THE FIFTH SESSION OF THE PEOPLE'S CONGRESS session of the first National People's Congress opened at Pekin on February Ist 1958 before 970 deputies,
The principal decisions at this session concerned the approval of the 1958 budget, of the 1958 economic plan, and of the introduction of the 26-letter Latin aphabet for the purpose of reforming the Chinese written language.
The presentation of the 1958 budget by Li-Hsien-Nien, Vice-President and Finance Minister, is significant for the present economic situation of the country and for the government's
Faced by production, especially agricultural production, that rises only very slowly compared to the increased needs of a population that is constantly growing despite the systematic campaign for birth control the government is making efforts to struggle against "squandering," to engage "conservatism," and to spur the productive effort of the masses. The accent is put on the slogan, "Produce more, faster, better, and cheaper."
The struggle against "squandering" and for learning to save, not only concerns public administration but extends to every individual, called upon to get rid of "extravagances" in his way of life and to get used to "austerity." "To engage in economies is not only the task of government functionaries and those who are engaged in some sort of economic work,' the Finance Minister shouted, before concluding his presentation of the budget, "but the common task of the whole people." And he added :
Only when people all over the country join in the effort to increase accumulation and economize funds will our construction work proceed with speed. It is therefore necessary to publicize economy extensively among the people of the whole country so that every household and individual understands its meaning, and that thrift becomes a new social convention and every person will practise economy voluntarily. There is no contradiction between the advocacy of thrift and reasonable consumption by the people and their proper desire to improve living standards on the basis of development in production. In advocating hard work and thrifty housekeeping, we want every household to
----- photo credits and running heads -----
*
70 economize in the consumption of grain and cotton, the supply of which is still not plentiful, we want coöperative members to pay attention to increasing the coöp's accumulation of funds, we want every person to remember to save, and we oppose loafing and laziness, feasting drinking with abandon, gambling, and waste and extravagance on the occasion of weddings, funerals, holidays, and celebrations. Functionaries of the state organs, in particular, should set a good example in hard work and thrift in housekeeping. Therefore, the significance of advocating thrift and opposing waste lies not only in accumulating funds for construction but also in changing the social customs and cultivating good habits and moral qualities in the people of our country. Let all of us, functionaries in government organizations and those in economic work, and the people of our whole country, take action at once. Let us pluck up revolutionary energy, fight against conservatism and in
Five-Year Plan.
The words "hard work" and "thrift" in order to increase production keep coming up also all through the discussion both on the budget and on the economic objectives for 1958. The main worry of the government seems to be about a more important development of agricultural production.
Speaking about economic objectives for 1958, the first year of the Second Five-Year Plan, Po-I-Po, Vice-President and president of the National Economic Commission, put in the
"an energetic work in all fields in order to bring about an upsurge of agricultural production and obtain a better harvest."
FOURTH INTERNATIONAL
The "vigorous development" of heavy industry is to a large extent justified by the needs of agriculture (in fertilizers, machines, electric power).
It is Po-I-Po, furthermore, who gave an official resumé of the initial goals, the ups-and-downs, and the prospects, of the famous campaign of "rectification." In view of its interest, we quote this passage from his speech in its entirety :
The launching of this struggle, and the general debate participated in by all the people throughout the country about the two roads — socialism or capitalism — which set the rectification campaign going on a national scale, have greatly raised the level of socialist consciousness of our cadres and the masses, heightened their spirit of initiative in labor, pushed forward our construction work in various fields, and brought about improvements in all kinds of work. The rectification campaign continues. It is now entering the stage where the key task is to rectify incorrect styles in work and improve ways of working.
future, it will advance to another stage where everyone will study relevant documents, make criticisms and self-criticisms, and so raise his ideological level.
It is thus confirmed that, at its present stage, the campaign of "rectification" has to some extent returned to its original motifs, by once more putting the accent on the struggle against the "bureaucracy, sectarianism, and subjectivism" of party and government functionaries.
The sending of these functionaries to the countryside and into the plants, in order to share in "manual labor" and remake contact with "the people" in production, continues and takes on the character of a real mass exodus from the offices.
Ceylon