The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-08-15
W. N. Armstrong Views the Eco
n0mical Situation.
PEOPLE CoNsUME VERY LITTLE.
Live Cheaply and Are Happy-GOods of
Foreign Manufacture Crowded Out.
Raw Material Only is Needed-sIer-
chants Are Not Strictly Honest.

The econimical situation in Japan
is not understood by foreigners, who
have not resided in the country.
Japan is self supporting country,
and, with all the vast increase of its
commerce with foreign nations, has s.
balance of trade in its favor.
1t wants for little beyond raw mater
ial, cotton and iron. 1t took for 8
while, English and German cotton
goods. Now it competes with those
countries. With all energy, worthy
to be initiated by the Hawaiian Gov
ernment, when it found that it was
being charged high commissions on
raw cottons by the merchants of Bonn
bay, the cotton traders, backed up by
the government, opened a bank at
once in Bombay, put on line OF
steamships, and did its own cotton
trade.
Spectators enter Japan with for
eign goods, but cannot sell them. The
japanese "have no wants." Blessed
people! The people appear to be we'll
fed. The children are fat and happy.
All dress neatly and bathe every day
in hot water. They have fine taste in
art, and are gentle in their ways
But they have no wants. The be
nighted women are content with one
fashion, and refuse to change their
clothing every year, so as to keep the
wheels of trade moving.
The men are the same. They have
no desire to purchase foreign goods III
any substantial quantity. They re-
gard the numerous missionaries, who
are residing in the Empire, as rich
people, simply as they live. AJauan-
ese merchant, looking as fat an d sleek
as any Honolulu merchant, will live
on $50 a month with something like
luxury.
In opening up trade with these peo-
pie the foreign world has just discov-
cred that it has forced to the front a
nation of sellers and not of purchasers,
and this, too, at time when the
whole civilized world is looking
about for purchasers and consumers
One cannot but laugh at the way the
great civilized nations overreached
themselves, when they, in the name
of humanity, forced open the barred
doors of China and Japan to the trade
of the world, that is, to purchase their
goods at high prices, only to find at
the end of a few years that these very
nations would begin to "down" them
with competition.
Japan has no patent laws, so her
people appropriate every useful inven-
ClOH Cuey Call nuU elSoWneTe. a nap
py speculator sells them a novel
machine in expectation of selling
them many. In short time be finds
his machine duplicated without limit
by these people, and his trade ended
with the sale of the single machine
The general complaint of the foreign
is that the japanese mer-
chants are deceitful and unreliable.
Even the native papers admit this,
and recommend their traders to adopt
better ways. Until the revolution of
'68, and even later, the merchant was
as a rascal, a thief, and utter
ly untrustworthy. The farmer stood
tar above him. The example of the
foreign merchants is gradually con-
verting the people to better views.
But it will take time to establish a
1ew order of things. Some of the
,ilk merchants have been gradually
by foreign association to fair
1ealing. But the vast majority of the
raiders will fail to keep their bargains,
will supply inferior goods, and show
IN utter lack of commercial moraIi-
y" There will be a change for the
better in due course of time.
Until lately all business has been
lone on a small, "picyune'' scale.
there were no large establishments.
1ven now, leaving out silk and cot
on, an order for large quantity of
oods could not be executed promptly.
well known nurseryman said that
ne order for plants which could be
xecuted in the States within two
Veeks, could not be executed by the
apanese nurserymen in two years.
he nation has been one of petty
callers and small manufacturers.
he vast quantity of curios and
orcelains and bric-a-brac consigned
D foreign countries, come from
thousands of small factories scattered
yer the country.
All this will also be changed in the
curse of time, aud will gradually
ather in the smaller. There are now
early sixty cotton mills In operation;
nd the number is increasing rapidly.
he Government stands Indirectly
ehind many enterprises in the in
crest of progress. The political stu
ton demands rapid development,
nd the government knows it. Ha-
ali may learn something of these
wd"heathensn who are alive to the
eeds of the hour.
Silver plays an important part
| the present development. The
.borers are all paid on a silver basis.
1d the foreign sales are all made on
gold basis. The people accept the
liver currency because they do not
now any better. The Japanese