From "Free Market Period" To "Controlled Market Period": The Study On Sugar Economy Of Tuo River Region In Sichuan Province (1911-1949)

The history of sugar production was very long in Sichuan province. Based on the book which was named TangShuangpu(《糖霜谱》)was published in Song dynasty(1164), there were sugarcane planting in Suining(遂宁)county in Sichuan province, but the planting was interrupted by the war. In 1716, the sugarcane planting of Sichuan province was flourishing because ZengDayi(曾达一)who came from Fujian province brought the seed of sugarcane.In the late of Qing dynasty and early of republic of China, the sugar production of Sichuan province had made its first imperialist prosperous time. Based on the statistic of sugar expert koonoshinji (河野信次),there was 1.8 million quintals(公担)sugar which was produced by one year in Sichuan province, which accounted for 66.7% of all of sugar produced in China. Meanwhile, seventy percent of the sugar produced in Sichuan Province came from Tuo River (沱江)region. Not only based on the areas of sugarcane planting and production of sugar, but also according to the manual sugar technologies and sugar organizations, the sugarcane economy of Tuo River Region was in the first stage in the Sichuan province, presenting the development level of sugar production of Sichuan. Neijian(内江)county was named "sweet city"(甜城)for its huge sugar production.From late of Qing dynasty and early of republic of China to Second Sino-Japanese war, it was in freedom market that the achievement of sugar industry in Sichuan province was get. During that time, there were not interventions of government to control the development of sugar economy. The relationship between government and sugar industry was reflected in the sugar taxes. After the broke out of Second Sino-Japanese war, considering the local economy, control of resources and supplying for the war, central government had carried out a series of measures to control the sugar industry.In terms of protect the capacity of sugar production, central government wanted to enhanced the production capacity of sugar by improved the technologies of sugar industry. In May.1936, test field of sugar of proving agriculture office in Sichuan province(四川省农业改进所甘蔗试验场)was set by Sichuan government together with the agriculture school of Sichuan province in Neijing Shengshui temple(圣水寺)After creation, the test field did its best to improve the sugar industry technologies. Such as surveyed the conditions of sugarcane planting, researched the sugar production and worked out the plan of reform of sugar. At the same time, governments had made better use of themselves advantages to establish a little of stock corporations. These efforts had made huge contributions to protect the production capacity of sugar industry.In terms of Financial intermediation of sugar industry, first of all, peasants who planted the sugarcane collected funds to manage the planting sugarcane. There were two ways for peasants to make money. One was to pre-sell the products (卖预货),the other was to ask for the loan. But these two ways had many disadvantages for peasants to plant sugarcane, so that, government applied co-op loan(合作贷款)to resolve the problem and help peasants to get funds to run their lives. Secondly, sugar merchants get enough money to produce sugar and transform sugar to others areas. Before 1940, sugar merchants had enough funds to run their businesses and had nothing to do with bank. After 1940, sugar merchants had to ask for loans from the banks to maintain their businesses because rapidly rising of the price of commodities resulted in the increase of cost. But funds which banks lent them to sugar merchants were not fit to the need of sugar merchants.In terms of adjustment of supply-demand situation of sugar, government unveiled the measure of "alcohol replace petrol"(酒精代汽油政策)because gasoline was extremely scarcity for enemy-occupied southeast coastal area after the broke out of Second Sino-Japanese war. The raw materials which were used to produce alcohol were sugar in this period and with continue of the war, sugar could not meet the need of alcohol produced. For the war, central government had to strengthen the control of supply-demand of sugar in market, including of severe control the qualification of the alcohol companies and the transaction of sugar in the market. At the same time, this measure was not isolated but companied with "sugar evaluation institution " (蔗糖评价制度)and "sugar monopoly policy"(食糖专卖政策)In addition, this measure was also relate with the improvement of sugar industry technologies and sugar industry loan.In terms of control of sugar price, from "pre-sell" convention which was belonged to free transactions to institutional arrangement -"sugar evaluation institution "(蔗糖评价制度),central government would have limited the sugar price to intervene the transactions between the peasants and the sugar merchants, thus gave impetus to the development of sugar industry and maintained the stable of local society. To some extent, "sugar evaluation institution " had protected the profit of peasant and the stable of local society, but, with rapidly rising of the price of commodities, this action that government controlled the price of commodities had become an obstacle for peasants to make money. So the disputes between the peasants and sugar merchants had become the contradictions between peasants and government. In particular, there were severe conflicts in the Neijiang county (内江) and Zizhong county(资中),which not only resulted disorder of local society, but also handicapped the development of sugar economy of Tuo River Region.Finally, during of 1942 to 1944, central government had carried out "sugar monopoly policy" (食糖专卖政策)in Sichuan province and Xikang province(西康省),which marked the summit of control of sugar industry. Based on the implemental process of this policy, government was not able to comprehensive control the sugar industry but strengthen the control of transportation and storage. This policy had protected the taxation of government but caused many disadvantages for the deficiency of design and irrational implementation.During the period of Late of Qing dynasty and early of republic of China to Kuomingtang(国民党)retreat in failure, sugar economy of Tuo River Region had experienced from "free market period"(自由市场阶段)to "controlled market period"(统制市场阶段)On this course, there were not only some advantages to give a drive for the development of sugar economy, but also many unfavorable factors to hinder the progress of sugar economy, thus we can regard the development of sugar industry of Tuo River Region as a "paradox-type development"(悖论型增长).