and to work in its permanent commissions. 

At the sessions the deputies exercise their right of decision within the competence of the Soviet, and examine and direct the work of their execu­tives and administrative organs. The local Soviets at their sessions decide questions of the economic and cultural development of the region, town, district and rural district, adopt their budgets, elect executive committees and hear their reports, consider measures to promote the defensive capacity of the country and the preservation of public order, the observance of the laws, and the protection of the rights of citizens. The direct duty of executive committeees is not only to call sessions at the times provided, but also to make possible the active participation of the deputies-since decisions of the Soviet, to be lawful, must have been adopted by a majority of its members. 

Non-attendance at. sessions prevents deputies successfully maintaining their contact with their electors, whose interests are involved in the pro­ceedings of the Soviet. Yet sessions of individual local Soviets continue to take place occasionally in the absence of the quorum of two-thirds of all elected deputies which practice has laid down. The executive committees calculate a quorum on a different basis in different places. Some apply the out-of-date regulations for local Soviets, which stated that sessions were valid if more than half of all elected members were present; while others, guided by established practice in the work of local Soviets, consider them valid only if two-thirds are present. 

In the regulations for the work of local Soviets which are at present being worked out it ought to be laid down that a quorum is not less than two-thirds of all deputies. 

The distinctive feature in the work of the local Soviets last elected has been the broad development of criticism and self-criticism. This has made it possible to improve the work of the Soviets and their executive commit­tees, with the deputies exercising their supervisory functions more effectively. 

At the first session of Ulyanov Regional Soviet, in January 1948, when the nomination of deputy Danilevich for the post of head of the regional department of local industry was under discussion, deputy Kuznetsov sharply criticised the work of this department and of local industry as a whole. "Our local industrial enterprises", he said "did not cope with their obligations in 1947 and did not fulfil their year's plan. This is a big defect in the work of our local industry. For several years in succession, it has not been fulfilling its plans. Comrade Danilevich must make certain that the plan is fulfilled in 1948; and for this it is essential to alter methods of work and management in this important branch of economy." 

At the eleventh session of Stalingrad City Soviet in November 1949, deputy Gorbushin stated: " We are fulfilling the instructions of our electors with comparative success; but we have serious problems which we have for several years seemed unable to solve. Take the water supply, for example. Here is the Volga alongside, yet in my district the people experience a great shortage of water. How often has this question been decided' at the executive committee of the City Soviet, how many papers have been written about it-yet we still don't get the water in our settlement I There are big power-cuts still tolerated in the district. We haven't a single good well­equipped stadium in the city, yet in the electors' instruction there was a point about building stadiums. Then why isn't the instruction carried out? The people would take an active part in building a stadium, yet we don't tackle the question, we are prevented by various 'objective reasons '." 

Criticism of the work of executive committees and their departments is also effected by deputies by means of written questions put down at sessions. This practice is followed in a number of regions. 

Deputy Mazhayev, of Podbelsky District Soviet, Kuibyshev Region, put down a question to the district Executive Committee at the fifth session of the district Soviet, in October 1948, asking why instructions adopted at the third session, on June 30, that the agricultural department should apply the State plan of animal husbandry in the collective farms contracting for and purchasing cattle, had not been carried out. Comrade Vidmanov, head of the agricultural department, had not ensured the carrying out of this decision, and had thereby brought about the danger that the animal husbandry development plan in the local collective farms would not be fulfilled. Furthermore, deputy Mazhayev pointed out to the district Executive Committee the unsatisfactory fulfilment of the plan for fodder supplies in the collective farms-another decision of the district Soviet which the agricultural department had not been able to get carried out. In conclusion, he moved that the Executive Committee be requested to discuss these questions and to fake appropriate steps to strengthen the management of this department. 

In a number of other districts of Kuibyshev Region deputies put down questions at sessions of the district Soviets on measures to raise yields, on building and town planning, on electrification, cultural and educational work, improvement of medical aid, local trade, and so on. 

At sessions of the regional and district Soviets of Vologda Region, during 1949, deputies put down questions on problems of sanitation and living conditions of workers in the State cattle farms, on the reasons for the unsatisfactory work of the schools, and so on. 

Local Soviet practice has shown that in order to increase the activity of deputies at these sessions, and to reinforce their control over the work of the executive committees and departments, there should be legislation to estab­lish the right of putting down questions at such sessions and the obligation to give replies to these questions verbally or in writing. 

The drawing-in of the working people to the work of the Soviets depends to a great extent on the work of their permanent commissions. Participation by the deputies in the permanent commissions is one of their most important fields of work: moreover, these commissions are a means by which the Soviets draw their efectors into active management of the State. 

The local Soviets, between January and March 1948, set up about 500,000 permanent commissions, most of them on the essential branches of their work-budget and finance, local industry, agriculture, trade, edu­cation, health, social welfare, municipal economy, town planning, and so on. During their existence, the permanent commissions of the Soviets have shown that where proper attention is paid to the work of these mass bodies they became indispensable auxiliaries of the Soviets for drawing the masses into economic and cultural constructive work and into supervision of the work of the local authorities and economic organisa tions. Every possibility exists for the successful working of these commissions . During recent election campaigns the number of Soviet citizens active in public work has increased still further; and during the las t three years the organisation departments set up by the executive committees of territory, regional and city Soviets have liad much success in organising the masses for work with the Soviets. 

The permanent commissions of many local Soviets do invaluable work supervising factories, collective farms, schools , hospitals and clubs, and making their valuable suggestions for improvemen ts to the Soviets and their executive commi ttees . At most sessions of local Soviets the appropriate permanent commissions put forward a co-reporter on all questions of an economic or cultural nature. 

The permanent health commission of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Soviet has done a great deal to improve the work of health institutions in the Territory. It has investigated the fulfilment of the order of the USSR Ministry of Health for the unification of the hospitals and health centres in the Territory; it has checked the work of the State Sanitary Inspectors, investigated the position of medical aid to children, the preparedness of health institu tions for work in winter conditions , and so on. The commission brought before the executive committee of the Terri tory Soviet such vital questions as the organisation of first-aid for children and measures for the further reduction of children's ailments. 

The permanent commission for trade and public feeding of Rostov City Soviet regularly inspects the trading institutions and makes proposals for the improvement of their work. On the basis of proposals by the perma­nent commission for local industry and transport, the Executive Committee of the same Soviet took steps to improve the quality of output and to intro­duce new varieties of goods. 

The permanent commission on questions of agriculture and raw materials supplies of Kirgiz Rural Soviet, lrbit District, Sverdlov Region, actively takes part in the preliminary working up of such matters for discus­sion at sessions of the Rural. Soviet and at meetings of its executive commit­tee. It promotes better organisation of labour, helps the collective farms to make better use of their technical resources and stock, draws the attention of the executive committee to defects in the work of the purchasing orga­nisations and helps in the fight against waste of agricultural produce in the collective farms. 

But while the majority of permanent commissions in the Soviets work well, some are unsatisfactory and some quite inactive. 

The commissions must everywhere be the immediate auxiliaries of the Soviets themselves, not subsidiary bodies of the executive committees. It is therefore quite wrong that, as happens in some towns and districts of Kaluga region, the permanent commissions should report on their work to the executive committees . They should check in advance all main questions discussed at sessions of the local Soviet and give their own ,co-reports on the actual state of affairs in the sphere concerned. 

From the regulations for permanent commissions laid down by the Presidiums of the Supreme Soviets in the Georgian, Azerbaijanian, Kirgiz and some other Umon and Autonomous Republics, and also from the instructions of executive committees in a number of territory and regional Soviets, it can be seen that they have the following tasks devolving on them : 

{i) giving practical help to the Soviets in carrying out their own decisions and those of higher-standing Soviets; 

(ii) checking within their;. own sphere the work of factories, insti­tutions and organisations, whether by direction of the Soviet or on their own initiative. 

(iii) ascertaining from the people their needs and requirements, working out measures to meet them and making appropriate proposals to the Soviet and its executive committee; 

(iv) considering at their meetings statements by representatives of executive committees, managers of departments, directors of factories, heads of schools, chairmen of collective farms, and so on, on subjects with which they are concerned. 

There is a wealth of experience accumulated during the ten years' existence of the permanent commissions of local Soviets, on the basis of which it is quite reasible to draw up regulations for their working-regu­lations whidi are badly wanted. In the Russian Federation, for example, the absence of such regulations has in some territories and regions led the executive committees themselves to work out "handbooks " for the perma­nent commissions. 

CONNECTION between deputies and electors is also effected, during their daily work in the Soviets and their place of employment, through interviews between electors and their deputies, and by correspondence. Deputy Samsonov, of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation, during his two years as deputy received over 1,000 electors. During their first year of work, the deputies of Irkutsk City Soviet received about 3,000 electors in a properly equipped "Deputy's Room" at the City Soviet. Deputy Kostoussova, of Berezov Town Soviet, Sverdlov Region, during seventeen years as a deputy has received about 20,000 electors. 

It is essential that all deputies should regularly receive their electors, making a widely advertised announcement beforehand of the time and place. The executive committees of Soviets must give every help to the deputies in this respect, making it possible for the deputies to improve their theoretical grounding, supplying them with reference material and acting as a matter of urgency on statements by electors transmitted by the deputies. Of great importance in organising this work is the existence of a 

"Deputy's Room ". So far, such rooms exist only at the town Soviets and at the borough Soviets in large cities; but it is desirable that they should exist 

in all territory, regional, district and town Soviets. They should be well equipped and supplied with reference literature and the latest newspapers. Information should be available in these rooms on all the main branches of the deputies' work. 

The executive committees of Soviets should pay particular attention to deputies' correspondence with their electors, seeing to it that those in charge of institutions and organisations to whom the letters are forwarded for action should give proper attention to them and meet the legitimate demands of the electors. 

STREET COMMITTEES are invaluable aids to the deputies of town and settle­ment Soviets in organising the masses for direct action to improve and maintain housing and municipal enterprise, town planning, culture and education, and so on. Since 1934 they have been set up in nearly all towns and workers' settlements. Fifteen hundred have been formed in the Moscow Region, 2,350 in Sverdlov Region; and they have been extensively set up in Novosibirsk, Kuibyshev, Altai and other Regions and Territories. In seventy-five towns and workers' settlements of Moscow Region, during 1948, the street committees organised 1,127 Sunday volunteer efforts. As a result, the people repaired 38,000 square metres of roads , built or restored 568 bridges, and planted over 300,000 trees and bushes. In Nizhni Tagil (Sverdlov Region) on the initiative of the street committees the population in 1948 gave 143,500 man-hours of voluntary labour, planting 20,000 trees and bushes, cleaning out or digging 11,000 metres of ditches, building and repairing 110 bridges, and so on. 

All depends on the proper organisation of the work of the street com­mittees and on the cons tant guidance of their work by deputies of the local Soviets living in the street, and by the executive committee of the local Soviet. 

Considerable importance is also to be attributed to village meetings, which make it possible for rural Soviets to draw the widest mass of the people in to their economic and cultural work. Discussions at such meetings lead to the people themselves helping to build schools, hospitals and clubs. 

In a number of territories and regions these meetings play a great part. In Archangel Region in 1949 there were over 3,000 village meetings, and in one district alone about 10,000 citizens took part in them. Village meetings are widely practised in Stavropol Territory, and in Moscow, Kuibyshev and other Regions. Deputies of the rural Soviets take an active part in calling these rural meetings and conducting their deliberations.

Slightly abridged from Sovietskaye Gosudarstvo i Pravo (No. 11, 1950).