Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 26 - From Marx to Mao

DRAFT DECREE ON NATIONALISATION OF BANKS393Similarly, the railway unions, working in conjunctionwith the local Soviets, shall be responsible for most vigorouslycombating speculation in food and mercilessly suppressingall profiteering, not hesitating to adopt revolutionarymeasures.9. Workers’ organisations, unions of office employeesand local Soviets shall be obliged immediately to set aboutswitching enterprises which are closing down or are to bedemobilised, and also unemployed workers to useful workand the production of necessities, and to search for orders,raw materials and fuel. While under no circumstances postponingeither this work or the beginning of the exchange offarm produce for industrial goods pending receipt of specialinstructions from higher bodies, the local unions andSoviets shall be strictly guided by the orders and instructionsof the Supreme Economic Council.10. Members of the wealthy classes shall be obliged tokeep all their monetary possessions in the State Bank andits branches, or in the savings-banks, and shall be entitledto withdraw not more than 100-125 rubles a week (as shallbe established by the local Soviets) for living expenses;withdrawals for the needs of production and trade shall bemade only on presentation of written certificates of theorgans of workers’ control.To supervise the due observance of the present law, regulationswill be introduced providing for the exchange ofexisting currency notes for new currency notes. All theproperty of persons guilty of deceiving the state and thepeople shall be confiscated.11. All offenders against the present law, saboteurs andgovernment officials who go on strike, as well as profiteers,shall be liable to a similar penalty, and also to imprisonment,dispatch to the front, or hard labour. The local Soviets andbodies under their jurisdiction shall urgently decide uponthe most revolutionary measures to combat these realenemies of the people.12. The trade unions and other organisations of the workingpeople, in conjunction with the local Soviets, andwith the collaboration of the most reliable persons recommendedby Party and other organisations, shall form mobilegroups of inspectors to supervise the implementation of the