NORTHEAST SUFFERS MUCH FIRE DAMAGE; REPORTS ECONOMIC CONDITIONS GOOD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600320473-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 9, 2011
• Sequence Number: 473
• Publication Date: June 29, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/10: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600320473-1
CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENT&~~~~~~n I AL
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT 50X1-HUM
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS CD NO.
COUNTRY China
SUBJECT Economic - Industrial
HOW
PUBLISHED Daily newspapers
WHERE
PUBLISHED Mukden; Canton; Hong Kong
DATE
PUBLISHED 17 Apr, 27 May 1950
LANGUAGE Chinese
THIS DOCONINT CONTAINS INIOINATION AFFECTING TNN NATIONAL DIt1000
or THE UIIITID ITATII WITHIN TNI NIANING OF IIPIONAGI ACT GO
U. S. C.. SI AND Of. Al A0100ID. ITS TKANINIIIION Al TNN NDVILATION
0/ ITS CONTINTS IN ANY NANKIN TO ANIIUNAUTNO'11E0 11010N 11 TAO'
NIIITID by LAW. IIPIODUCTION OF TN FORK II IIIONIIITID.
DATE OF
INFORMATION 1950
NORTHEAST SUFFERS MUCH FIRE DAMAGE;
REPORTS ECONOMIC CONDITIONS GOOD
FIRLS CAUSE GREAT DAMAGE -- Mukden Tung-pei Jih-pao, 17 Apr 50
During the spring of 1950, various areas in Northeast China suffered severe
fires, causing great damages to personnel and public property. Based on an in-
complete report, there were 209 fires in the Northeast. The total amount of
damages was 11,500,000,000 yuan, and 20 individuals were injured or killed.
Fifty-five of the fires occurred in mines and factories.
In Sungkiang Province, 97 percent of the fires were in mines and factories.
Fire caused damages amounting to 3,500,000,000 yuan to the electrical equipment
plant of the Hao-kang Mining Affairs Bureau, I+ billion yuan to Hu-lan Match Fac-
tory, and 1,500,000,000 yuan to the rubber plant of the materials section of the
Northeast Railroad Department.
Recent dry weather and high winds were the cause of fires in the northern
part of the Northeast, On 9 April 1950, fire started in Tieh-li and Sui-leng
hsiens and swept through a 200-li strip of land, approximately 100 li wide.
In Sungkiang Province, fires covering several hundred li have been raging
in numerous mountain areas. Such fires have caused damage to l?, hsiens, includ-
ing Mi-shan, Fang-cheng, Tang-yuan, Tung-ho, Hai-lin, Chi-hsien, Hua-chuan, Mu-
lan, I-lan, Mu-leng, Lin-kou, Tung-ning, Chi-hsi, etc. In Wu-chia village of Pin-
hsien, the entire village, consisting of 30 residents, was burned to the ground.
Recently, there were 18 occurrences of fire in Inner Mongolia. In one in-
stance, fire consumed a 300-li area in 2 hours, and in another instance railroad
stations at Ch'i-k'ou and Lu-shui were destroyed.
In general, approximately 80 percent of the fires that occurred in industries
and mines may be traced to lax management policies. Many of the fires have been
due to faulty furnaces, chimneys, end electric wirings. For example, fires in the
Harbin Chen-hsin Match Company and. the I-chun Forestry Affairs Bureau were caused
by faulty chimneys. Fires originating from passing trains have caused much damage.
On 9 April, 19 fires were started along the Sui-hua--Chia.mu-ssu line in this way.
DATE DIST. rq Jun 1950.
NO. OF PAGES 2
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
CONFIDENTIAL
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/10: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600320473-1
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/10: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600320473-1
Another cause of fires is sabotage. In one instance, enemy agents caused
300-million-yuan damage by fire.
DISCUSSES ECONOMIC CONDITION -- Hong Kong Ta Kung Pao, 27 May 50
Shanghai, 20 May -- Upon the request of the Press Office of the Shanghai
People's government to describe the existing economic conditions in Northeast
China, Shen Ts'e (1) fniumber refers to appended character, who heads the North-
east General Labor Union Delegation to Comfort the Unemployed Shanghai Workers,
gave the following account at the Press Association Building on 19 May:
Definite guidance by the people's governments, maximum effort contributed
by the working class, and the completion of the land reforms:, have all contributed
toward surmounting many difficulties. As a result, unemployment has been eliminated,
considerable advance has been made toward restoring and developing industries, and
workers' wages have reached a new high.
Heavy-industry workers now receive an average of 150 kung-fen per month (each
kung-fen equals 2.55 catties of millet, equivalent to one day's ration for one
man). Compared to the wages earned in 1946, this wage shows a threefold increase.
Light-industry workers receive about 120 kung-fen, which is more than 200 percent
of the 1946 level.
Private and public enterprises have been restored quickly. For example, a
100-percent restoration of private and public factories occurred in Mukden during
June - December 1949. Labor disputes have decreased, production has increased
tremendously, and labor insurance has been universally taken out by workers. Dur-
ing 1950, 170,000 workers will be enrolled in anti-illiteracy classes. All in-
dustries in Northeast China will be restored in 3 or 4 years.
PLANS INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION INCREASE -- Canton Nan-fang Jih-pao, 27 May 50
Mukden, 25 May (Hsin-hua) -- During 1950, 40 percent of the total budget al-
lotted for the Northeast People's government will be used for industrial construc-
tion. Of that amount, 85 percent will go toward restoring existing industries
and constructing new ones,
The output capacity of machinery in principal industries, as compared to
capacity at the end of 1.949, will be increased as follows: puddling furnaces,
205 percent; copper ore cupola furnaces, 250 percent; electrical machinery, 350
percent; machine tools, 143 percent; paper-making machinery, 197 percent; cotton-
spinning spindles, 166 percent; and cloth-weaving machinery, 154 percent.
1.9/u L
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/10: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600320473-1