Comment on a Principled Amendment to the Model Statutes of Advanced Agricultural Production Cooperatives [1] (June 22, 1956) It may be amended in this way. Mao Zedong, June 22, printed from the manuscript.

Note [1] In a letter dated June 21, 1956, Liao Luyan, Deputy Minister of the CPC Central Committee’s Department for Rural Work, wrote to Peng Zhen, Alternate Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Secretariat: In the revised draft of the Model Statutes of Advanced Agricultural Production Cooperatives, a sentence has been added to Article 14—“When necessary, those who have completely lost their capacity for labor and have traditionally relied on land income for their livelihood may, for a temporary period, be allowed to retain an appropriate land remuneration.” This is a relatively principled amendment; please consider whether it is appropriate. In a letter he forwarded to Liu Shaoqi, Peng Zhen stated: “I think the revision is acceptable. However, with regard to members who have completely lost their capacity for labor, after consulting by telephone with Liao Luyan and the Premier, I still believe it would be better to address their living difficulties through public welfare funds rather than by granting them land remuneration.” Liu Shaoqi indicated that he “intends to approve the amendment as proposed.” After reviewing the document, Mao Zedong wrote beside the phrase “may, for a temporary period, be allowed to retain an appropriate land remuneration”: “It may be amended in this way.” On June 30, 1956, at the Third Session of the First National People’s Congress, when the statutes were deliberated and adopted, this sentence was revised to read: “As for members who have completely lost their capacity for labor and have traditionally relied on land income for their livelihood, their living needs should be met by public welfare funds; where necessary, they may also be granted, for a temporary period, an appropriate land remuneration.” The statutes were published in the People’s Daily on July 1, 1956.