(Continued from page 446) group organization and activities with the view to building up Village Self-improvement Societies (#EE& the whole Bella arear The Dea bans have previously. been formed into unions, which have ever been very active or useluy" One. of the Important functions of the Mass. Education Experiment i, therefore to inject new Blood and new ite Into these peasants' organisations, and {o eventually develop them into Vilage Seltimprovement 'Societies, which may serve asthe nucleus for" the rural reconstruction movement Erroughout the three" hundred "odd Small villages: Nearly "all the peo-folers' and leaders' of the. Vilage EcitimprovementSocieues have hed their traning in the: Mass Eaveation College they st got regular help tea Guzance from ie ama mater Like "the orgunisaion' of a" new ough correspondence, visits, che
YMCA, " Village Selt-improvement Society is formed any when the lect Popalace' desire it'and Nave shove Stileent iniatve and interest es to warrant ite future existence and use. fatness. At present seven of these Village Stcimprovement Societies have been organized tu Po-say with "oral of about 90 members Com. Dosed of the most enterprising ele: ments Tm the various villages the Slt Improvement "Societies conduct Varlely of activities auch as toad Bullging "twenty it of new reeds Rave already been built through the Deasants" own efforts, formation of Ec-operatives, establishment of mass the peasants' economic status through guidance in the improvement of silk worms and other farm activities, establishment of demonstration farms, organization of ce-operative societies (several ce-operative societies have now been formed for raising and marketing fish), development—of Suxillary industries such as basketry and manufacturing of mals, and extension of loans in ce-operation with the Kiangsu Farmers' Bank. The last-named feature has already shown Successful results during its brief period of experimentation. The loans fare granted only for productive investments, and are made out to groups of peasants instead of to individuals. Afier two years of operation, the! Kiangsu Farmers' Bank has extended total credit of $20,000 to the Pei-hsia peasants. Of this sum, the majority have been used for financing agriculuural_and animal purchases. During. the rst year, theee per cent of the borrowers defaulted in their payments; but during the second year. practically every loan was repaid on
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.