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ADVANCE RELEASE -15- NB-2954 The following Table indicates the development of the cooperatives between 1938 and 1942: | | Number | Number | Monthly | | | of | of | Production | | Date | Societies | Members | in Dollars | | Dec. 1938 | 69 | 1,049 | ? | | Dec. 1939 | 1,284 | 15,625 | ? | | Dec. 1940 | 1,739 | 25,682 | 9,392,154 | | Dec. 1941 | 1,737 | 23,088 | 14,478,892 | | June 1942 | 1,590 | 22,680 | 24,022,944 | The number of societies has been decreasing 1941 as a result of continual readjustments and reorganization In 1942, 36 per cent of all cooperatives were active in the field of textiles; 20.2 per cent in chemicals, 10 per cent in tailoring. The rest were about equally distributed among small machine and metal workshops, mining, carpentry, food industry, etc. Membership in the cooperatives is open to all qualified workers up to the maximum number justified by the economic condition of the business. The minimum number of members in each cooperative is seven. The organization of an individual cooperative is most democratic. The cooperatives are encouraged to organize themselves into a federation, which handles supply and marketing for member cooperatives, as well as education and welfare work with the help of the Chinese Industrial Cooperative regional headquarters COMMUNICATIONS Railways Within two years after the [[torn page]] hostilities, 80 per cent of the Chinese railroads were [[torn page]] especially in the moving of the industries to the interior, were epic. [[torn page]] until September 1942 only little more than 1,100 kilometers of all the lines constructed before the war still were operating for Free China, statistics show that up to that time 1,207 kilometers of new railroads had been constructed and 613 kilo meters were under construction. Railroads in operation at the beginning of 1943 totaled, 2,725 kilometers, including branch lines. This kilometrage is lower than the first half of 1942, prior to enemy occupation of the area through which the Chekiang-Kangsi railroad passes. The most recent Japanese advance has cost the Chinese a considerable amount of railroad mileage. Virtually all the projected or partially completed railroads in the southwest and northwest pass through difficult terrain, characterized by high hills, steep passes and thinly populated areas. This is particularly true with the Kweichow-Kwangsi and the partially completed Yunnan-Burma and Suifu-Kunming lines, the construction of which had been preceded by the building of highways first in order to facilitate transport of materials and equipment. There are still eight Chinese provinces entirely untouched by railroads. Highways By 1937, when China was attacked by Japan, over 100,000 kilometers of highways linking all important centers were finished. Up to the summer of 1942 only 76,000 of these remained in Chinese hands. In addition, 6,000 kilometers of new highways had been built and 5,400 kilometers of roads were either under construction or being surveyed. In consequence of the heavy losses sustained by the railroads and the fact that motor roads can be built more easily and at a lower cost, highways have assumed a leading role in both military and civil transportation in wartime China. At present the length of roads in proportion to the territorial areas has greatly increased over the pre-war ratio. (over) X-37382
