(April 14, 1933)

In their current arduous struggles in the civil war, the Soviet Government staff
have not been paid according to their labor and are unable to help their families
financially. Their spirit of hard work and sacrifice is worthy of praise.
But the situation in many places tells us that many active and competent poor
workers or peasants cannot come to work for the government because they are
the main laborers for their family production and are tied up with such family
labor. There are even some local governments that, in the absence of such good
workers, cannot help but choose some less enthusiastic and less competent people to work there, simply because these people are not the main laborers of their
family production and are not tied up in work for their family. Thus, the criteria
for choosing personnel have nothing to do with their zeal toward revolution and
their competence in the work, and they are chosen just because they are not busy
at home. This phenomenon is unacceptable. There is yet another phenomenon
which is even worse. In some places, during the elections, some good people,
because of family burdens, do not wish to be elected, while those bad elements
step forward and, consequently, rich peasants and vagabonds have flocked to
enter the soviet organs. This exists in some places. As to those of good class
status, enthusiastic about revolution and also competent in work, when they
undertake government work, because of the unresolved problem of their family
labor, they cannot relax and concentrate on their work. This is an even more
prevalent situation (especially at the district and township levels).

Our source for this order is Mao Zedong ji, Vol. 3, pp. 207-8, where it is reproduced from
a contemporary Guomindang compilation of Communist documents.

In order to make the soviet governments more enthusiastic and competent and
better able to lead the broad masses to win revolutionary victory in these circumstances of arduous struggle, the Central Executive Committee has resolved, on
the basis of the situation mentioned above: If any staff member of the various
levels of the soviet governments, during the time he serves in the government, is
found, after investigation, to have no labor power, or insufficient labor power in
his family, the local governments should mobilize the masses to farm for him or
to help his family farm (those who do not have any labor shortage are not
included here), so that his family will not suffer unduly because of his absence.
As regards the practical method to be employed, Article 4 of the Regulations on
Preferential Treatment for the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army¹ can be applied
here (where there is no labor power at all in the families, people should be sent to
take care of all the work of cultivation, irrigation, and harvesting; where there is
a shortage of labor power, help should be given according to their needs). Thus
these staff members will be relieved from their family burdens and will be able
to keep their minds on their work for the government. With the help of these
measures, we can attract a large number of those who are of good class status,
enthusiastic toward revolution, and competent in their jobs to work at all levels
in the soviet governments, to strengthen the efficiency of the governments. To
this end we have issued the present directive, and we expect governments at all
levels to carry it out accordingly. It is so ordered.

Chairman Mao Zedong
Vice-Chairmen Xiang Ying
Zhang Guotao

1. See below, the Appendix to this volume, for the text of these regulations.