The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1877-11-22
Pnblie GranarIes in ChIna.

Under the Chow dynasty, about the
time when Salamaneser, King of
Assyria, carried away the Ten Tribes
into captivity, public granaries were
first introduced into China and though
there is little mention made of them in
history, the fact that they have
continued in existence to the present
day is presumptive proof of their sue
cess. But beyond this we have occa-
sional references TO them in the
writings of statesmen such as Choo lie
"a. ID. ll30-l200), who was loud in his
praises of them, and strongly advocated
their adoption all over the Empire.
During the last century the Emperor
Keen-lung paid considerable attention
to the subject, and by his directions
granaries were built in every district
throughout the metropolitan province
and rules were carefully framed for
their ]governance. The name applied
to these granaries, Z tsang, or "public
granaries," points, as is the fact, TO
their being the outcome of private
beneicence. When it is determined
that a granary shall be established in a
certain place, the wealthy h~ouseholders
in the neighborhoOd are invited to con-
tribute either in kind or in money
towards its construction. Mercenary
as the Chinese are supposed to be, such
appeals have never been in vain; and
at the present moment there are no
fewer than l,005 granaries which
owe their existence to private
contribution in the one province
of Chill. The granary having been
erected, the surrounding landowners
are encouraged to send in presents of
grain as their means may allow, and
the local authorities are authorized to
offer them in return m%andarins' buttons
varying in rank according to the guam
tity of grain subscribed. When the
granary is sufficiently full, two officers
chosen from the locality are appointed
to superintend it, and the work begins.
As the granaries are intended TO be self
supporting, and for the assistance of
the people in ordinary years, as well as
for their relief in times of famine, it is
part of the system in the spring of the
year, when food begins to get scarce,
to advance grain to the poor of the
district, who return it at harvest time
with interest i'll kind at the rate of ten
per cent. Two-tenths of the interest
thus paid are appropriated by the
officials, one-tenth is devoted to restore
waste, and the remaining seven-tenths,
after the necessary repairs to the build
ings have been paid for, are deposited
in the granary. In prosperous years
the full interest on the grain advanced
is strictly demanded, and any attempt
to evade payment is severely punished
by the local mandarins but it is pro-
vided that, should the harvest turn out
to be a third below the average crop,
only the amount of grain advanced and
no interest is to be paid; and that in
years when but half the usual crop is
garnered the loan may be allowed to
stand over until the following season.
In times of famine the grain is dealt out
to the people in inverse ratio to their
wealth, and always to the women and
children first, and afterwards to the
men. Arrangements are also made for
providing cooked rice and grain on the
premises to relieve the pressing wants
of those standing in most immediate
need of food.-PdH Mall Gazette.