Evening star., 1937-06-24

Back in the eleventh century there
lived in China most remarkable fellow
named Wang An Shih.
For the past five years all sorts of
new deals" have been resurrected out
of the ancient history of China. but
Wangs appears to have been the really
authentic one. John Collier, Commits
sioner of Indian Affairs. tells all about
him in his official publication for the
service, Indians at Work. It's almost
unbelievable says Collier referring to
a recent English biography of the man.
Wang, it seems was a circuit judge.
He established such a remarkable repu-
tation for wisdom that the emperor
sent for him to become prime minister.
The judge had supreme contempt for
politics and for the civil service" He
refused. The emperor sent some soldiers
to capture him. Wang fed, but the
soldiers finally caught him. He was
dragged in and made prime minister
surely the most incongruous political
elevation in history.
China was in the throes of farm
crisis" Wang attended to it with
green sprout measure virtually set
ting up an A. A. A. and crop in
surance system. Says Mr.. Collier:
There was an ever-normal grainaries
system. Based on it. tenancy and peon-
age we're attacked through the setting
up of state credit system which cut
the interest rates of farmers in half.
The national finances were recon-
structed on the principle that If the
volume of business could be increased,
taxes could go down and still the gov
ernment would have plenty OF money.
Accompanying the fiscal reform efforts
was a complete remaking of the ancient
system of CONSUMPTION for local public
service. Payment of money for these
services was substituted, and the neces-
sary money was raised through local
taxes levied upon the rich.
Public works were set under way
on a grand scale. They included land
reclamation and watershed rehabilita-
ton works, the survey and economic
classification of all lands. Transporta-
ton had been government monopoly
and officials and their subordinates
alike were engaged in the nefarious
traffic OF stealing, smuggling and selling.
Wang abolished the monopoly and in
duced universal competition by private
carrier. R. F. C. loans were supplied
in return for guarantees OF cheap and
prompt deliveries. Thus each OF the
competitors Wang explained, would
keep a close watch on the other Gov
ernment transport shot upwards in
efficiency, prices Of transported goods
shot down and everybody was gratif1ed.
Now China was politically democratic
under the emperor, but with great
deal of monopoly Of land and with a
private credit system which held the en-
tire peasant population in its coils.
Fifty per cent year was the usual
interest rate. Wang had set up state
rural credit, halved the interest rate
and taxed the rich to get money for
local public services previously exacted
at no pay from the poor"
Naturally, Mr.. Collier points out. the
rich didn't like it and they were joined
by the old deal civil service job holders
whom Wang had denounced. There
wasn't much they could do while Wangs
system worked, but they bided their
time.
Wang An Shih's temporary downfall
was brought about by an "act of Cod
q devastating drought similar to the
one now being experienced in the dust
bowl. His ablest political opponent was
q certain Cheng Hsieh, agent Of the
vested interests. Cheng, a master of
words wrote a heart-tearing description
Of the drought with "the poor refugees
travelling along the roads In the driving
wind, supporting their aged parents and
leading their young children. The roads