HARVEST DISTRIBUTION AND RENT PROBLEMS

15 November 1930

[Text] On 15 November 1930, the Kiangsi Provincial Mobile Committee held an expanded conference at Chi-an. Besides members of the Provincial Committee and the Standing Committee, those attending the conference included the chairmen of the Yung-hsin, Chi-an, T'ai-ho, Wan-an, Chi-shui, An-fu, Fen-yi and Hsia-chiang soviets as well as comrade Ch'en Ii of the 22d Army. I participated in this conference as the representative of past committee members. The special feature of this conference was the discussion of two problems, harvest distribution and rent. With regard to harvest distribu- tion, I brought up the mass basis of support for harvest distribution. With regard to the renting of land, the previously prevalent leftist but actually wealthy farmer theory of "rent should not be collected in soviet areas" was overthrown. In addition, the "Chiang Nan-po [3068 3332 3134] method of distribution according to labor was opposed by pointing out that its error lay in helping wealthy farmers while it was contrary to the interests of poor farmers. This conference broke up prematurely because reactionary troops had already reached Hsia-chiang, and those responsible for the various counties had to return to prepare to deal with the enemy. Therefore such questions scheduled for discussion as "mountain forests," "ponds," "renting of fallow fields," "unemployment," and "paupers" were not discussed. A serious enemy offensive and the Fu-t'ien Incident occurred after the conference. So for this reason the resolutions of the conference have still not been promulgated. What follows is a brief record made by me during the day's conference. I retained it because it contained some important material.

1.  Distribution of Fields in Ch'un-hua With the District as the Basic Unit

The third distribution of fields in Ch'un-hua District (October 1930) had progressed to using the district as the basic unit, taking a census of population and production capacity to determine how much land each person should receive. Then distribution was made within the scope of the town- ship, "shifting fields where possible and shifting people where fields could not be shifted." Now the more than 30,000 persons in Ch'un-hua District have each received an equal amount of land (each person received land capable of producing 11 shih of grain, with each shih equal to 44 catties).

2.  Deficiencies of Distribution of Fields With the Village as the Basic Unit

The deficiencies in using the village as the basic unit are: (1) large villages are unwilling to give up fields to small villages; (2) with too many basic units, it is not easy for district and township governments to press [the program], so many concealed deficiencies developed; and (3) within a single village, it was easy for the masses to be hoodwinked through the use of surnames by landlords and wealthy farmers, and not thoroughly divide land evenly, nor thoroughly combat local tyrants. This view is worth noting.

3.  The Land Struggle Cannot Be Deepened at A Stroke

In the distribution of land, no matter how many times the land is divided, the wealthy farmers always conceal the good land the first time, making it impossible to investigate and to classify the land into the three grades: upper, middle and lower. Wealthy farmers and middle farmers always lead the first time, while the poor farmers have no authority. "After some period of unrest, the proletariat will arise." This view is correct.

4.  Yang Ch'eng-fu's [2799 2052 5346] Plan for "The Socialization of Agriculture"

Yang Ch'eng-fu, chairman of the Chi-an County Government (originally chairman and secretary of Ch'un-hua District Committee), was determined to achieve common tilling and expenditure of [the proceeds of] the land in three steps: the first was to distribute land with the district as the basic unit, the second was to organize cooperatives, and the third was to share in the tilling and expenditure. This is completely erroneous.

5.  The Chiang Han-po [3068 3352 3134] Style of Distribution According to Labor

The deficiency of using labor as the basis for distribution of land is that orphans, widows, the elderly, infants, women with small [bound] feet, and all people unable to till the land, would not have enough to eat. Even poor farmers of great laboring capacity are no match for wealthy farmers because poor farmers do not have the oxen, farming implements and capital of the wealthy farmers. In addition, wealthy farmers can lease the land of the orphaned, widows, elderly, infants, women with small feet, and others. Therefore, using labor as the basis for distribution is of benefit only to wealthy farmers.

The "Chiang Han-po Method" using labor as the basic unit was carried out in the "border areas" along An-fu's boundary with Chi-an and Fen-yi as well as in Yen-fu Township in Chi-an. It was also carried out absolutely, regardless of age. Distribution was made to those with the capacity for labor and not to those without it; distribution was made to vagrants. Those with no capacity for labor would receive food from the farming of those with the capacity for labor. A member of the Political Committee of the Third Army Group who came to Chi-an said to Wang Huai [3769 2037] that the land

distribution method on the border of Hunan, Hupeh and Kiangsi took labor as the basic unit, with those with no capacity for labor receiving a half- share, and with nothing furnished by the government.

When labor is used as the basic unit for distribution, the wealthy farmers, with much land, need to use their oxen, plows and harrows themselves, so the poor farmers cannot even borrow them. It is only by equal distribution that poor farmers will be able to borrow the excess farming implements of the wealthy farmers, therefore the poor farmers demand equal distribution.

6. Harvest Distribution Problems

Part of the farmers of Jui-chin and Yu-tu [7184 6757] upheld the slogan of the Tang-chong [3060 1558] Conference: "Unconditional distribution of the harvest," while others upheld the slogan of the Pi-te ou [7095 1793]: "Do not distribute green young sprouts"; and the pretext was: "Do not break the Land Law."

Land was distributed in the county of the Northern Route in May of this year. Compensation was provided for capital and for original tillers at the rate of 600 cash per shih of grain [capacity]. In Fu-t'ien the wealthy farmers were not compensated for their land while poor farmers received a string of cash per tan of grain for their land.

Land was distributed in Ch'un-hua in March, at which time no planting had been done, plowing had been done only once and fertilizer had been spread in a few cases. After distribution no compensation was paid for capital.

On the Northern Route, compensation of 600 cash or a string of cash was paid for capital on each shih of grain. Before May, the county had resolved that the price of grain would be 4 strings [of cash] per shih, with compensation paid at the rate of one-sixth or one quarter. Land had not yet been distri- buted at the time, and it was a period of famine, so prescribing the price of grain at 4 strings was intended to help the poor farmers by equalizing the price of grain. After the harvest, however, the price was still fixed at 4 strings per shih. "This is incorrect."

In Yung-hsin during the fifth month of the old calendar last year, the government of the Fifth District of the Northwestern Special Area prescribed that land distribution would take place when the early grain crop was about to ripen. Persons entering land would compensate those leaving the land 1 yuan "big money" for every 2 tan of grain (200 catties, which is 1 shih of land). Rice is harvested once a year. In May, when the seedlings have just been transplanted, the rice is still not fully grown, so persons leaving the land were compensated a string of cash for each shih of land (2 tan of grain). The County Committee had decided that land would be received without compensation, but because of restricted communications, the Fifth District did not receive the direction of the County Committee, and therefore proceeded according to its own decision.

The wealthy farmers in the eastern townships of Yu-tu and the northwestern part of Kung County requested compensation of 2 yuan "small money" (worth 2 strings) for each piece of land producing 1 shih of grain (actually only 8 tou). The party prohibited this and land was received without compensa- tion.

A legitimate policy should be: "To receive land without compensation, and to divide both land and harvest." Equal distribution would be made for uniform application to family members of landlords. Assessments should be made separately against landlords who have much money. Vagrants should receive equal distribution because they work hard. The "wealthy farmers' opposition to vagrants' sharing the harvest is wrong. Middle farmers not having much land to be distributed would not be affected. Although the "top layer of poor farmers" which tills much land would be affected, there will be other benefits to compensate them. The broad masses of the low level poor farmers, manual laborers and tenant farmers support this method 100 percent. After the distribution of the harvest, those not having the strength to cultivate their land would be permitted to follow the rental method.

7.  Consolidating Original Tillers for Equal Distribution

In the past, using the "village" and "family" as the basic unit and the original tiller as the criterion for equal distribution, resulted in benefit for the wealthy farmers but not for the poor farmers. The legitimate way should be: taking the township as the basic unit according to the total population of the township divided by the total of the original tillers of land in the entire township (total township population is the total of those who originally tilled land in the village as well as those who originally tilled land in other villages), taking from those with much to compensate those with little, taking the fertile to compensate for the infertile, shifting land when it can be shifted (villages with more land would give part of their land to villages with less land). When land cannot be shifted, move people (when distances are great, there is no way to shift land, so people must be moved). This method is called "Distribution by Consolidating Original Tillers."

8.  The Non-laboring Population and the New Land Rental System

When people without the capacity for labor rent their land to those with laboring capacity to farm, the tenant hands over grain as rent to the owner. In Ch'un-hua, Wan-an and Hsin-yu four-tenths was handed over; in Fen-yi and Ning-tu five-tenths was handed over; and in Yung-hsin one-third was handed over. The land in Yu-t'ien (a district of Chi-an) was divided into three classes--upper, middle and lower. For the upper class four-tenths was handed over, for the middle class three-tenths; and for the lower class two-tenths was handed over. This appears to be comparatively reasonable.

In Ch'un-hua, An-fu, T'ai-ho, Hsin-yu, Fen-yi and Hsia-chiang, those without the capacity for labor who wish to rent their land comprise about 20 percent of the population. In Ning-tu they comprise over 20 percent because of the number of women with small [bound] feet. In Yung-hsin they comprise only 5 percent because the women all have big [unbound] feet, and the renters are mostly widowed, orphaned, crippled, aged, very young or engaged in revolutionary work. The above refers only to that portion of the population in which the entire family lacks the capacity for labor and must rent its land. There are even more of the population who do not have the capacity for labor but who have family members who can farm the land, and thus do not have to rent their land. Generally speaking, 75 percent of the entire popu- lation does not have the capacity for labor, that is, only one out of every four persons is a young man strong enough to till the land--this is China's big problem. This so-called lack of laboring capacity, however, refers to actual tilling of the land. About half of them have a partial capacity for such labor as tending cattle, chopping wood, cooking rice, washing clothes and preparing food. Statistically:

25 percent--have full capacity for labor
37.5 percent--have half-capacity or some capacity for labor
37.5 percent--have no capacity at all for labor.

The "Renting Land for Grain" in all the above-mentioned areas is the so-called "Grain Distribution System" except for Ch'un-hua's, which is the Rental System. The deficiency in the grain distribution system is that those renting haphazardly in the landowner's land, and invest effort and fertilizer according to the amount harvested, equally, or on a four-to-six or other ratio. This system is not beneficial to the owner of the rented land. With the rent-free system, the rent is fixed without regard to the amount harvested, which is of benefit to both production and the owner of the land.

The deficiencies of the rental system are:

(1) Fixed rent is detrimental to the tenant in disaster years.
(2) It is also detrimental to the tenant when Red Guard units are called out for many farming days and farming is reduced.

In summary, the grain distribution system is of benefit to the wealthy farmers, while the rental system is of benefit to the poor farmers.

A legitimate policy would be as follows:

(1) Should poor farmers, tenant farmers and the unemployed lack oxen, farming implements or capital after receiving land, the government should distribute surplus oxen, farming implements and other items confiscated

from wealthy farmers and landlords to the tenant farmers, poor farmers, the unemployed and others for their own farming. At the same time, the collective use of such implements should be rewarded, and some items confiscated from wealthy farmers and landlords given to cooperatives. Yet another method is for individuals to borrow oxen and farming implements temporarily from wealthy farmers for support, with the government controlling those wealthy farmers who wilfully fail to lend their things, so as to help the poor farmers, tenant farmers and the unemployed.

(2) Those totally unable to till the land should be permitted to rent their land to wealthy and middle farmers to till under the following conditions:

(a) Abolish the grain distribution system, prescribing a fixed rental, with no reduction for disasters.

(b) Prescribe the minimum rental (50 percent) to preclude excessive exploitation of poor and tenant farmers by wealthy farmers.

(c) Do not permit wealthy farmers to use the pretext of farming only their own land and not that of others. Should a wealthy farmer be willing to rent land, the township government should take all land which must be rented and distribute it among the wealthy and middle farmers of the township, forcing them to farm it.

9.  The Problem of Unemployed Workers From Cities Requesting Land

Over 200 unemployed masons and carpenters in the city of T'ai-ho [3141 0735] requested that land be distributed to them, but received none. They were from outside counties and the farmers of the city area would not permit land to be distributed to them. The sugar cane workers from outside Nan-men City also requested the distribution of land. This problem also occurred in Hsing-kuo [5281 0948].

This problem deserves careful and deliberate consideration.

o Investigations of Farm Villages, Liberation Press, July 1947.