K. This is the 1st working draft of vol. VI. It still ... - From Marx to Mao

ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL PROBLEMS IN THE ANTI-JAPANESE WAR
duction. The number of women joining-in production has also increased.
All these things have helped the development of Border
Region agriculture.
(6) The policy of agricultural credit. Formerly there was no agricultural
credit but this was offset by the mild taxation policy. Now
that the grain tax has increased, and especially since 80 per cent of
peasant households must pay it, those households (roughly one-third)
lacking oxen, agricultural, tools, and food grain must be helped with
credit. Moreover, a supply of credit is very necessary for certain
kinds of agriculture that must be developed (like cotton-planting),
for agricultural subsidiaries (like spinning and weaving), and for
certain regions which need more development. Although only 4 mil-
FROM MARX
TO MAO
lion yuan credit was given in 1942, of which merely 1,500,000 yuan
⋆
was for oxen, over 2,600 oxen and nearly 5,000 agriculture implements
were bought, and cotton-planting was also expanded. It cannot
be denied that this was a great help. But because finances are
limited and we can only lend according to the government’s financial
strength, we still cannot provide enough credit to match the
needs of the peasant households. However, a little is always better
than nothing, and it does give some help.
The above are several of the major factors in the development of
agriculture; below I shall discuss several major lessons to be drawn
from our work. NOT FOR
(1) Act according to the conditions of the area and the season.
Agricultural regions and seasons are different and methods of development
are also COMMERCIAL
different. For example, there is no uncultivated
land in the special military area (apart from a small amount in
Qingjian). The cultivated land area cannot be enlarged. Sheep-herding
is limited by the pasture lands available. There is also a lack of
pack-animals for DISTRIBUTION
the transport of salt. The policy of rent reduction
has not yet been thoroughly implemented. Because of these things,
grain production has not increased in those areas, and with the exception
of spinning and weaving, subsidiary undertakings have not
developed. Although improved techniques such as more frequent
hoeing of weeds, greater use of manure, and more deep ploughing
were introduced there long ago, we should still carry out more investigation
of the situation, and at the right time do our utmost to
increase production. However, if we were to employ these improved
techniques in areas where land is plentiful, population sparse, and
working methods primitive, they would not be very effective be-
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