May 28.
ONE of the most hopeful news items emanating from Peking for some time past is that contained Reuter's telegrams yesterday that a central industrial conference is to be held at the capital in the autumn, The Ministry of Commerce, under whose auspices the event is to take place, is to be congratulated upon the idea, and, if it materializes, much might come of it for the development of China's native industries throughout the country. The development of these industries undoubtedly lies in the future. The time must come when the thousand and one crafts for which the Chinese have for centuries been famous will provide great national wealth and tend to the improved wellbeing of China's millions. From 4 remote epoch the Chinese have enjoyed high reputation for their manual skill and industrial habits. There can be no doubt also that they can hold their own when they take their part in large-scale industrial work. Their artistic talents are by no. means meagre, and they have a happy knack ' of combining a rather crude art with industry which can be fostered to considerable degree. But, as most of our readers will know, there have been factors which have retarded the development of manufacturing in the country, except by the old crude processes that have remained for many centuries. It may indeed be said that, with the exception of the comparatively "few—new-style factories in China which have been modelled after foreign factories for the manufacture of essentially foreign commodities, there does not exist any: industry whose plant has received any material change since the contrivance was first introduced— and that goes back to the remote past. Some of the " adverse factors may have disappeared, or ceased to have much effect, but will take time to convince the provincial governments. that is the essence of stupidity in statecraft to discourage any industry that shows promise by putting upon it the maximum of An authority, writing on this subject, said that the official tendency to overtax everything that prospers is one of the greatest and most formidable obstacles in the path of industrial development. The writer conversant with many native industries, particularly in the southern provinces, where it was. necessary for the plants to be closed entirely, as no profit was possible after the extortionate taxation and "squeeze" to those in authority had been met. A large number of Chinese mag-strafes, both great and small, against' whom no one could bring a charge of extortion, made a systematic practice of throttling everything in the nature of an industry, as they believed, in the interest of the State. "The goose that lays the golden eggs," as a writer in an industrial publication on China has remarked, "used to be served up to the Central Government with much eclat as evidence of the small magistrate's interest in the national welfare and diligence in the performance of his duties." In these Republican days, the same practice is even more ruthlessly pursued, but with the difference that none of the returns find their way into the coffers of the Central Government. According to a recent report of the Ministry of Commerce, there are now about 30,000 factories scattered throughout China. We suppose that among this number at least seven-eighths of them are one and two-room workshops which would not be classified factories in Europe and America, and there are probably not more than a thousand to fifteen hundred that would compare favourably with similar plants in the Occident. But the number of the latter is increasing, and there is, however, a greater readiness on the part of wealthy Chinese to invest their money in native industries, so that evidence leads one to believe that industrialism in the interior on improved lines may be looked for. This is where the Ministry of Commerce can justify its existence, and we hope that it will, The proposed conference, we notice, is to be divided into two sections. One will be known as the Industrial Delegates Section (to be organized by the repre-natives of officially recognized industrial institutes and leading enterprises), andthe second known as the Industrial Administration Section (to be organized by the administrative authorities of industrial organizations in the provinces). The aim is, of course, to improve industries generally.' The con ference is to last from fifteen days to a month. Members will be chosen from the Chinese Chambers of Commerce throughout the country, with officials from the various government departments, "while business concerns of Shanghai, Hankow, Tientsin and Canton may each send one delegate." That is food, and if the Ministry of Commerce were wise it would extend invitations to some of the larger foreign industrial interests the country, for from them much might be learned, and feel sure that their advice would be willingly given. The Industrial Administrative Section will specially study the views and suggestions of the provincial authorities with the particular view of decision of common Policies. Delegates will be, selected. from the Industrial Commissioners in the provinces, representatives of gold and other mining, forestry and kindred institutions. It seems us, therefore, that in this conference the opportunity is presented for doing something well worth the doing. Chi heeds to do all that lies within her power for the fostering of her industrial progress. 'The more large factories she has, the greater will be the contribution of those factories to her national wealth, if the foolish policy of killing' the goose that lays the golden egy is stopped. Taxation must be equitable and low enough to enable capitalists who are prepared to risk their money in inland undertakings to make a ood return on their investments. Can the conference exercise enough influence throughout the provinces by means of guilds, chambers of commerce and even the mew labour organizations, to keep the rapacity of local officials and militarists within bounds? That is the great question on which the success of industrial China depends.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.