ECONOMIC VALUE

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 138, 8 December 1936, Page 8

ECONOMIC VALUE

TO CHINESE PEOPLE

NORTHERN PROVINCES

Some' arresting facts illustrating the vital economic importance of North China are contained in an article contributed by Dr.. Franklin Ho, one of China's leading economists, to the "Eastern Miscellany," a Chinese fortnightly published in Shanghai (says ttie« "Manchester Guardian's" Shanghai correspondent). Dr. Ho maintains that, just as the provinces of Hopei, Shantung, Shansi, Chahar, and Suiyuan formed the cultural centre of China centuries ago, from an economic point of.view these regions today constitute a "control centre" the loss -of which would shake the national economic structure to its foundations. The five provinces occupy about onetenth of the total area of China, Dr. Ho points out, and contain about onefifth of the total population. The total area of cultivated land in the (North represents • aboUtr 30; per-cent, of the total area in China,/ and produces 30 per cent, of the 'wheat,' 51 per cent, oi the rice,?s4;per "cent, of the kaoliang/. 37' per 'cent.; of the millet, 12 per. cent, of the bafley, and 37 per cent of the peanuts grown in China. In" the production of cotton (34 per cent, of the total) and wool (90 per cent) North China also'occupies a leading, position., ....■ ;■■■'.'. ■a v ;^T|;^ILE^INDUSTRIES. ■■ Amongst North ! China's 1. industries cotton,spinning; and.i.weaying are the most £ 19? out ''> of <>a total „■;<#• 92 Chinese'factories being situated in this region- and one-sixth of the total number of spindles and looms. The flour 'industry comes next in importance; of the 81 mills in China in 1934. 33 "were established in North : China, nfainly iniShahtung and Hopei. The capital, of 'these mills represents onethird of the total sum invested in the Chinese' -flour milling Industry. " lm-j portaht.'ima'tcH;: tobaccp,1, wool, cement, ariel cheniical industries are also to be found in the North; ■ Turning -to, natural resources, -Dr. Ho';■■finds' that,: fexc'Juding Manchuria, coal production in North China repre-sents7o.'per'cent.-of the total for the whole of China. He estimates that 54 per cent, of China's total -coal reserves and 46 per cent, of the total' iron,:reserves are situated in this region. Next in importance comes salt, of, which: North China furnishes one-third" of, the. total-production. ; In.: foreign trade Tientsin, North China's principal seaport, stands second, only .to Shanghai. Exports in 1935, from the, various North China ports, including : Tientsin, " ■ Chinwangtao, Lukow, Chefoo, Wei-hai-wei, and Tsingtao, Were estimated at 159,000,000 dpl-lars,--or2B-percent,of the total Chinese, exports; imports totalled. 150,000,000 dollars. ( North China also occupies an 'important position in the matter of 'cbmimuhicatiorisi with 34 per "cent.! of the total milage of' railways (46 J per cent excluding Manchuria) and 15 per cent, of the total milage of highways. The total length' of rivers open to inland' navigation is estimated at 6124 kilometres, one-fifth of the total for the whole of China. From a fiscal standpoint the loss of North China would mean a serious loss ,to the national income. In 1935 the Maritime' Customs revenue was estimated at more .;thaiy 70,000,000 dollars, one-fourth of the total for the. whole of China, and the Salt Gabelle revenue, amounting to 40,000,000 dollars;: also represented a quarter of the total. Dr. Ho| estimates that the. revenues collected in North China from all,', sources Constituted one-fifth of the whole national income*from taxation. , "From the facts and figures given," Dr..Ho states at the. conclusion of his article, "it'will be seen that the five.; provinces of North China are vitally important to the existence of the nation and Ithe country would suffer very seriously in. the event of the loss of North China.". As Dr. Ho has.been, appointed to succeed Dr. T. F. Tsiang, Chinese Ambassador-designate to Moscow, as director of the Department of Political Affairs of the Executive Yuan, he will* have' an excellent {opportunity to impress these views 'upon the Nanking Government. " ' ..