Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-06-13
, TRADE In THE EAST.
Notes on Cotton Manufacture In China
and Japan.
ctRRENcY AND LABOR QUESTIONS
importance of Some international
Standard of NnIue-Mnny Nir-
PinEnns Going acknowledgements
Marriage of Interest.

report on the trade Of China and Japan
| Mr.. Jernigan has had valuable experience
in the consular service in the Orient,
having served during the first Cleve-
land administration. After the death OF
Colonel Buck" Jones, of Raleigh. he was
appointed Consul-General at Shanghai.
The following extracts from the report
Will interest southern people:
China is Americas largest market for
| domestic cotton goods. In 1892 China
imported from the United States 65.S5seo
yards OF domestic cotton; in 1898, she
imported only 27,7O6,OOO yards. These
figures are taken from the statistical
abstract OF the United States for 1893.
| and they show a falling off In this one
! item In one year OF IS. $4,000 yards.
The annual statement OF the trade OF
| the United Kingdom for 1885 also testifies
to the material loss in the importation
| by China Of cotton yarn and domestic
cottons from Great Britain. In 1&2,
| China imported British cOttOns to the
quantity Of ~. 1900 yards, and in 1898,
only 36j. $4,000 yards. The changes IN
the number Of yards Of this commodity
| imported during 1894 from the countries
named do not affect the application OF the
/ principle | wish 10 present for considera-
! ton in this connection.
THE cause Of the falling Off. indicated
| in the Importation Of domestic cottons,
will not appear in the ordinary rules
governing trade and, as regards the
| United States, the loss Is so marked as
10 excite anxiety. The study ! have been
! able to devote to the subject, and the in
formation derived from the most reliable
statistical reports bearing upon it. in
| aucnce the opinion that one Of the main
causes lies quite beneath the surface.
Il advance the opinion that the manu-
| facture of cotton goods by China and
Japan promises 10 decrease the importa-
ton by these countries OF such goods from
! the United States.
SPINNING MILLS
I'm the report OF the Yokohama Cham
Der Of Commerce dated May IL, ls9t II
| appears that the first spinning mill erect
| ed In japan was erected i'm 1885, with
! 5l56 splndles. AT the end Of lsS, there
were IS mills. with 1870 spindles; AT
the end Of 1855, q mills, with Ss,lip
| spindes: at the end Of 1852, 30 mills, with
| N3.3il spindles; 1898, 10 mills, with ABOUT
Goo spindles.
NO statistics relating to the cotton
mills Of China have been published 50
fun as those relating 10 the cotton-mil.s
| Of Japan. but such as have been pub
| Ished evidence an increase in the num-
| Der Of mills and spirdles. The large cot
ton-mnl at Shanghai. destroyed by fire
! In 1898. has been rebuilt, and Is now con-
| Quoted on a larger scale; and 1t is the
| opinion Of conservative Businessmen that
| the end Of the present year Will witness
in full operation at least $4,000 spindles
| and 500 looms, besides numerous cotton
| gins ready 10 operate In the fifteen cot
| ton-mills i'm course Of construction az
! Shanghai. Ningpo, and the ports on the
| Yangste river
The number Of pounds OF cotton an
| nually produced in China has not been
| accurately given. but the production IS
| annually increasing. and the soil and
| climate in many parts Of the empire are
| favorable to raising A much better staple
| than is seen in the markets. Much Of
| the cotton raised in China is taken by
| ;he cCtton-milis OF japan, bun AZ tie nos
| cotton-mils are erected in China these
! viii consume the greater part of the home
supply, forcing Japan to look to other
| fields for raw material for her mills.
CURRENCY AND LABOR.
1T is here that the subject Of wages
! should receive careful attention; and il
/ should not be forgotten that while the
! law Of supply and demand, with regard to
commodities, is International, II is only
| national and often provincial. with re-
| gard to labor. A bale Of cotton may have
! the same eXchangeable value In New Or
| leans. Liverpool. or Bombay. but the price
! Of a days labor in Bombay bears no ~
lation to the price Of a days labor in
| Liverpool or New Orleans. and no adjust
| ment OF the two opposing principles can
! be effected unless a cargo Of coolies can
| be imported as easily as q cargo of cot
| ton.
IAN intelligent understanding Of the in
| luential agency OF the price Of labor In
| regulating the profits Of manufacturing;
| enterprise may be had from this illustra-
! ton: In 1873 the mills Of the Orient and
| Occident were competing on equal terms
and receiving equal returns Now. In 1891,
! each mill employs the same amount OF
! labor as il did in 1873, but the owner OF
| the mill i'm the United States pays for the
! labor in gold at the old rates, while the
owner Of the mill in Japan pays for labor
| in silver at the old rates also. The Japa-
nese mill-owner paid I'm 1894. as he did in
| 1873 from IS 10 % cents day for men,
| and from TO 10 cents day for women
! That meant in 1873 from IS TO % cents
! in gold a day for men and from TO II
| cents in gold a day for women. Now
during the greater part Of 1894 81 in gold
| has been about equal 10 81 Of Japanese
| silver. which makes n clear that, on ac-
! count Of the depreciation Of silver alone
| without taking into account the low rate
Of standard wages which prevails in the
/ Orient the miil-owners Of the United
| States are now paying twice as much for
labor as the mill-owners Of Japan. This
/ may be- one reason why the cotton-mills
| I'm japan are showing such handsome re-
turns. while in the United States and
| Great Britain they are comparatively
struggling for existence. Not only does
this principle Of the difference In the value
Of currency in which labor is paid I'm the
eastern and western countries apply "a
wages, but ii applies to whatever is essen.
| tial TO the success OF agriculture and
| manufacturing enterprise.
1T Is not meant 10 intimate that INC
price Of labor i'm the United states should
be regulated by the price OF labor In
| Oriental countries but / do mean that
unless some standard OF international
value for the payment Of labor is agreed
! upon the products of the Oriental laborers
! tend 10 become a dangerous rival tc
! the products Of the Occidental laborers
| The statistics and logical comparisons
therefrom here adduced at least warrant
the expression Of such an opinion. Ii /:
Justified by other Northumberland facts
considered in other connections, but al
pointing to the same conclusion.
SILVER AND GOLD.
"if the land acquired twenty-five years
ago by foreigners at Shanghai for theii
| residence and business houses was th5T
worth $500 600. and was now sold fol
what IL originally cost in silver and this
silver, the proceeds. was converted int
gold at present rates, there would be q
loss OF about 100000; and by this rule
| ii appears that the inequality in tat
value OF silver and gold has reduced th'
gold-yalue OF property here one half.
IL am not writing In favor OF a gold OF
| a silver standard. but | am adducins
| facts which should awaken greater at
tention-bct.er still. more decided action
in favor of a permanent or more equaliz
ing adjustment OF the value OF silver anc
gold as purchasing mediums. Silver Is
used by one half Of the world and gold
by the other half and while wages ir
one half are paid In a deprecated curren
| cy. and In the other half In an appre
ciated currency, a rivalry between th'
respective products OF the labor OF each
is encouraged. with the advantage in tn,
outset 10 the products OF the laborer paiC
in deprecated currency especially wher
the latter can supply his daily want!
| ...l.k ..,.b fntrppncN which ha uillfp q