THE ZEMGOR 
was created by the Central Committee of the Zemgor. Its agents, 
stationed at the most important points along the railways, would 
establish contact with the local railway officials, take measures to ob- 
tain the necessary rolling stock, see to it that raw materials and 
finished products were loaded promptly, and send some subordinate 
member of the staff to accompany such consignments. These agents 
very soon developed much ability and resource, learning every detail 
of the methods and ways of the railway men. They kept a close 
watch on the cars entrusted to their care, seeing to it that they were 
not detached from the train at some out-of-the-way station—a thing 
which used frequently to be done under cover of darkness—and even 
though they sometimes failed to obtain safe delivery at destination, 
they knew at least where to look for the lost consignment. 
The difficult task of finding the raw material and fuel required 
for production was left to the care of the materials department of 
the Zemgor. Thanks to the efforts of this department, raw materials 
worth about 16,000,000 rubles were purchased up to January 1, 
1916, and all factories working on orders of the Zemgor were able 
to obtain a sufficient supply of raw materials and fuel. A serious ob- 
stacle to the prompt execution of orders was found in the great 
shortage of local labor. This could only be dealt with by means of 
incessant requests for the return of mobilized skilled workers to their 
places of residence. Many of these requests remained unheeded. Con- 
siderable harm was also done by the growing competition and ri- 
valry between the Zemgor and the Ministry of War. To such ex- 
tremes did this rivalry go that the Government would sometimes 
requisition raw materials that had been bought by the Zemgor, and 
in some cases the Ministry of War, by raising the prices of its 
orders above the “limit prices,” would make it impossible to place 
the orders allotted to the Zemgor, as the latter was not in a position 
to exceed the prescribed prices. 
Gradually, however, all these obstacles were overcome by the Zem- 
gor, and by the end of 1915 it was in a position to commence 
deliveries of finished articles of military equipment. On March 1, 
1916, the total value of orders filled and completed was 15,650,195 
rubles. From this date onward the execution of orders proceeded at 
an increasingly rapid pace. 
3 Ibid., Nos. 15-16, p. 5.