Chapter 112 Economic Problems and Financial Problems (Excerpts)

(December 1942) one The spirit of the comrades in Yan'an County is entirely the spirit of the Bolsheviks.Their attitude is positive, and there is no negativity in their thoughts or actions.They are not afraid of difficulties at all, and they can conquer all difficulties like dragons and tigers.We can see how the comrades in Yan'an are full of responsibility for their work: "In 1942, the farm tool loan was delayed for a period of time, and how much wasteland was opened up a day earlier!" "It is necessary to hurry up and solve various problems quickly How much less wasteland will be opened up one day later!" "Develop a production plan for each farmer." "The leadership will pay close attention and check strictly, which will play a decisive role in completing the task." For those who are not serious about their work, muddle along, and perfunctory, they are really a heaven and a hell! Under this spirit, the comrades in Yan'an have nothing to do that is not realistic.They fully understand the sentiments, demands and various specific conditions of the masses of the people in Yan'an County under their leadership. They are completely free from subjectivism, sectarianism and party stereotypes.In this situation, what happens to those subjectivists who deal with problems not according to the demands of the masses but according to their subjective imagination, and to those bureaucrats who do not do any research and study at all, and who have worked for three to five years without knowing anything about the situation? Isn’t one in the sky and the other in the ground? We hope that comrades in the entire border region will have the spirit of Comrade Yan’an, such a work attitude, such a way of mingling with the masses, such investigation and research work, and thus learn to lead the masses to overcome difficulties The art of Marxism makes our work invincible.Among the comrades in the counties of the border regions, there are quite a few people like Comrade Yan'an or similar. We hope that the exemplary experience of these comrades can be quickly spread to all counties, districts and townships.

two All public economic undertakings include the following three parts: (1) salt industry, industry and commerce run by the government; (2) agriculture, industry and commerce run by the military; (3) agriculture, industry and commerce run by party and government agencies.These are all directly guaranteeing the living materials of the party, government, and military personnel and the supply of business funds.According to the calculations in 1942 and the budget in 1943, the supply of this part exceeded the supply (including public grain) paid by the people to the government in the form of taxes.Therefore, public economic undertakings have become a major basis for us to guarantee the two major sources of financial supply, and its importance is self-evident.

Our attention to public economic construction has its historical and current reasons.During the civil war, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China once established a part of public industry and commerce in the Jiangxi Soviet Area for the needs of the war.At that time, in order to subsidize the shortage of food, various institutions and schools were also mobilized to grow vegetables and raise pigs.At that time, only the army had no production experience.At that time, because of the comparatively affluent conditions of farmers in Jiangxi, we did not need to solve the food by ourselves.This is the reason for history.Since the Anti-Japanese War, we have been in a very special position.The Kuomintang government paid our troops only a small amount at the beginning, then completely cut them off, and the border areas were also blocked, forcing us to engage in production for self-sufficiency and to maintain the needs of the War of Resistance.This is the present reason.

Since the Anti-Japanese War, we have paid attention to public economic construction since 1938.At that time, on the side of the army, due to insufficient funds, a production campaign began.But at that time, we only ordered some troops to try to grow vegetables, raise pigs, collect firewood, and make shoes. The purpose was only to improve the lives of soldiers, and we had not attempted to solve the general financial supply.Later, I saw that the pilot soldiers had achieved results in doing these tasks. They were indeed able to do a lot of productive work in their spare time during education.Seeing these results, we generally applied this experience to the troops staying in the border areas at that time, and the Remaining Office issued an order for all the troops to learn to do this.But it is still for the purpose of improving life, not for the purpose of solving general needs.At that time, the government began to pay attention to the establishment of several small factories, but for government schools, we did not even ask them to grow vegetables and raise pigs.In 1939, the Kuomintang promulgated the "Measures for Preventing Alien Party Activities", and the relationship between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party was not as good as before.The number of government agencies and schools in the border area has also increased. Although there is a little financial subsidy from outside, it can no longer be allocated. We are under the serious threat of financial supply problems.For this reason, we are compelled to think of a movement for the mobilization of the entire population for economic self-sufficiency.At that time, we once raised the following questions at the cadre mobilization meeting: Starve to death? Disband? Or do it yourself? No one agrees to starve to death, and no one agrees to disband. Let’s do it ourselves—this That's our answer.We once pointed out such a simple truth: How did human beings live since ancient times? Didn’t they survive by themselves? Why don’t our descendants of human beings even have this kind of wisdom? At that time we pointed out: a In the exploited peasant families in the feudal society, it is very common for a family of three, four or even seven or eight members to rely on only one labor force for production. Such a family not only needs to maintain their own life, but also needs Paying 50% to 80% of the tax to others, why are we not as good as this kind of peasant family? Our army is all labor, no women, no old people, and no tax burden, why do people go hungry Why can’t we solve our own food, clothing and shelter problems when we have a power organ like the government? Let’s look at the poor peasants from ancient humans to today. The reason why they can live and live differently from wild animals is nothing more than They have two hands, and they are extended to hold tools.Let's examine ourselves again, and it turns out that each of us also has two hands, and we can also extend our hands to hold tools.This investigation is very important, and in this way our problem is immediately solved.In short, we are convinced that we can solve economic difficulties, and our answer to all questions in this regard is "do it yourself".At this time, the tasks we put forward are different from those in 1938. They are not just for improving life, but are part of solving general needs.The scope of mobilization was not limited to the army, but all troops, agencies, and schools were engaged in production, calling for a mass production campaign. "Song of Opening up Wasteland" was sung at that time, and "Production Cantata" was also produced at that time.This call not only mobilized tens of thousands of party, government, military, and academic personnel, but also mobilized the people in the border areas. This year, the people opened up as much as one million acres of wasteland.This call spread to North China, and many of the Eighth Route Army engaged in production between battles.This is the first stage of our production self-sufficiency movement, and this stage covers the three full years of 1938, 1939 and 1940.During this stage, the government's industrial construction developed a step further, and the army, government agencies, and schools developed agricultural production.

From 1941 to this senior cadre meeting (December 1942) is the second stage, and the foundation of production self-sufficiency has been firmly laid.In the past two years, the number of personnel has increased. Many people came to the border area to eat because they couldn't stop outside. In order to strengthen the river defense, the 359th Brigade also came.With the increase of the army and the complete cessation of foreign aid, all public means of subsistence and business expenses can only be settled completely from the two aspects of taking from the people and taking from oneself.In terms of taking from oneself, the result of two years of hard work, in terms of total amount, exceeds that of taking from the people.This stage of experience gives us a sense of gratitude to those who have blocked us.Because the blockade, in addition to its negative and bad aspects, also produced a positive aspect, that is, it prompted us to make up our minds to do it ourselves, and as a result, we actually achieved the goal of overcoming difficulties and learned how to manage the economy. career experience. The old adage that "difficulties and hardships make you successful" is completely consciously understood by us.

In the two stages that have passed, in the first stage, the army, government agencies, and schools focused on agriculture, while the government developed industry; the second stage focused on commerce. Except for the policy of giving priority to agriculture, the others all paid attention to business, and did not pay as much attention to agriculture as in the first stage. However, the government, the army, agencies, and schools all developed industries and handicrafts.After this high-level cadre meeting, it will enter a new stage of development.At the new stage, our economic foundation has been relatively solid and we have gained more experience. We should make agriculture the first, industry, handicrafts, transportation and animal husbandry the second, and commerce the second. Three, because business can only be used for emergencies, it is impossible and should not be established on the basis of business.

three Establish an economic accounting system to overcome the chaos within each enterprise.For this it is necessary: ​​first, that each factory unit should have fairly independent funds (both liquid and fixed) so that it can turn itself around without constant financial difficulties hindering production.Second, there should be certain systems and procedures for the income and expenditure of each factory unit, so as to put an end to the confusion of unclear income and expenditure and lack of procedures.Third, according to the specific situation of each factory, some of them adopt the cost accounting system, while others do not adopt it for the time being, but all factories must have cost accounting.Fourth, the production of each factory should have an inspection system for the completion of the production plan on a yearly and monthly basis. It is not allowed to let it go and not inspect for a long time.Fifth, each factory should have a system for saving raw materials and protecting tools, and develop the habit of saving raw materials and caring for tools.All these are the main contents of the system of economic accounting.Only with a strict accounting system can we thoroughly examine whether an enterprise's operation is beneficial.

Four Improve the organization and management of factories, and overcome the state of institutionalization and lax discipline in factories.The first thing that should be reformed is the unreasonable phenomenon of factory organization.At present, many of our factories are very unreasonable in organization, with a large number of personnel, a large organization, improper distribution of management personnel and direct production personnel, and the application of the management system of large factories to our small factories. These phenomena must be changed quickly. Entrepreneurize all factories.All factories should consider their own economic profit and loss as the growth and decline of their business.The salaries of all employees should be settled by the factory's own profits, instead of receiving public food, public clothing, and public subsidies.The second is to implement a ten-hour work system and a piece-rate progressive wage system to improve labor enthusiasm and increase production.The eight-hour working system should be implemented in the future when large-scale industry develops. At present, the ten-hour working system should be implemented uniformly, so that the workers should understand that this is the need of the War of Resistance.The egalitarian salary system obliterates the difference between skilled labor and unskilled labor, and also obliterates the difference between diligence and laziness, thus reducing labor enthusiasm. It must be replaced by a piece-based progressive wage system to encourage labor enthusiasm and increase production. Quantity versus quality.For the time being, the piecework wage system cannot be implemented in military production, and there should be a piecework reward system.Secondly, the work of trade unions should be improved and the Zhao Zhankui movement[1] should be developed in each factory.If the work of trade unions is not suitable for improving labor discipline and labor enthusiasm, it must be reformed.In a factory, administrative work, party branch work, and trade union work must be unified under a common goal. This common goal is to manufacture as much and as much as possible at the lowest possible cost (raw materials, tools, and other expenses). Good products, and sell them as quickly and as favorably as possible.This task of low cost, good products, and fast sales is a common task of the three aspects of the administration, the branch, and the trade union.In the three aspects, a unified committee must be organized. First of all, the administrative staff, administrative work, and production plan will be on the right track. The task of the party and trade unions is to ensure the completion of the production plan.Thirdly, factories should reward the most accomplished workers and staff, and criticize or punish those who make mistakes.Without an appropriate reward and punishment system, it is impossible to guarantee the improvement of labor discipline and labor enthusiasm.

Fives In many units, government agencies, and schools, comrades in charge of administrative command do little to manage their production activities, and even a few people do not care about them at all, but only entrust them to the supply agencies or the general affairs department to manage them. It is because they have not yet understood the importance of economic work.The reason why they still don’t understand, or they have been poisoned by Dong Zhongshu’s so-called “to be honest with one another, not to seek one’s own gain, to be clear about one’s way, not to count one’s merit” [2], which has not been completely removed; or They think that politics, party affairs, and military affairs are the first and most important. Although economic work is also important, it is not so important.But these ideas are all wrong.Under the current conditions in the Shensi-Gansu-Ningsia Border Region, most people do work and talk about revolution. Apart from economics and education (theoretical education, political education, military education, cultural education, technical education, professional education, and national education, all of them) Besides the first job, what job is there that deserves to be called the central job, or the so-called first job? What job is more revolutionary? Yes, there are other jobs, and there are many others, but the central job In terms of the current conditions in the border areas, and in terms of the majority of comrades, the first or number one job is indeed economic work and educational work, and other jobs revolve around these two jobs and have their meaning.If we do these two tasks well, we will be considered as a good aid to the war ahead, and we will be considered to be a good aid to the people in the rear.In the two tasks, education (or learning) cannot be carried out in isolation. We are not in the era of "learning is also included in it". , we must pay attention to economic work.Talking about education or study apart from economic work is just superfluous empty talk.Talking about "revolution" apart from economic work is just killing the Ministry of Finance and killing oneself, and the enemy will not be hurt by you in the slightest.Because many of our comrades in charge of leadership still underestimate or do not attach great importance to economic work, many other comrades have followed suit and are willing to do party, government and military science work, literature and art, rather than economic work.Some lesbians don't want to marry economic workers, they seem to think that they are people of low reputation, and think that marrying a political officer is worse than marrying a mule captain, which is not humiliating for her.All these viewpoints are really very wrong and do not suit our conditions here and now.We must redefine the division of labor.We must have a group of revolutionary professionals who are separated from production affairs, and we must also have a group of doctors, literary and artistic workers and others, but there must not be too many people in these fields, because too many people will cause danger.Those who eat it are many, those who live it are few, those who use it are sick, and those who eat it are comfortable, and they will collapse.Therefore, a large number of cadres must transfer from their current work or study positions to economic work positions.At the same time, the principal comrades in charge of the party departments, governments, armies, and schools at all levels must give full attention to the leadership of economic work. They must investigate and study the content of economic work, be responsible for formulating economic work plans, assign cadres for economic work, and check the status of economic work. As a result, don't entrust this extremely important work to the supply department or the general affairs department.

six In short, all the government agencies and schools in Yan'an and the whole border region have achieved success in production self-sufficiency. They not only provided more than half of the daily expenses, solved the urgent financial difficulties, but also laid the foundation of the public economy, so that we can continue on the basis of this foundation. Develop production to solve future problems. What is particularly important and worth pointing out is that we have learned the experience of running an economic enterprise, which is a priceless treasure that cannot be calculated with numbers.Not only should we be able to manage politics, the military, party affairs, and culture, but we should also be able to handle economics.If we are competent in everything but incompetent in economics, then we are a bunch of useless people who will be overthrown by the enemy and perish.

seven All empty words are useless, and the people must be given tangible material benefits.There are still many comrades whose minds have not become complete communists. They have only done one aspect of work, that is, they only know how to ask the people for such and such things, such as food, grass, taxes, etc. That kind of mobilization work, you don't know how to do another kind of work, which is to use all your strength to help the people develop production and improve culture.For the sake of the revolution and the war of resistance, it is completely reasonable for us to ask the people for things.It is very good that our comrades have done the revolutionary work they should do in this area of ​​work.But this is only one aspect of work, and it is not the first aspect of work.The first aspect of our work is not to ask the people for things, but to give them things.What can we give to the people? As far as the current conditions in the Shensi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region are concerned, it is to organize the people, lead the people, help them develop production, increase their material welfare, and on this basis, step by step improve their political Consciousness and cultural level.For this, we should work tirelessly, day and night, diligently, and earnestly study the problems of life among the people, production problems, cattle, farm tools, seeds, fertilizers, water conservancy, pasture, agricultural loans, immigration, land reclamation, Improve agricultural practices, women's labor, second-class labor, family planning, cooperatives, labor transfer teams, transportation teams, textiles, animal husbandry, salt industry, etc., and help the people to solve these problems concretely and not in empty words .This aspect of work is the first task of every Communist Party member working in the countryside.Only after we have done this aspect of work and really achieved results, can we get the support of the people when we do the second aspect of work—the work of asking for things from the people, and they will say that what we want is the right thing to do. It should be right; they will understand that if they don't send food, grass, etc. to the government, their life will not be good, and it will not be better.In this way our work will not be forced, we will feel smooth, and we will feel that we are truly at one with the people.This is the fundamental line and fundamental policy of our party, and every comrade (including comrades in the army) must study it carefully.Only when our comrades understand and carry out the coordination of these two aspects of work can we be regarded as complete communist revolutionaries; revolutionary.Moreover, to some comrades, they are still bureaucrats divorced from the masses, because they only know how to ask the masses for things, but they don't know or are unwilling to give something to the masses, causing the masses to hate them.This issue is very important, and I hope that everyone will pay close attention to it and spread this truth to the whole party. Published according to "Economic Issues and Financial Issues" revised and republished by Liberation Press in January 1944. -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ note [1] The Zhao Zhankui Movement was a labor emulation movement that began in 1942 in the public factories of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region and was named after Zhao Zhankui, a model furnace worker in a state-run agricultural tool factory in the border region.This movement later developed to other anti-Japanese base areas behind enemy lines. [2] See "Han Shu Biography of Dong Zhongshu".