Shadow Spy

Chapter 266 Manipulated Rice and Coal

During this period, due to the toughness of the Concession Police Department, the Japanese were unable to bail out hundreds of arrested Japanese and puppet spies. In order to exert pressure, they strengthened checkpoints outside the Concession and began to restrict the import of various materials, especially It is food, coal, etc. that are closely related to people's livelihood, in an attempt to force the concession to bow.

Under such circumstances, rice grain stores and coal stores in the concession were reluctant to sell at the same time, which played a role in fueling the flames. In just a few days, the market prices of rice, coal and other necessities for people's livelihood skyrocketed, causing panic among the citizens.

In order to deal with this situation, Li Junhao proposed that the Ministry of Industry and Industry Bureau establish a market management office, with a grain management office and a coal management office under it to control these two types of commodities on the market and crack down on the hoarding of strange products. The anti-smuggling division of the police station will cooperate with the action.

As soon as the market management office started cleaning up the market, it first targeted two powerful chambers of commerce—the Rice Industry Association and the Coal Industry Association.

The Rice Industry Association is a trade guild composed of more than [-] rice and grain merchants in the concession. Most of its senior officials have consortium or gang backgrounds. They jointly control most of the food supply in the concession.

The power of the Coal Industry Association has become even stronger. It controls all coal supplies in Shanghai and Shanghai, and is now controlled by Japanese businessmen.
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At the board meeting of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Bureau on February 2, Thain, Commercial Counselor of the Consulate in charge of economics, announced a set of data, illustrating the serious shortage of grain and coal supply and skyrocketing prices in the Shanghai and Shanghai markets.

Originally, Shanghai was Asia's largest grain re-export port and China's most important rice grain consumption and trade re-export market.In the re-export trade, there are both exports of domestic rice and imports of rice from Southeast Asia, with the total amount reaching millions of tons every year.Therefore, from the founding of the Republic of China to the July 20th Incident, although the price of rice in Shanghai had fluctuated significantly due to man-made or financial crises, it had never exceeded 100 yuan/quintal ([-] kilograms).

Before the August 170th Battle, the population of the concession was about 30 million, and the annual rice consumption was about 13 tons. It was the area with the highest per capita consumption in the country. The average rice price at that time was [-] yuan/quintal.

As of the end of last year, the population of the concession exceeded 400 million (or more), but it is estimated that the consumption of rice and grain in the concession was only 48 tons, and per capita consumption decreased by 30%, which shows that the average living standard has dropped significantly.

At the beginning of last year, the price of rice was about 17 yuan/quintal, but by the end of the year, it had risen to 60 yuan/quintal, an increase of two and a half times; and now, because the Japanese army blocked the concession and froze the re-export trade of Wusong Port, Grain dealers in the concession took the opportunity to raise prices again. The market price of rice has reached 70 yuan per quintal, and it is bound to continue to rise...

In terms of coal, Shanghai is a complete consumer market. Factories and mines use coal for steam power, power plants use coal for power generation, and citizens use coal for daily life. However, coal sources have long been mainly supplied by North China (mainly Kailuan Coal Mine). Another small part is imported Indian coal...

For example, in 1939, more than 100 million tons of coal were imported from the Kailuan Coal Mine.

Although the Kailuan Coal Mine in Tangshan, Hebei Province is still controlled by the British, the external transportation channels are completely surrounded by Japanese-occupied areas, so they have no pricing power on the price of coal shipped to Shanghai.

At present, the transportation and sales of coal in North China are controlled by the Japanese "North China Development Corporation", and central China is controlled by the "Central China Revitalization Corporation". Therefore, since the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, the price of coal in Shanghai and Shanghai has increased more than ten times; and this This time, the Coal Industry Association, which was controlled by Japanese businessmen, used the coal purchase and sales channels it controlled to manipulate coal prices in Shanghai and Shanghai, causing the market coal prices to continue to skyrocket.Finally, Thain pointed out that the price of food and coal in the concession has skyrocketed again. Although it is due to the Japanese blockade and the two major guilds' manipulation of the market, the fundamental reason is because of the police's severe crackdown on Japanese spies in the concession. As a result, Military Attaché Pan Sen should bear responsibility for this.

In response to this accusation, everyone in the meeting responded with silence. Although some people also thought so, no one agreed with his statement - who is Pan Sen? Counselor Thain actually took the opportunity to attack the board of directors. What did he want to do? !
Everyone understands that this matter can be discussed at the internal meeting of the Consulate General and then announced to the Board of Directors of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. There is no need to expose internal conflicts to external directors; but Thain did just that!Is this to break the skin?

Li Junhao looked at the serious-faced Thain and couldn't help laughing. No wonder he refuted him, but he said: "Mr. Thain and I have slightly different views. First of all, the increase in grain and coal prices will not start from now on." Yes, it has been more than two years since the Shanghai Concession area became a Japanese war zone. The entrance and exit channels to Shanghai have been controlled by the Japanese army. It is inevitable that the price of consumer goods will rise;

"Secondly, isn't this operation against illegal intelligence outlets in the concession wrong?"

Thain had a sullen face and did not answer. He couldn't say that this was wrong, as it would affect his image too much.

"The police station has done the right thing, eliminated most of the illegal forces in the concession, and greatly improved the security situation. Aren't these good things?" Li Junhao did not force him to answer, and continued, "The concession is in our hands. Then whatever we do, we need to consider whether it is beneficial to the overall situation of the concession, rather than shirk blame and evade responsibility when something goes wrong... Oh, I don't mean that Mr. Thain is such a person, everyone must not Misunderstand!"

Hearing his words, many people couldn't help laughing, but Thain's face turned black.

At this time, Ayers said: "Okay, Ogg, tell me your opinions on how to handle this matter. It goes without saying that there are some situations that everyone knows. It's a waste of time!"

His words sounded like he was asking Li Junhao to get to the point quickly, but everyone here was an old civil servant, so how could they not hear it - this was talking nonsense and a waste of time before talking about Thain!

"Yes, sir." Li Junhao said, no longer looking at Thain's unbearable expression, "I have learned that the price of rice in Shanghai and Shanghai is mainly determined by the Rice Industry Association, and the people behind it are the Jiangsu-Zhejiang Consortium and the Qinggang Gang. Guys and black market traders, now that the Japanese have tightened the blockade of the entrance and exit of the concession, they saw an opportunity to make a fortune, so they settled in strange places and wanted to make huge profits!

"As for the current situation of the coal market, Mr. Thain also said just now that the fundamental reason lies in the manipulation of the coal industry association, which is completely controlled by Japanese businessmen! These Japanese businessmen have sinister intentions. On the one hand, they are seeking more profits, and on the other hand, they are borrowing money. This machine will attack the Concession Ministry of Industry and Commerce, or our American prestige..."

(End of this chapter)