The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-12-22
" HAT JAPAN DOING
Underselling American Goods
of Every Description.
HOW SEATTLE is AFFECTED.
Japanese Can Sell Goods Far Below
Americas Cost OF Production-A
500 Bicycle for sic.

T. NJ. Rasin. former resident Of Seattle
and nov in the wholesale wooden and dry
| goods commission business in New York
! and san Francisco. was talking last night
a. the Rainier club Of the invasion OF the
Domestic markets by the competition Of
japanese goods. and seemed 20 Be pretty
well posted on the subject. He mentioned
several lines OF goods manufactured in
his country in which the japanese We're
lnderselling the American maker. and re-
marked that so cheap was labor in that
country that the japanese could even make
4 lumber by hand cheaper than il could be
turned out by our iarge steam mills When
asked where he obtained this informa ton
about lumber. he said:
4 had il direct from Edward q. Burns.
u San Francisco. who is one Of the largest
dealers in japanese goods. In the talk
had with him some days ago he showed
ma buttons that he could sell for ~ per
cent OF the cost of making them in this
country. duty paid and landed at that:
also matches for the price OF boxing and
labelling in this country: surgical instru-
ments for 3 per cent. Of the cost Of manu-
facture. 500 bicycles that can be retailed
for Sle, and quite a number Of other ar
ticles ranging in price from Is to - per
cent. OF the mere cost of production in
this country.
Burns is the agent OF H f Reynall.
an Engiishman who a few years ago took
Z into his head 10 so To Japan and utilize
Is cheap labor. lie established himself
n Kobe and IS rapidly growing very
wealthy. His first idea was 70 compete
with British manufactures. because then
he could get the benefit Of the exchange.
paying his employees in silver and selling
his goods for gold. He built UP 4 large
business in very short time, and lately
met with young American, W F. Burns.
Of Baltimore. who was travelling in Japan.
and the Wilson bill having thrown this
country open, they began experimenting
as 10 what they could do with their goods.
In my talk with Burns | was !nquiTing
principally as to buttons and WOODEN goods.
but ] asked him in what else he could un-
dersell US. Lots of things he said. He
began with wood, saying they could sell
lumber. sawn be hand. much below the
price for which we could saw il 10y steam.
and added all. kinds Of woodwork. willow
ware upholstered goods. clothing. almost
everything in the manufacturing line.
They imported cotton from New Orleans
and Texas. wool from Australia and had
plenty of silk and whole forests Of lum-
Der The import duty of Japan, he said,
did not amount 10 per cent. ad valorem.
and he said in conclusion that we could
raise our tariff 90 per cent, and then he
could underseu us.
alive rates paid for labor in this country
and Japan will show you how IL can be
done. Take a suit Of clothes, for example.
Five pounds OF wool 10 make il will cost
not to exceed IS cents. Then there is the
cotton fabric used for lining and the but
tons. another IS cents. so the raw material
altogether does not cost more than 81 -.
This suit Will sell. according TO the labor
put in Il. from SO TO $50; that viii be $50
for the labor in the cheap suit and $3.50
for labor in the hlgher-priced suit The
same labor in Japan would be s. and 81 -.
or about that.
The average price of such skilled labor
I'm the East is $50 a month while in Japan.
ridiculous as II may sound. skilled labor
for manufacturing purposes ranges from
80 cents to 81 a month.
Il cite this suit of clothes merely as an
instance. but. as you can see. Japanese
competition will affect every manufactur-
ing enterprise in this country. This coast
VIII naturally he the first part of the coun-
try 20 feel this competition. and your
young industries will undoubtedly suffer.
Il know that the Sound Is expecting TO
do a great trade with China, but II YOU
consider for a moment YOU will find no
consolation in that. Australia IS handler
FOR them 10 get their wool and, as Burns
saws. they have forests Of timber equal IN
area and value to our own. What few
goods they are likely 20 get from this
country viii go through 81. Paul and Win
repeP TO Vancouver, r. c. over the Cana
dian Pacific. They are sending the cotton
they import that way. and are getting
cheaper rates than American transporta-
tion companies can afford 10 offer
The Manufacturers Association Of San
Francisco. the Chamber OF Commerce and
the Merchants Exchange are sending res
oIutfons 70 congress asking some action
inv Efo Of % ~
japanese cheap labor. I should think the
Seattle Chamber of Commerce ought TO
take some similar action. or correspond or
% nr.arata With The San Eranclscn hndles ;,