Twelve Measures of the Hebei Provincial Committee on Implementing the Spirit of the Zhengzhou Conference [1]
[Draft Comment]
(March 20, 1959)

This document is concise and clear, and may be forwarded to all localities for reference.

Mao Zedong
March 20

[1] Refers to the enlarged meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held in Zhengzhou from February 27 to March 5, 1959.
[2] Refers to the telephone report of the General Office of the Hebei Provincial Committee dated March 16, 1959, published in Issue No. 43 of *Situation Briefing* (Special Issue on the Six-Level Cadres Conference) compiled by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee. The report stated that the Six-Level Cadres Conference of Hebei Province concluded on March 15, and the provincial committee, in accordance with the principles set by the Zhengzhou Conference, proposed twelve measures:

1. Basic accounting units of the people’s communes:
   (1) The people’s communes shall take the former advanced cooperatives, now the production brigades, as the basic accounting units.
   (2) Where an original advanced cooperative has been divided into several production brigades, they shall be merged into one basic accounting unit and shall not be further divided.
   (3) Production brigades formed by merging several former advanced cooperatives that were too small and had roughly similar economic conditions may be merged into one basic accounting unit, provided the cadres and commune members are willing.

2. The means of production originally belonging to the advanced cooperatives shall, in principle, be collectively owned and used by the production brigades formed from those cooperatives. Products, labor, and other resources owned by the production brigades shall be exchanged at equal value and shall not be transferred without compensation.

3. Distribution ratios for 1958 and 1959:
   (1) The total amount deducted annually by a production brigade for state agricultural tax, commune accumulation, and its own retained funds shall not exceed 45%, with the remainder distributed to commune members.
   (2) Within the above deduction ratio, agricultural tax shall account for approximately 7% of the total income in 1958, commune accumulation for 40%, and the rest shall be at the disposal of the production brigade.

4. Ratio between the wage portion and the supply portion:
   In 1958, the wage portion shall generally not be less than 50% of total consumption, and in 1959, it shall generally account for over 60%.

5. Commune members’ wages shall resolutely implement the principles of distribution according to labor, more pay for more work, and more distribution for more output.

6. All people’s communes and production brigades shall promptly set their production and income targets for 1959.

7. Properly carry out grain procurement and requisitioning.

8. Actively support production brigades facing difficulties.

9. Rationally allocate rural labor forces.

10. Strengthen the leadership of production brigades and reinforce their core leadership personnel.

11. Properly settle accounts and assets after the communization.

12. Strengthen education in communist ideology.