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Reform of Government in Poland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 March 2019

Kazimierz Grzybowski
Kazimierz Grzybowski*
Affiliation:
European Law Division, Library of Congress
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Extract

At the moment when Gomulka returned to power Poland was facing bankruptcy. The productivity of labor had fallen to its lowest point since 1918 when the country regained its independence. Its social structure was in an advanced state of disintegration as all social organizations—professional, cultural and political—taken over by the Communists and blocked as channels of public opinion were deserted by the masses. Finally the public authority and government, in all its departments and on all levels, deprived of the power of decision, lost authority, initiative and the ability to act.

Type
Research Article
Information
American Slavic and East European Review , Volume 17 , Issue 4 , December 1958 , pp. 454 - 467
Copyright
Copyright © Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies 1958

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References

1 Mayzel Jerzy, “Rady Robotnicze w przedsiebiorstwach panstwowych,” Przeglad Ustawodawstwa Gospodarczego (1956), p. 455

2 Zycie Gospodarcze, Feb. 23, 1958, pp. 28-33, Glos Pracy, Feb. 14, 1958.

3 Statistical Yearbook 1957, p. 139.

4 Panstwo i Prawn (1957), p. 6 ff.

5 Masewicz Walery, Prawa Ludzi Pracy, Prawo i Zycie, Nov. 4, 1956. Sluzewski,Jerzy, Uchwala, Ustawa Konstytucja, Ibid., No. 17, 1951.

6 Breyer Stefan, Dobra wiesc dla wsi, Prawo Zycie, Nov. 18, 1956.

7 D. U. 51/238.

8 Law of Feb. 10, 1949, D. U. 7/43.

9 Rozmaryn, Stefan, “O zmianach w organizacjielnych wladz gospodarki narodowej,” Panstwo i Prawo, 1949, pp. 8-30, Rzepka Zbigniew, “Nowe ustawienie centralnego organu planowania,” Przeglad Ustawodawstwa Gospodarczego (1956), pp. 449-54. Cf. Wincenty Kawalec, Przedyskutujmy zamierzenia w stosunku do rad narodowych, Rada Narodowa, 1957, No. 36, pp. 1-4.

10 Sokolowski, Tadeusz, “Przywrocic zaklocone proporcje,” Prawo i Zycie, Nov. 11, 1957.

11 D. U. No. 54/244 and the Ordinance of the Council of Ministers, D. U. No. 58/270.

12 Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 611 Of Oct. 3, 1956, Monitor Polski, No. 91/1027, Cf. “Planowanie w reku Rad,” Rada Narodowa, Feb. 23, 1957.

13 “Upraszczamy nasz system podatkowy,” Rada Narodowa, Feb. 9, 1957.

14 D. U. No. 5/16. Cf. Rada Narodowa, Feb. 9, 1957.

15 Kiegiel, J. “Nowosadecki eksperyment,” Rada Narodowa, Feb. 1, 1958, and Kawalec, W., “Inicjatywa i eksperymenty w radach narodowych,” Ibid., Jan. 18, 1958.

16 Law of Nov. 19, 1956, D. U. 51/238.

17 Resolution No. 704 of the Council of Ministers of Nov. 10, 1956, Monitor Polski, No. 94/1047.

18 Bobrowski, Czeslaw,” Etapy przebudowy modelu gospodarczego,” Nowe Drogi, 1957, No. 12, pp. 92-106. The law of Nov. 19, 1956, endeavored to assure the predominance of the Proletariarn element in workers’ councils. It distinguished between managerial and administrative personnel in factories and the rank-and-file of factory crews. It recommended that the first category of employees should not exceed one-third of the workers’ councils, and that two-thirds should be workers on the bench. In practice these proporwalec, tions have not been kept, and Gomulka reported in October, 1957, that far more than a statutory one-third of the members of councils were factory administrators and technical personnel. Nowe Drogi, No. 12, 1957, p. 110.

19 slowo Powszechne, March 4, 1958.

20 Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 44, Jan. 31, 1957. Monitor Polski, No. 10/70; Fidelski, Roman, “O eksperymentach gospodarczych,” Nowe Drogi, 1957, No. 12, Kulesza, Edward, “O eksperymentach ekonomicznych,” Przeglad Ustawodawstwa Gospodarczego 1958, No. 1. Topinski, J., “Centralizm i demokracja ekonomiczna,” Polityka, June 26, 1957.

21 For instance, the projects and drafts of new laws concerning the administration of justice debated by the Codification Commission.

22 See for instance Gomulka's report to the Ninth Plenary Session of the Central Committee of the Party, Nowe Drogi, 1957, No. 6, p. 6.

23 Nowe Drogi, 1957, No. 6.

24 Fidelski, R. O Radach Robotniczych, Warsaw, 1956, pp. 15-17. Cf. Grzybowski, K. “Trade Unions in Communist Poland,” Problems of Communism, Vol. V., No. 5, pp. 15-16. Cf. Grzybowski, K. “Polish Workers’ Councils,” Journal of Central European Affairs, XVII 278-79.

25 Resolution No. 279 of the Council of Ministers of July 29, 1957, Monitor Polski No. 65/398. Wysokinski, Aktualne Zagadnienia rad robotniczych, Przeglad Zagadnien Socjalnych, Nov. 1957, p. 6. Loga-Sowinski, Po IX Plenum, Przeglad Zwiazkowy, June 1957, p. 3. Przeglad Zwiazkowy, Dec. 1957, pp. 16-17. Trybuna Ludu of Sept. 27, 1957 reported that the shop committee in a factory employing 1000 workers organized a recall campaign against a non-cooperative workers’ council. A meeting at which seventy workers appeared passed a resolution recalling the entire workers’ council, which was considered sufficient to dismiss the council. The Party factory committee intervened and ordered new elections although obviously the recall action was unsuccessful, thus in fact sanctioning the action of the trade-unions.

26 Nowe Drogi, 1957, No. 6, pp. 17-18.

27 Loga-Sowinski, the Chairman of the Central Board of Trade-Union to the Fourth Congress, Trybuna Ludu, April 16, 1958.

28 Trybuna Ludu, April 15, 1958.

29 Chelstowski, “Samorzad robotniczy w niebezpieczenstwie,” Prosto z Mostu, Jan. 20, 1957.

30 Przeglad Kulturalny, Jan. 25, 1957.

31 Grzybowski, K, “The Evolution of the Polish Labor Law 1945-1955,” Legal Problems under Soviet Domination. New York, 1956, p. 83 Google Scholar.

32 Nome Drogi, 1957, No. 6.

33 E.g., Trybuna Ludu of Feb. 15, 1958, reported the creation of a party cell at the general headquarters of the Polish Scouting movement, which was revived as a protest against the sterility of the Communist youth organizations.

34 D. U. No. 5/16.

35 Starosciak, J. “Zagadnienia realizacji zasady centralizmu demokratycznego,” Przeglad Ustawodawstwa Gospodarczego, February, 1958 pp. 41-48. Cf. Bauman, Z. “Kilka uwag teoretycznych o zasadzie centralizmu demokratycznego,” Nowe Drogi, 1957, No. 3, pp. 91-101.

36 Hochfeld in the Sejm, as reported in Prawo i Zycie, Dec. 22, 1957.

37 Glowczyk, “Na Froncie rad robotniczych,” Zycie Gospodarcze, Feb. 2, 1958. Cf. Nowt Drogi, No. 9, 1957, pp. 23 ff.

38 Topinski, J., “Centralizm i demokracja ekonomiczna,” Polityka, June 26, 1957.

39 The Minister of Justice, addressing the National Conference of Judicial Personnel (October, 1957), determined the concept of judicial independence in terms which leave little doubt as to the role which the regime expects the courts to play in the realization of its policies: “The independence of the courts is of great value … but we must make good use of it. It is bad when somebody wants to hide behind it inadequate—as compared to the danger of the crime—criminal repression… . The independence of courts may not signify the isolation of courts from the line of policy of the people's state, may not signify the aloofness of the courts from our regime and the goals which it represents.” (Prawo i Zycie, Oct. 6, 1957).