Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/837

 GOVERNMENT 715

The following are the members of the Cabinet (January, 1913) :—

Premier. — Ping Chun.

Minister of Foreign Affairs. — Liang Ju-hao.

Minister of Finance. — Chou Hsueh-hsi.

Minister of Education.— Fern Yuan-lien.

Minister of JVar.—Ti\a.n Ch'i-jui.

Minister of Justice. — Hsu Shih-ying.

Minister of the Interior.— G\mo Ping-chuu.

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry.— C\i en Chen-hsicn.

Minister of Industry and Commercc.-'Uxx K'uei-yi.

Minister of Communications. — Chu Ch'i-Ch'ien.

Minister of Marine.— hhi Kuan-hsiung.

Considerable discussion as to the seat of Government has resulted in the retention of Peking as the capital for the time being. The Government has not yet been recognised by the Powers.

The Republic has adopted a new flag on which the old yellow dragon has been replaced by five stripes— crimson, yellow, white, blue and black- to denote the five races comprised in the Chinese people, Mongol, Chinese, Manchu, Mohammedan, and Tibetan.

Local Government.

Under the monarchy each of the 22 provinces was ruled by a Viceroy placed over one, two, or three provinces, or by a Governor over a single province, either under a Viceroy or depending directly on the central government. He was assisted by various other high officials, such as tlie Treasurer, the Judicial Commissioner, and -the Commissioner of Education. In Auf^ust, 1910, in addition, a Commissioner for Foreign Affairs was appointed to each of the more important provinces, to rank immediately attei the Treasurer— a step which marked the growing importance ot foreign relations in Chinese eyes. Each province was sub-divided into prefectures ruled by prefects, and each prefecture into districts, each with a district magistrate. Two or more prefectures were united into a tao, or circuit, the official at the head of which being called a Taotai. Each town and village had also its unofficial governing body of * gentry. An J^^dict ot July 22, 1908, instituted Provincial Assemblies, and the first meetings wereheldonOctober 14, 1909. i ^ j •

The question of the system of Provincial Government to be adopted is the source of much irritation, the provinces demanding a degree of autonomy which the Central Government is not prepared to grant them. Actually each of the Provinces is under a Ihitu or Military Governor, who controls only one province (unlike the Viceroys of the late regivie). Most of the Tutus are upstarts of the Revolution, whose occupation of the positions was jormally recognised by the President in July, 1912. In each of the provinces of Shansi, Hupei and Szechuau there is also a Civil Administrator, who ranks with the Tidu The other high offices in the Provinces are for the time l^ing m a state of utter confusion, but in most Provinces the following officials are found under one title or another : Civil Commissioner, Finance Com- missioner, Judicial Commissioner, Commissioner of Education, Industrial Commissioner, and Commissioner for Foreign Affairs.