.20 1930s Hebei Province, Soil Nitrate Salt Smuggling Problem

Illicit earth salt, which is a kind of inferior salt made through scraping, simmering and decocting alkaline soil, ran rampant, and led to official salt selling sluggishly and a sharp decrease in tax revenue in Hebei during 1930's. In order to solve the issue, Nanjing National Government took measures. Inexpertly, these measures brewed salt affair unrest and resulted in social agitation. The thesis studies Hebei's illicit earth salt issue in 1930's in four parts.The first part is a summary of Hebei's illicit earth salt in 1930's. In 1930's, illicit earth salt, with extensive production range, great output and numerous participants, entered circulating field widely. At the same time, various social forces permeated illicit earth salt issue, making official salt unsalable, tax revenue decreased and society unstable. In this way, illicit earth salt issue became an outstanding and serious social problem in Hebei during 1930's.In the second part, the thesis analyzes the causes of illicit earth salt flooding. The social background and main reason was the economic bankruptcy in rural areas. Operating malpractices, heavy tax and high price of official salt stimulated the production and sale of illicit earth salt fiercely. A large quantity of saline-alkali land provided material condition for the production.The third part focuses on some measures that the government took. These measures consist of drawing up relative law, strengthening to seize smugglers and other assistant measures, among which improving saline-alkali land and planting cotton, which are permanent cure, are worth being concerned about.The forth part appraises these measures, the thesis shows these measures aren't perfect. These measures made some effect, but didn't tackle the overflow of illicit earth salt, and led to salt affair unrest, which indicated that the government had failed in solving the issue.During 1930's, illicit earth salt was beyond the rang of salt politics and had become a means on which a large number of the poor made a living. In addition, it had turned into a joint of social contradiction because all kinds of social powers took part in. The government didn't find a sort of synthetic and effective method and wasn't able to. Therefore, it is not worth being strange that illicit earth salt ran rampant in Hebei during 1930's.