THE CAUSES OF FAMINE IN RUSSIA 41
coincidence—or was it perhaps intentional?—a decree con-
cerning the railways;, signed by Stalin in person as Secretary
of the Central Committee, and by Molotov as President of
the Council of People's Commissaries, appeared on March 10,
1934, the same day on which the above-mentioned decree
about the production of defective material was published.
Although the decree refers only to conditions on the Donetz
railways, it is obviously an exposure of the whole traffic system
of the Soviet Union.
It is stated in the decree that "all this refers both to the
Permanent Way Commissariat and its instances and also to the
management of most of the railways in the Soviet Union." It
points out that the managers and their district subordinates
have no idea of "the actual condition of stations, the per-
manent way and the depots." It is further stated that the Donetz
railways fulfilled no more than a small part of the transport
plan. Finally, the public prosecutor of the Union is instructed
"to prosecute all railway and party officials who abuse their
position to ruin the transport plan, who accept or give bribes,
and who contribute to the dissipation of State property."
Significantly, the decree ends with the words: "Station-masters
are made personally responsible for the fulfilment of the
transport plans." Here again is the cry for personal responsi-
bility as the only means of combating the gigantic funkzionalka
of the irresponsible Soviet bureaucracy.
On March 23, 1934, a decree was issued by the Council of
People's Commissaries and the Central Committee of the
Communist Party, signed by Stalin and Molotov (see Provd^
March 24th) which throws much light on the critical position
of the railways and on the war which Moscow now has to
wage against the funkzionalka of railway officials who are also
members of the Communist Party. In this decree Stalin puts
all personal considerations aside and pillories his own party
comrades. He declares that an improvement in the position
of the railwaymen is impossible without "an end being put