his notes annoyed and stimulated so many other people that
they did perhaps precisely the work they were intended to
do. Pravada printed them with a note from the editor
inviting discussion. The Ekonomitcheskaya Jizn printed
letter after letter from workmen, officials and others,
attacking, approving and bringing new suggestions.
Larin, Semashko, Pyatakov, Bucharin all took a hand in the
discussion. Larin saw in the proposals the beginning of the
end of the revolution, being convinced that authority
would pass from the democracy of the workers into the
hands of the specialists. Rykov fell upon them with sturdy
blows on behalf of the Trades Unions. All, however, agreed
on the one point-that something of the sort was neccesary.
On December 27th a Commission for studying the question
of industrial conscription was formed under the presidency
of Trotsky. This Commission included the People's
Commissars, or Ministers, of Labor, Ways of
Communication, Supply, Agriculture, War, and the
Presidents of the Central Council of the Trades Unions and
of the Supreme Council of Public Economy. They compiled
a list of the principal questions before them, and invited
anybody interested to bring them suggestions and material
for discussion.


But the discussion was not limited to the newspapers or to
this Commission. The question was discussed in Soviets and
Conferences of every kind all over the country. Thus, on
January 1st an All-Russian Conference of local
"departments for the registration and distribution of labor,"