FOR 2 better understanding of the ce-operative movement as it has been developing in China during recent years, the National Agricultural Research Bureau of the Ministry of Industry in Nanking made a survey at the end of 1934 and another at the end of 1935. A third survey was made by the Bureau at the end of 1936, and the results are now presented. Blanks, requesting such information as the number of ce-operatives and members registered with the hsien or municipal governments by the end of 1936 and the like, were sent to the hsien and municipal governments, and, at the same time, this information was also requested from the provincial ce-operative organizations to serve as a cheek.
Up to the end of March, 1937, 1,236 returns had been received from the sion and municipal government: and seventeen returns from the respective provincial ce-operative organization in Charhar, Suiyuan, Kansu, Shensi, Shantung, Honan, Anhwei, Kiangsi, Hunan, Chekiang, Fukien, Szechuan, Yunnan, Kweichow, Kwangsi, Hupeh, and Kiangsu Provinces, There were 37,318 ce-operative so-cities with 1,643,670 members. registered with the sion and municipal Governments by the end of December, 1936, which makes an average membership of 44 for each society. Classi fled by function, credit societies stand first, numbering 20,020 societies, or 33.8 por cent of the total existing cooperatives, 'They are followed by in= ted societies (of multiple funenumbering 10814 societies, oF 282 per cent; production, 9,199 societies, or 84 per cent; marketing, 2,360 societies, or 6.8 per cent; consumers,' 206 societies, o¢ '0 per cent. supply. 267 societies, "or 0.7 per cent: and public utility, $6 societies, or 0.1 per cent, From the point of view. of membership, 692,098 persons, or 42.1 per cent. of the total members en-Tisted, belong to credit societies; 620, 966: persons, oF 37.8 per cent, to Inte-{grated societies; 170,776 persons, oF 104 per cent. to production societies; 100,157 persons, or G1 per cent, to marketing societies; 40,700 persons, or 25 per cent, to consumers" societies; 38.001 persons, or 0.9 per cent, to supply societies; and 3.412 persons, oF 08 per cent, to public utility societies.
Considering the distribution of cooperatives by province, Hopei leads the ist, having 6,003 societies with 140.202 members, 'Shantung is next having $005. societies with' 191,135 members: while Anhwet has 4,125'so-clefes with 206,613 members; Kiangsu, 2.05 societies with 147,563. member Honan, 3221 societies, "with 202.203 members; Kiangsi, 8.200 societies with 512,028 members; Shensi, 2.066, soctewith 62438. members; Hunan. with 67.048 members: with 67,380 societies with ung, Kwangsi, "Yunnan, Kiveiehow, Shanisi, Kansu, Suiyuan, and Chahar, have tower than 1,000 societies.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.