The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-05-15
! COMMENT ON WORLD !
! EVENTS

One of the most practical forms of
relief ever worked out in any country
is the Chinese Industrial Cooper
atives. In addition to providing more
than S7,000,000 worth of essential
manufactured goods annually, this
movement of reconstruction and re-
habilitation gives self-help employ
ment to almost 100000 refugee work
men. The average cost of putting
one man to work is 81. Thereafter he
is able to support himself and his
family without further help.
The first Chinese industrial CO.
operative was started by nine refugee
blacksmiths in the city of Poachi in
August, 1888. Today, 5000 cooper
ative workshops are scattered through
out the interior of free China, and
produce $50 different kinds Of con-
sumer and capital goods. Over half
of these units are engaged in textile
manufacture. Next in order come
chemical industries, small-scale ma
chine building, mining, food stuffs
production and transports.
Major Evans Carlson, formerly an
officer in the United States Marine
Corps, recently said that if the pres
ent number of 5000 cooperative
workshops could be expanded to 3O,-
900 within the near future, they not
only would put an end to japanese
economic penetration and provide
China and its armed forces with badly
InI h,,{ leo hnl
unity the Chinese people behind non
political program Of economic recon-
struction.
X X X
At present the CIO is busy consoli-
dating gains already made before it
enters the next stage of expansion.
Basic consideration in the process of
consolidation are strengthening edu-
cation and social services. Hubert S,
LANG, director of the Promotion De-
partment of the Central CIC Admin
istration in Chunkiang, recently said:
"The most important function of
cooperative is not just to make money
but to develop all-rounded PERSONAL
ties and to foster spirit of fellowship
and cooperation among members.
duction, the co-operatives members
are trained to be self-relant and eff
fcient workers having individually as
well as collectively strength of their
own.
"Thus every CIC depot sponsors
programs of popular education, most
of them have schemes for medical
care of workers., and some of them
have recreation centers, schools and
nurseries for children of the workers.
Technical training is also given to re-
| fugees preparatory to setting them
up in cooperative workshops"
X X X
The Chinese cooperative workshops
were founded on the one thing that
Japan had been unable to destroy
| free democratic man-power. At pres
ent, tens of thousands of refugees, To-
Gated in caves, village huts, abandon
ed temples and other well-camouilaged
shelters, are producing over $50 differ
ent kinds of consumer and capital
goods for China's program of resist
ance and reconstruction.
Although some heavy machinery
originally was salvaged from the cities
before japanese occupation, most of
the light machinery used at present is
made in cooperative workshops. Much
of this machinery is primitive, but
sufficiently good for present needs;
and efforts are being made to improve
technique and design. In some indus
tries mass production methods already
have been introduced. A machine shop
in Chengtu, for example, makes from
to so to 100 improved spinning wheels
daily, at cost Of six dollars (Chinese
currency. In private industry these
wheels would cost $40.