'Taiyuan, Shansi, Jan. 13, Marshal Yen's plan for public! ownership of land as well as _his Proposed non-metallic-basis paper money. system are being - studied carefully by' leaders, Immediately after hig return from Nanking he called the principals and a number of teachers from middle schools to the capital that he might present his plans and hopes personally, with a desire that they clearly understand them and share this understanding with their friends and teach them to the students, Shortly after. the Educational Bureau Issued urders: requiring thirty hours of study from all middle school students fol: owed by an examination, This way the students, by mastering the subject before the New Year vacation, would be of great service to the case, as they return to their homes in. every hsien In the province, to educate their fellow villagers, "Many of the teachers were con~ vineed that the Marshal Is In earnest and quite sincere in his efforts to Improve the conditions of lls people, as well as to prevent inroads communistic' influences, Ard in theory his plan looks good but a number questioned Its feasibility AM Land Public Owned The transfer of privately-owned Jan. to public ownership sto be effected by Issuing bonds (0 the land owners of each village area end the farms thus will become property of the village. Tillable fields will be Aivided between the able-bodied men who will farm it themselves, each man or family getting a portion. They will be taxed 20 per cent. of the crop harvested, to be collected by the Government, instead of the excessive G0 per cent. usually charged the tenant by private land owners, About tone tenth of this tax will go toward amortization of the bonds. The collection, decision what portion goes to liquidation of the bonds, and the Issue of bonds is to be done by the Government and not by the village.
This large reduction in taxes will be a great boon to the rentees and certainly will give more just distribution of returns for labour. "By this plan "the poor who are now oppressed and kept under the heel of the land-owner or mousy-lender Will havea better chance for a living and therefore, they will not oatily become adherents to the radlcal Red cause, Fifteen months will be devoted to educating the people to its value and the working policy, after which expected three months will be necessary to complete the transfer of private property to, public owner-Ship of all rural land of the prov. Ince, "It is a huge undertaking and plans are worked out carefully but, of course, all obstacles cannot be fore seen, Foreign newspapermen tried to pick holes in the plan without success, Tt has been carefully thought through and only time will tell whether it will be successful. every now venture. and especially tone as radical as this one In sociali~ zation, {t will meet strong opp2ition from "the wealthy citizens of the That Marshal Yen is sincere is seen by the fact thet he first went, to his own. hsien and village to Begin, "With his representatives he called together the village elders and explained the plan, an educational process, so that all would clearly Understand, It is reported that a umber of the elders did not' appear and in various ways showed strong. opposition but that is not causing the Marshal any great concern.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.