Amendments to the Draft Commentary on the Central Committee’s Forwarding of Wang Guanlan’s Report on the Rural Situation in Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces [1] (July 22, 1956)

Item II of the report, “Calculating Farmers’ Accounts,” is a very important issue. Although this method of calculation differs to some extent from actual tax collection and the burden borne by farmers, at present many localities still lack a clear understanding of the matter and have not yet accorded it the attention it deserves. In order to change this situation and truly grasp the economic conditions of the peasantry, party committees at all levels should conduct such investigations: prefectural and county committees should carry out surveys in one or two townships or in one or two cooperatives, while provincial, municipal, and autonomous regional party committees should select one or two counties for direct, typical case studies. This work should be arranged during the summer so as to be ready for the autumn season.

The situation in Linhai County described in Comrade Wang Guanlan’s report exemplifies a scenario in which farmers are unable to increase their incomes. If there are many such counties, the outlook cannot be regarded as optimistic, and the matter warrants serious attention. I request that you investigate how many counties under your jurisdiction are similar to Linhai and how many are better off; get a thorough understanding of the situation and telegraph us your findings without delay!

Printed according to Mao Zedong’s revised text. Notes [1] Wang Guanlan was then Deputy Minister of the CPC Central Committee’s Department for Rural Work. [2] The text set in Song typeface in this document consists of passages added or rewritten by Mao Zedong. [3] Refers to Item II of Wang Guanlan’s report dated June 12, 1956, submitted to the CPC Central Committee concerning the rural situation in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. This item primarily addresses the question of calculating farmers’ accounts. The report states that in Linhai County, Zhejiang Province, an account was once drawn up of farmers’ income and expenditures from both agriculture and sideline activities. With regard to agriculture, assuming approximately 1.3 mu of land per person and an average annual yield of 485 jin per mu, after deducting agricultural tax and production costs (seeds, fertilizers, etc.), each person would be left with roughly 454 jin of grain, equivalent to RMB 31.80—about RMB 2.65 per month. As for sideline activities, it proved impossible to compile a detailed account due to a lack of necessary data. According to 1955 statistics, the output value of sideline industries and local specialties in Zhejiang accounted for more than 35 percent of total agricultural and sideline output; however, this share has been declining recently. In Linhai County, pig-raising has only reached one-third of this year’s plan. Consequently, the average monthly income per household, including sideline earnings, amounts to little more than RMB 4, and the majority of peasants continue to live in poverty. Farmers are highly sensitive to many economic measures that affect their interests.