Reconstruction along social and economic lines can be studied in a thousand different bureaux of education and agricultural experiment stations and ce-operative jaties scattered over the country, but the fairest place to judge the Government work is in Kiangsi province. There. in ten small areas, the National Economic Council is testing: every point in its reconstruction programme. About 150 workers are concentrating upon the four-fold programme of education, health, agriculture and ce-operative societies; They are expending $250,000 a year urely here if anywhere we can judge the effectiveness of reconstruction, though again reminding ourselves that the work is very young, just three years old.
Early in April, I made a' trip into southern Kiangsi and spent ten days at a village centre. I had ample opportunity to examine every phase of the work, both in the village headquarters, and among fifteen surrounding villages where work has been extended. The director is a personal friend, and did not hesitate to expre his honest opinions. I found his staff of ten workers sincere and hard working, but the results are meagre. Literacy has been ised from 15 per cent. to 20 per cent. in three years. The number of school children has doubled. The health service has a small hospital, but spends most of its time teaching hygiene in the schools and cleaning villages. up unsanitary refus& heaps in the The griculfüfal depürtment has not had bey to' show results in its breeding of hogs or seed experiments, but its reforestation is remarkable. setting out half a millidh seedlings a cybar. Ca-operative loans to the farmer are very disappointing because -of red tape inyoiyet, The government requires several months to make the neces: investigation: by which time the farmer has already borrowed from a money lender
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.