State regulation

Duke Huan asked: "Please tell me of state regulation." Guan Zhong replied: "There are regulations for farms, for men, for disbursals, for rural areas, for public enterprises, for the currency, for the districts, and for the entire state..." Duke Huan said: "How shall I regulate?" Guan Zhong replied": In each village, the amount of farm land, the number of workers and the amount of grain produced should be ascertained. Similarly, in each district, the number of people, the amount of farm land, the consumption of grain, and the surplus of food supplies in a normal year should be determined. Again, in each village, the output of each year's spinning by the women should be noted, making estimates according to the four seasons. And record should be made of the surplus over and above what is needed to clothe the inhabitants... Also the various types of soil should be classified." Duke Huan asked: "What do you mean by classifying the soils?" Guan Zhong replied: "There is soil suitable for rushes; there is soil for bamboo, for sandalwood, and for mulberry trees; there is soil located in lowlands and swamps; there is land that may be flooded, suitable for stocking fish and turtles. These four types of soil should be carefully controlled and maintained by the government. The tax should be fixed according to the production, rathern than according to men or area."