The labor world., 1914-09-26
.KIAu CAh0||. SERVED. 4.
!. WELL by GERMANY n
49, W<IU X yv&H EWt II
Reforms in Land Question Brings
Prosperity to Chinese =,
Colony. =.

A serious menace to the progress
Of civilization In China is Japan's
threat to- seize the German colony Of
Kiau >Chau. Kiau Chau offers the
foremost Of the very: few exa mples
of imperialistic government. under
which an earnest and Intelligent effort
has been made to esta blish economic
justice.
t.~ Stops Speculation. .
AS soon as Germany obtained pos
session of Kiau Chau in 1897, pro-
clamation was ISSUED stopping all
transfers of land titles without Of
fetal consent. The German commits
sioner, DR.. William Schrameier, real
ICED the necessity of taking measures
to prevent land Spectators from
blocking industry and reapine the fin-
ancial benefits of improvements to be
instituted. so: the new. government
at once appraised the value Of all land
within the colony, Whatever land
was required for public purposes was
bought at prices prevailing before
the German, occupation. No sale of
land to a private individual is valid
unless made at public auction. ~x
Then the colonial government as
sumes the right to purchase at the
price reported to be agreed upon.
When the government refrains from
taking advantage of this right, one
third Of the increase in value since
the original appraisement or since the
last sale under German administra-
| ton, must be paid into the public
treasury. The right. reserved by the
! government to purchase discourages
any scheming to evade through mis-
representation the SO 1-3 per cent in
, crement tax.
New Appraisal.
At the end of 25 years a second
colony was to be made and an as
sessment of one third of the increase
in value was to be levied wherever
there had been nossales within that
period.
An annual tax of per cent on the
selling value Of all land was. levied.
Thus under DIR. Schrameier's able
supervision there was nipped in the
bud all prospect of any enormous in
flation Of land values through spec
ulative manipulation. "
Prosperity For Kiau Chau.
The result Of this system was pros
perity for Kiau Chau. In IL years
it rose from thirty-sixth place among
Chinese ports to seventh. From 1900
to 1912 the value of it's imports in
creased 1S7 fold and of it's exports
more than $50 fold. During the same
| period the value of imports of
Shanghai, the most important of
Chinese ports, fell off 16 per cent and
exports increased only 5 per cent. The
port of Chifu, near to Kiau Chau, had
in 1900, 80 times the imports Of the
latter and more than so times the ex-
| ports. In 1912, Kiau Chau imported
| twice as much as Chifu, and ex-
ported about twice as much
The population of Kiau Chau was
estimated in 1899 at 10000: BY 1912
it had increased to 10000. During
the same period the population of
Chifu increased from 10000 to- only
$4,000, while :Shanghai's population,
estimated in 1900 at 100000, had only
grown to $4,000 by 1912.
1t is doubtful what will happen to
Kiau Chau should German authority
be permanently removed. It would be
serious loss to civilization should the
Japanese government or the despotic
Yuan Shi Kai interfere with the single
tax system.-American Economic So
Ciety