'M, Albert Thomas, Director of] the International Labour Bureau of the League of Nations, left last night for Hankow by the night express. Interviewed by the Kuo Min News Agency correspondent at the station on his impressions of the labour situation in the north. M. Thomas re-
The incidence of the drought has caused a serious state of affairs in the Chaoyang district, near Swatow, The inhabitants of several villages and towns dependent on the rising tide of the river for their supply of water for agricultural purposes. During the present prolonged drought, the river marked that China had not yet level has gradually been falling entered the industria! stage of its until it is now practically a dry development.
"There little difference bewater course, states the "Canton Gazette." tween your so-called employers and As in other districts the farmers, employees. Furthermore, I notice} faced with the prospect of ruin, that your merchants are inclined-to have done their utmost to avert or consider themsel the capitalist least lessen the effects of disas-das which, of course, is a mistake. ter, and have even gone to the ex-'The Chinese labourers, too, generally treme of buying up ponds for the entertain the misconception sake of what little water there may your Chambers of Commerce are he in these pools. Driven to des capitalistic organs. Tt my belief] perate straits—the failure of the that your socie-economic problems, rice crop frequently means star have any at all, can best be vation, particularly on the approach your own Principle of the] of winter—competition to acquire People's Livelihood. There need possession of these water pools har be any class-struggles in Chi been pathetically keen. Last month suid M, Thomas. any pond approximately one now Speaking at the in area could fetch §250 in silver Union yesterday, Mr. Thomas em-currency for the water it contained, phasized the necessity of sound or-As the number of buyers increased, ganization and productivity.
1d the ponds decreased. prices cannot talk about distribution of jumped upwards until $500 was profits unless you are sure of the asked for ponds of this size, source of profits—which is inereasing producti Tho:.as told the Inbour leaders.—Kuo-Min.
The cost of Inbour for operating the primitive water pumps also Jumped up Uy leaps and bounds
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.