Chapter 90 We must effectively solve the problem of overburden on farmers

(October 15, 1952) Comrade Zhenlin[1]: Comrade Chen Yun[2] received information about Xiaozheng Township[3], Qingpu County, which is very noteworthy. According to Comrade Bo Yibo[4], when he was in Shanghai, he knew that the Zhejiang and southern Jiangsu regions were too heavily requisitioned for grain last year, and the East China Bureau decided to refund some of the farmers.I don't know the result of this matter? How much was withdrawn from the two districts? How many people's problems were solved? How is the harvest this year? Has the number of grain requisitions been greatly reduced?

In order to completely solve this problem, I suggest that you call the heads of the two districts and the county party secretaries of several typical counties in the two districts to the East China Bureau for a special meeting.Before the meeting, you should send two investigation teams, one to Zhejiang and the other to southern Jiangsu, to the villages in several counties, to investigate more than a dozen townships, and to investigate the facts of farmers' public grain and other burdens, as the basis for discussion at the meeting. In short, farmers who were unable to make a living due to heavy burdens in the past must effectively solve the relief problem; this year's grain collection must not exceed the ratio stipulated by the central government[5], which greatly reduces the burden on the people.

Please tell me your opinion.Salute comrades! Mao Zedong Published from manuscript on October 15, 1952. -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ note [1] Zhenlin, that is, Tan Zhenlin (1902-1983), was born in Youxian County, Hunan Province.At that time, he was the third secretary of the East China Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. [2] Chen Yun, then Vice Premier of the Government Administration Council and Director of the Financial and Economic Committee. [3] Refers to the materials Chen Yun sent to Mao Zedong on October 14, 1952, about the situation of farmers in Xiaozheng Township, Qingpu County.This material was written by a student of the High School Attached to Beijing Normal University after a little research following Chen Yunzhi's instructions when he returned home during the summer vacation.The materials reflect that due to three consecutive years of crop failure, excessively high grain requisition ratio, and too many people and too little land, farmers' life is generally difficult.

[4] Bo Yibo, then Deputy Director of the Financial and Economic Committee of the Government Administration Council and Minister of the Ministry of Finance. [5] The Government Council stipulated in February 1950 that the rate of public grain collection in the newly liberated areas should be "less than 17% of the total agricultural income. That is, the state collects 100 shi of public grain, and the local government shall not add more than 15 shi of public grain."The Administrative Council’s “Instructions on Agricultural Tax Work in 1952” stipulates: “In areas where the land reform has been completed in the late liberated areas, a unified full-scale progressive tax system should be implemented in 1952, and the progressive tax rate ranges from 7% to 7%. Thirty (no additional taxes are allowed)".In this way, the burden on most farmers is reduced.