The embargo on the export of rice from this province is having the opposite effect of what It was intended Ht should have, More rice is now situated that it divides the waters fof the Yangtze so that fully halt of the water must pass between the lower end of the island and the little pro-mentary at Hei Shan, where the outlet is quite narrow and where the Water rushes out with great force. Bringing so muh of the deeper waters through this narrow pass brings also fan enormous number of the largest fish of thi and if one watches for a while at this point he the tails of fish approaching th of sharks now and then rise above the water Mr, Liu's idea is to get modern expert fshermen's advice on how to fotch these monsters in quantity. Numbers of these are now caught, but arnly a fraction of what would be a reasonable toll of the great numbers when he can get the matter brought before those in charge of the reconstruction of the country, he will be fable to secure a loan for ce-operative fishermen 'Just as the farmers are receiving loans for Farmers' Ca-operatives. Whoever will grant a loan that would provide a coup of selected fishermen with the means of securing the proper equipment of boats, nets and tackle, could rest assured of hi funded in a few months. believes' that thousands of dollars worth of fish a month could be taken here if only the equipment with proper guidance were given the fish men, Cheap fish could be provided for famine sufferers.
What a pity that any one should suffer from hunger with such shoals fof enormous fishes sweeping out into the ocean! A few thousand dollars spent on equipment for exploiting the possibilities of this one point on the Yangtze, would provide food for the hungry and revenue for other enterprises, Making the catch ten times What it Is now, will impoverish not tone as, according to information which Mr, Liu has, the supply may be regarded as inexhaustible, Nor is there any danger that there will be fan over-supply of food in China as the present Administration in Washington believes there is-in America now, A few thousands spent in preventing the gathering together of roving hordes would bring better rending its way from the province than if there were no embargo. Rice in this province on account of the embargo is $2 per tan cheaper than it Is outside of the province, and it takes no wizard in economies to foresee what the result will be. There is a constant seizure of shipments of rice being made by the authorities but the possibility of making $2 a tan by getting it across the Yangtze into Kiangan Province, is a stronger incen tive to running the risks of being caught, than the punishment inflicted if caught proves as a preventive.
A few days ago a shipment of five, boat loads was caught nere. Four of the boats ware lowed t2 go ahead but the other Eoat was seized and the rice sold, and part of the price appropriated for famine relief purposes. The sum thus lost to the violators of the law amounts to five per cent, of the whole cost of the shipment. But by selling the other four boat loads at $2 a tan over what they paid for it, stil leaves 9 handsome profit on the whole transaction, even when the smugglers ai caught.
The evil effect of this is just the same as under prohibition in the US.A. Law breaking is freed from. the odium that it ought to carry: and profits from the business, instead of flowing into the hands of the law-abiding hard-working farmers, goes to the smugglers. The farmers who have had to spend considerable sums of money in pumping water to insure crop, are robbed of their just reward. They have to sell inside the province and get only the low rate, while the smugglers, who are the: racketeers in the hsien, get a good rake-off whether they are caught oF not. The law-abiding are punished, while the law-breakers are rewarded.
Again, as this embargo is acting to amply the province of its rice faster than it would be emptied if there were embargo, the price of rice will rise as scarcity comes on, so that by the time that the worst effects of the drought will begin to be felt by the poor of this hsien, the price will have Teached at least that, of rice of the outside. The help-that might have been given through some form of work paid for by contributions from the farmers, will not be available, inasmuch as the farmers were compelled to sell their main product 25 per cent, below its market price. A
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.