Forwarding Instructions on Yan Hongyan's Letter Concerning the Investigation of Several Issues in Rural People's Communes
To: Chuan
Refers to the letter Yan Hongyan[1] wrote to Mao Zedong on May 9, 1961. The letter stated,
Since April 16th, I have been conducting some investigations and research in the Simao area, participated in the enlarged county committee meetings of Pu'er and Jinggu counties, held discussions with cadres from some communes, production brigades, and production teams, and sought out some commune members to hear their views. The main issues are now reported as follows:
1. The issue of commune and team scale. The scale of our province's communes and teams is generally too large. I feel that to solve this problem, we must consider residential conditions, economic ties, and ethnic relations, making them large or small as appropriate.
In mountainous areas, the village (zhai) should basically be the basic accounting unit. Within a single commune, some accounting units can be production brigades, and others production teams. Based on investigations and pilot project projections, it is estimated that after adjustments province-wide, both communes and teams will more than double in number. 2. The issue of public canteens. Public reaction is very strong. I focused on investigating 3 canteens, and the commune members' opinions mainly fall into three areas:
First, there is great waste; second, egalitarianism; third, running canteens conflicts with developing private pig raising and household sideline occupations. Dozens of canteen investigations conducted by other comrades in the provincial committee all illustrate the same situation. The provincial committee considers that we should still act according to the masses' voluntary wishes, without any compulsion. Operate canteens if the masses genuinely want them, and do not operate them if the masses genuinely do not want them. Of course, even if they are to be disbanded, it must be done with preparation to avoid chaos. 3. The issue of the "30/70 split" in distribution. According to my investigations,
in most areas, the masses do not advocate implementing a partial supply system, but they all unanimously agree to fully provide for the "Five Guarantees" households and care for households in difficulty, with the expenditure for this generally accounting for about 2% to 3% of total income, at most not exceeding 5%. This is essentially a method of expanding the public welfare fund.
The masses in some areas still wish, in addition to providing for the "Five Guarantees" households and caring for households in difficulty, to implement a partial grain supply system for all commune members, with the supplied portion also generally only accounting for 10% to 15% of the portion distributed to commune members. I think both methods can be implemented, and uniformity need not be forced across the entire province.
4. The issue of ownership of draft oxen and large farm tools. The majority opinion favors ownership by the production team. I think doing so causes no harm to the production brigade and can greatly enhance the production team's sense of responsibility and enthusiasm. 5. The issue of the hierarchical management of mountain forests. The current problems are, first, unclear ownership rights and undefined responsibilities, and second, the collapse of management systems. During the investigation, everyone believed that as long as forest rights are quickly determined, ownership is clarified, and management is strengthened, the mountain forests will recover very quickly. 6. The issue of in-kind distribution. Commune members demand that goods in kind be distributed according to work points, so that those who work more eat more.
[2]
The Complete Works of Mao Zedong, Volume 44
On May 20, 1961, Mao Zedong was at Bengbu Railway Station with provincial and municipal officials, security personnel, and reception staff.

On May 20, 1961, Mao Zedong was cordially conversing with train crew members at Bengbu Railway Station.
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--- Notes

Yan Hongyan, at the time serving as Secretary of the Southwest Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and First Secretary of the Yunnan Provincial Committee.
[3]
Xiaoping, i.e., Deng Xiaoping,
serving at the time as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee.
[4]
Refers to the Central Work Conference held in Beijing from May 21 to June 12, 1961.
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