heads of Government Departments--or
People's Commissariats.

The People's Commissars can be recalled at any time by the Central
Executive Committee. The members of all Soviets can be recalled
very easily, and at any time, by their constituents.

These Soviets are not only Legislative bodies, but also Executive
organs. Unlike your Congress, they do not make the laws and leave
them to the President to carry out, but the members carry out the
laws themselves; and there is no Supreme Court to say whether or
not these laws are "constitutional."

Between the All-Russian Congresses of Soviets the Central Executive
Committee is the supreme power in Russia. It meets at least every
two months, and in the meanwhile, the Council of People's
Commissars directs the country, while the members of the Central
Executive Committee go to work in the various government
departments.

In Russia the workers are organized in Industrial Unions all the
workers in each industry belonging to one Union. For example, in a
factory making metal products, even the carpenters and painters are
members of the Metal Workers' Union. Each factory is a local
Union, and the Shop Committee elected by the workers is its
Executive Committee.

The All-Russian Central Executive Committee of the federated Unions
is elected by the annual Trade Union Convention. A Scale Committee
elected by the Convention fixes the wages of all categories of
workers.

With very few exceptions, all important factories in Russia have
been nationalized, and are now the property of all the workers in
common. The business of the Unions is therefore no longer to fight
the capitalists, but to run industry.

Hand in hand with the Unions works the Department of Labor of the
Soviet Government, whose chief is the People's Commissar of Labor,
elected by the Soviet Congress with the approval of the Unions.

In charge of the economic life of the country is the elected
Supreme Council of People's Economy, divided into departments, such
as, Metal Department, Chemical Department, etc., each one headed by
experts and workers, appointed, with the approval of the Union by
the Supreme Council of People's Economy.

In each factory production is carried on by a committee consisting
of three members: a repr