The Gisborne Herald. IN WHICH IS INCORPORATED "THE TIMES." GISBORNE, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1947. NEW ZEALANDER’S GREAT WORK IN CHINA

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22512, 16 December 1947, Page 6

The Gisborne Herald. IN WHICH IS INCORPORATED "THE TIMES." GISBORNE, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1947. NEW ZEALANDER’S GREAT WORK IN CHINA

TI-IE vastness of China and the conditions under which many communities of its teeming population are living make the task of reconstruction one of formidable proportions. To persons who are asked to contribute to the working funds of the Council for the Organisation of Relief Services Overseas (CORSO) or to missionary undertakings it may seem at times as though the difficulties are well nigh insuperable. Yet those who have had first-hand evidence of the humanitarian efforts being made to raise the country to a higher standard of living are convinced that sound progress is being made. It has to be remembered that the Chinese are themselves a highly intelligent people, gifted with an infinite capacity for doing all they can to help themselves out of their troubles. The work being done, whether by Church organisations or CORSO, has been proved to have a snowball effect. That is to say, the willingness of most Chinese to learn from their mentors and to disseminate that learning among others is in many areas producing results sufficiently encouraging to indicate that relief measures will in the course of time have a beneficial effect on the whole national economy. At the present time CORSO is making a special appeal on behalf of Mr. Rewi Alley, a New Zealander who at considerable personal sacrifice is heading a technical school movement in North-West China for training leaders of village co-operatives all over the country. Plant and equipment .of all kinds, in addition to funds, can be given to Mr. Alley. An instancy of what can be done is afforded by the miners in the State coal-mine at Runanga, who are sending away 35 sets of equipment released as a consequence of the change-over to power-driven plant. The co-operative, mine is expected to pioneer methods that will be more effective in results and less expensive in human lives than those at present used in China, and will also relieve Rewi Alley’s school and its small factories of heavy fuel costs. CORSO reports that inflation, high transport costs and delay in the allotment of post-UNRRA funds have placed Mr. Alley in grave need of direct financial aid. Writing to friends in New Zealand, Mr. Alley himself recently stated: “I have put all my salary etc. into transport, but we are bogged down in Hankow and Chungking nevertheless. Still, it is difficult to stop—we can only go ahead and do our best. To run all sections and do the coal pit, iron smelter and so on we need about 300 boys in all. A good job has been made of the glass furnace, which now awaits a good smoke stack. The textile job is pretty good and the hospital is working. But the machine shops are out of raw material, though they are carrying on fairly well in spite of this. Transport is halted for the want of spares and a reboring plant. ... I would not like to drop this job. It is the result of £2 years’ experience in Chinese industry, village life and co-operatives. I feel that, if it holds through, we shall have a chance for village industry throughout China.” Estimates of the cost of the work being done are that when all the projects are in working order, about 280,000,000 Chinese dollars national currency are spent each month. This represents about.2Boo American dollars or £7OO (N.Z.) a month. The whole Dominion should pull together in the effort to help one of its hardest working sons. This cause is well worthy of public support. Our people have a rare chance of proving what a young country can do for a very old one in time of trouble.