From our archives

July 6, 1983

Rural housing improved

On an average each farmer now has a living space of 10.73 sq m compared with 8. 1 sq m in 1978, according to a survey conducted by the Agriculture Department of the State Statistical Bureau.

The survey covered 22,755 rural families in 589 counties across the country.

It also found that 37 percent of rural households surveyed had built new houses. On an average, every rural family has one more room to live in than in 1978.

The survey also found that the proportion of brick, timber and reinforced concrete used in building new houses rose from 38.2 percent to 62.8 percent from 1979 to 1982.

Shanghai students to get 'right' jobs

Shanghai's universities, with a graduating class of about 20,000 in 1983, will make some changes in job placement procedures.

These include giving more initiative and responsibility to the universities, and giving units greater choice in the college graduates they accept.

Colleges may contact the employing units and recommend graduates for particular posts, but the final decision on job placement will rest with the universities.

More machines for rural market

The Ministry of Machine-Building Industry plans to develop more than 300 new varieties of farming machinery in the next three years to meet the growing demand.

Meanwhile, the 1.5-ton tractors produced by the Tianshui Tractor Factory in Gansu province sell well in Northwest China.

The factory turned out 250 tractors in 1982 and has already received orders for more than 1,500 in 1983.

(China Daily 07/08/2008 page9)