The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-27
Chamber of Commerce and
Board of Trade Asked
to Help.
CONGRESS MUST BE WARNED.
All Industrial Organizations Asked
to Join in Demanding Aid
From Washington.

1.-The goods that Japan wants England
furnishes cheaper than any other nation.
1.-THE goods that America wants Japan
furnishes cheaper"
These words were contained in letter
from Irving NJ. Scott read to the direc-
tors of the Manufacturers and Producers
Association yesterday, at meeting at
which they decided TO call upon the
Chamber of Commerce, Board of Trade
and other organizations to join in taking
steps to ask Congress to give help to pre-
vent the threatened invasion of goods
manufactured IN Japan.
There were present at the meeting seven
of the nine directors who are in town
with NJ. J. Keller of Oakland in the chair.
They were all unanimously in favor OF
taking action Immediately in the matter,
in order to bring it to the attention of
Congress and to arouse Eastern manufac-
turers to the imminency of the danger that
threatens.
A letter from Julian Sonntag, as chair
man of the committee on legislation. was
read as follows:
Dear Sir: Within the past week my earnest
attention has been called to a fact which be-
leye will very much interest our association.
That is the establishing of agencies i'll Califor-
MIA and throughout the United States for the
sale of manufactured goods made in the en-
pire OF japan.
The low prices of wages paid, and the
particular aDtness in which the Japane Sc
conceive the ideas OF manufacture, make 1t
all the more important to not alone the Cali
fornia manufacturers, but all through the
United States. l think that our association
should take the initiative, and l would most
respectfully suggest to our body that meeting
be called of all the CONNIE rcial Institutions
wit in
gress of the United States, which convenes
very shortly now, the i'm portance OF protect
ing our manufacturers against this invasion.
As chairman OF the committee on legisla-
ton, this matter to q degree would naturally
fall to my committee, but think this matter
OF importance to claim the attention of the en-
tire board OF directors, and that a special COM
mittee be appointed from our board to confer
with all the particular commercial bodies in
the State, and the meeting mentioned be held
some time during January next, as during De-
cember it might be inopportune, owing 10 the
holiday season, and Congress will not fairly
get to work before the year 1896.
Mr.. Sonntag spoke of the good work
being done by THE CALL in the matter,
and said:
California is the first State that will suffer,
and it is our duty to take the initiative and
warn the East OF our danger. There should be
no delay. This matter should be taken up i'm
medIately. l would suggest that we confer
with the Chamber of Commerce and the Board
call mass-meeting OF the people.
L. R. Mead presented a letter which he
had received from Irving NJ. Scott, who bad
lately been in Japan, in answer to questions
he had asked in behalf of the association.
In the letter, which was read, Mr.. Scott
said:
see very little opening in Japan for Ameri-
can products on account of the different con-
ditions of the people Such things a. hardware
or anything in the metal line of light quality,
they make themselves at a price which pre-
cludes competition from California under the
system of manufactures that exist in our State.
There is but little use for engines in
Japan. The cheapness of labor existing there
supplies all their wants at a cheaper price by
hand labor than it can be made by steam.
They saw lumber at q less price than it can be
sawed for in a steam sawmill, because they
go right where the logs are and cut them down
and saw them up on the spot.
Japan is q well-watered country, and many
of the mountain streams offer good oppor-
tunity for generating electric currents, which
in time will be used as motive-power for
manufacturing; but the phenomenal industry
of the entire population of Japan supplements
the lack OF mechanical apparatus, because
each pair at hands is skilled and is producing
something in its own line very artistic and
marvelously cheap.
America is Japan's largest pur-
chaser of silks and teas. Japan herself pur-
other nation. The goods that Japan wants
England furnishes cheaper than any other
nation. The goods that America wants Japan
furnishes cheaper.
Mr.. Keller said: cit is very evident that
California is the first part of the United
States that will be affected by this inva-
sion, and before the rest OF the United
States will understand the matter, it is
proper that the alarm should be raised
here. We have already plenty Of proof of
the danger"
J. P. Currier said that the importation
OF silk from Japan had trebled within the
past few years, and the silk manufacturers
of the country could be relied upon to
back any efforts made here.
L. Saroni, on behalf of Mr.. Sonntag
who had been compelled to leave the meet
Ing, moved that a committee of three be
appointed to confer with the leading
spirits of the Chamber of Commerce.
Board of Trade and other kindred organ
izations, with view to determining what
action should be taken to prevent the i'm
po-tation of Japanese manufactures, with
full power 10 act.
Julian Sonntag, Louis Saroni and James
Sproule were appointed the members of
the committee.
At this point letter was received from
Labor Commissioner Fitzgerald and read.
Mr.. Fitzgerald offered his services, partic-
ularly in regard to gathering statistics
through his office to aid the committee.
He said in part:
Since the close of the late war japan has de-
voted its attention to fostering enterprises and
Industries, having within its confines hordes
of the lowest and cheapest order of labor and
possessing among its subjects the lntuitive and
Initiative power of reproducing the most intri-
cate and complicated mechanism-a combina-
ton OF conditions which to-day exists in no
other country and only serves to place Japan
upon a pedestal in manufacturing which COM
pels the known world to kneel at her feet.
In Japan in 1883 there were only approx
mately 49, 900 spindles In 1888 there were
80 900, but between 1888 and 1892 it jumped
TO the vast number of 100000 spinoles and is
constantly increasing.
Not only in cotton have such enormous
bounds been made, but in the manufacture of
watches and silks and, in fact, all industries
which owe more of their value to patience
and skill than to labor-sayinP machinery