Don’t Issue So Many Documents

(March 5, 1961)

In the past we always demanded that the lower levels “report accounts”—how much of this or that was planted, how much was produced, how much fertilizer was accumulated today, what was done tomorrow, daily statistics, daily reports to the higher levels, the statistics couldn’t even be compiled in time. Later on it was just the same anyway: you at the higher levels gave arbitrary orders, and I just reported recklessly, and as a result boasting arose, with nothing solid at all. This includes the documents issued by our Central Committee as well—it was the same. From now on, don’t issue so many documents; they should be appropriately reduced. Don’t try to cover every issue in a single document. For the sake of being comprehensive, you want to address every problem, and the result is that no problem gets solved. Don’t circulate too many documents with comments. In the past I too was an enthusiast and also commented on many documents. For instance, I commented on that document from Guizhou concerning the question of mess halls, and as a result it had a great impact on all the provinces. Another example: every year when spring plowing comes around, the Central Committee issues directives, and the State Council issues orders. How about not issuing them this year? These are all superfluous; a few such documents each year are enough. Just like the kind of document Comrade Shaoqi commented on—Ji Dengkui’s report on the experience of Lingbao in Henan—having a few of those is sufficient, not too many. I just don’t believe that with so many documents issued every year, you have all read them—have all the comrades in the provinces read them? Surely many have not.