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

ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL PROBLEMS IN THE ANTI-JAPONESE WAR
suffered. Some units could in fact have undertaken industry and
commerce but this was not pointed out at the time, and they purely
and simply concentrated on agriculture.
In 1940 we corrected these shortcomings. First, we reduced the
agricultural production tasks. Apart from self-sufficiency in vegetables
and meat, we stipulated that the official organizations and
schools should be only from one-seventh to one-sixth or one-quarter
self-sufficient in grain according to their different circumstances.
We did not ask weak males nor any females to do physical labour.
No person over fifty or under fifteen took part in production. We
permitted the hiring of experienced peasants to join in or to direct
production. In addition, the Finance Department issued 50,000 yuan
FROM MARX
TO MAO
to the official organizations and schools as capital to allow them to
⋆
undertake industry and commerce and to develop animal husbandry,
raising pigs and sheep. Therefore, in agricultural production during
1940 we did not increase cultivated land beyond the existing
amount. Some units lacked labour power and adopted the meshed
of taking ordinary folk on as tenants. Some gave part of their grainproducing
land to others and concentrated on planting vegetables
and raising pigs. In addition, some schools moved to other places
in north China. Therefore the 1940 harvest only amounted to 3,000
tan of hulled grain and 900,000 jin of vegetables, worth 3 million
yuan at the market prices NOT of the time. FOR
The commerce we ran began with co-operatives. In 1939 each
official organization and school had a consumers’ co-operative and
some had opened COMMERCIAL
restaurants. By the first half of 1940 there were
thirty co-operatives and restaurants with more than 60,000 guest
capital. The largest had 10,000 yuan and the smallest not more than
a few hundred yuan. Their aim was to supply daily necessities for
the organization DISTRIBUTION
or school itself. At the same time they sold to outsiders
for a slight profit as a means of improving their livelihood.
They had still not become commercial undertakings to meet general
needs. However, they gave initial tempering to cadres ruling commerce,
and accumulated some commercial experience and a small
amount of capital.
In the two years of 1939 and 1940 the organizations and schools
generally did not undertake industry. They only set up some flour
mills for their own needs and the rear services. Jiaotong set up a
smithy for horseshoes. These can be considered the beginnings of
their handicraft production.
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