On this day 68 years ago, on July 5, 1957 (June 8, 1957 in the lunar calendar), Ma Yinchu's "New Population Theory" was doomed. On July 5, 1957, the People's Daily published Ma Yinchu's written speech at the Fourth Session of the First National People's Congress in June 1957. Based on the results of the first census in our country's history in 1953 and the population growth in the following years, he believed that our country's population was increasing too fast. On June 30, 1953, China's population totaled 6,019,38,035, which is a static record. In the same year, in 29 large and medium-sized cities, Ningxia province, and other provinces, 10 counties were selected for each province to conduct a census, and another 35 counties only checked one district, two towns, 58 townships, and 9 villages. A total of 30.18 million people were surveyed. The birth rate was 37 per thousand, and the death rate was 17 per thousand. Therefore, the population growth rate was 20 per thousand. However, considering the social situation after 1953, the people's lives have improved, the number of marriages has increased, pregnant women and infants have received welfare care, the mortality rate of the elderly has decreased, the domestic order has been stable, and people's ideological hopes for more happiness and longevity, such as five generations and prosperity, full of children and grandchildren, unfilial filial piety has three, and the old residual influence of no later is great. Mr. Ma Yinchu estimated that "the population growth rate in the past four years is likely to be more than 20 per thousand." With the 600 million as the base, the annual growth rate is 20/1000. All people of insight cannot help but think that this growth is too impressive and too fast. Therefore, Mr. Ma Yinchu believes that in order to expand production and reproduction, accelerate the accumulation of capital. To accelerate the process of industrialization, we should reduce the proportion of consumption, which requires population control. At the same time, in order to further improve people's lives, expand the sources of light industrial raw materials, raise the level of food consumption, and promote scientific research, he believes that "population control is not necessary". "Population proliferation means the reduction of accumulation, that is, the delay of industrialization". "Therefore, if the population problem is not taken early, it is inevitable that the peasants will turn all the goodness into disappointment and dissatisfaction,... It will inevitably bring many difficulties to the government". In order to increase the labor productivity of farmers and thus improve their material and cultural living standards, it is necessary to accumulate funds while controlling the population. After making an analysis and explanation of the above points, Mr. Ma Yinchu put forward three suggestions: (1) It is recommended that when the general election is held in 1958 at the latest in 1963, another census will be conducted, so that we can know the actual situation of population growth in our country in the past five years or 10 years, and then carefully organize population vital statistics, and determine the population policy on this basis. On the one hand, the population growth figures will be included in the second or third five-year plan, so that the accuracy of future plans can be gradually improved; (2) To control births and control the population, the first step is to rely on general publicity, so that the general public knows the importance of birth control and can apply the method of birth control in practice. On the other hand, vigorously publicize the harm of early marriage and the benefits of late marriage. If the power to control the population is not large enough, it should be supplemented by stricter and more effective administrative forces. The state should have the right to interfere in fertility and control the population; (3) The implementation of family planning is the best and most effective way to control the population, and the most important thing is to widely publicize contraception... The above is the main content of Mr. Ma Yinchu's "New Population Theory". Although the "New Population Theory" still has some deficiencies, imperfections, and even some inaccuracies in the thoughtfulness and depth of the theory and the elaboration of the problem, it does raise a very important issue. Today's re-reading of the "New Population Theory" still feels even more its direct practical significance. If, from then on, we could really pay attention to this issue as we do today, treat the opinions of others correctly, study this issue in the spirit of exploring and pursuing truth, and publicize it in the spirit of struggling for truth, I am afraid that the population growth of our country in the past 20 years will not be so fast, and the difficulties will not reach the level of today. Regrettably, this was not done at that time. On the contrary, Mr. Ma Yinchu and his "new population theory" were heavily criticized, heavily criticized, and added many slanderous and false words. The first hat that was put on the "new population theory" at that time was: Malthusianism. The rationale is that the "new population theory" is exactly the same as Malthusian. It does not analyze population problems from a certain socio-economic system, but talks abstractly about human sexuality, quantity, quality, reproduction rate, and their impact on economic development; it denies the important principle of so-called historical materialism that "more people are good"; it talks about the quality of population; it talks about the relationship between population and food; and so on. The second hat to wear to the "new population theory" is to deny the superiority of the socialist system. " The New Theory of Population says: "I firmly believe that the more the cause of socialism develops, the more mechanization and automation will necessarily expand. After mechanization and automation, 50 people can do what a thousand people did in the past (assuming that there is one-twentieth everywhere). What about the remaining 950 people? Therefore, I take into account that if there are many people, mechanization and automation cannot be done quickly." He also said: "In order to engage in socialism in our country, we should engage in more large-scale industry. Lenin also said that without large-scale industry, there will be no socialism (Lenin's Collections, Volume 7, p. 151). However, our excessive population has hindered our rapid industrialization and prevented us from making great strides forward." The 13 million people added this year can only be placed in the industry 1 million people (according to the second five-year plan of Vice Premier Li Fuchun), and the rest 12 million people have to work in the countryside. "Mr. Ma Yinchu believes that this will inevitably have side effects. Because," Today's farmers always want to keep more of the food they produce, and they gradually have to match the needs of urban residents. They want to eat oil, so today the shortage of oil is more than food, and they have to wear new clothes, so the cloth is not enough... Therefore, the 12 million population that grows every year is placed in the countryside, and their labor productivity cannot be improved in the short term, but they have to match the needs of the city. In the long run, how can you get it? " The third hat to wear to the "new population theory" is: lack of affection for the 600 million population. Due to the fragmented theoretical propaganda and ineffective practical measures, our country's population has grown rapidly. Ma Yinchu was a native of Shengxian County, Zhejiang Province, born in 1882. He studied in the United States in his early years, studied economics, and obtained a doctorate in economics. After returning to China in 1915, he taught at Peking University, Sun Yat-sen University, Jiaotong University, Chongqing University, and Zhejiang University, and served as the head of the economics department of Peking University, the provost, and the dean of the business school of Chongqing University. Ma Yinchu was a famous democracy fighter who fought hard for the liberation of the Chinese people and fought valiantly against the Kuomintang reactionaries. In 1948, with the help of the Communist Party of China, he broke out of the Kuomintang-ruled area and entered After national liberation, Ma Yinchu successively served as the representative of the first plenary session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, member of the Central People's Government, deputy director of the Financial and Economic Committee of the Central People's Government Administration, vice chairperson of the East China Military and Political Commission, president of Zhejiang University, president of Peking University, member of the Standing Committee of the First and Second National People's Congress, member of the First, Second, Third and Fourth National Committees of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, member of the Second and Fourth Standing Committees, member of the Philosophy and Social Sciences Department of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, etc., and made contributions to the development of culture, education and economic undertakings in our country. On September 14, 1979, Vice Minister of Ministry of Education Zhou Lin announced the decision of the Party Committee of Peking University of the Communist Party of China approved by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China to rehabilitate