Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1895-07-11
(J:I CHINA'SCHEAP LABOR
HOW THE cHlMA-JapANEsE TREATY.
THREATENS OUR WoRKlNGMEN.

HOW THE CHiflh-JaFANESE TREATY
THREATENS OUR WORKlNGMEN.
Celestials Who Live on g Cents Day Will
Defy Ccmpctition-How Improved Ma
chincry and Foreign Capital Will In
fucnce Eragcs--Tclling Figures.
Who can say what will be the effect
Epon the industries of this country if
the cheap labor OF China is employed in
tho manufacture of goods for the MAJ.
kets of this country.
Who can predict the disastrous and
hopeless condition i'll which the A:s,c:
ican workingm;n will be i'll the face of
the competition IF 400. 900. 900 Chinese,
who can live on 5 cents day?
Who can anticipate the changed i'll
country which will follow upon the i'll
vestment of millions of American cap
ital i'll the cheaper manufacturing cen
ters of the Flowery Kingdom:
p These arc questions which sooner or
later will confront the American work
ingman and capitalist if the China-Ja-
pan treaty goes into effect.
Iii that treaty lies hidden menace
to the worllingmen of the world. 1t is !,
threat to the industrious civilized white
peoples of the earth, and one that to ;,u
economist or one thoroughly familiar
with the labor conditions of the differ
ont nations is full of evil portcnt.
= There are i'll China lG2 .GSO00 of
the tlriftirst, hardest working, most in
dustrious, most initiative and cheapest
living people on the face of the earth.
The ordinary Chinaman can i'll China
live on s cents Il day and can work 6
hours Il day without fatigue.
II tho wall which for centuries has
shut in the l,ordcs of Chinese by them
selves, and, despite the efforts of wealthy
capitalists of all nations, has prevented
the introduction of modern machinery
and methods, is NOW thrown down, it
will give u virgin opportunity to mil
lions Of capital seeking investment, but
il will sound the dcathllnell of the in
Nustrial prospects of every man who to-
day depends upon the restrictions Of
production, according to tho laws of
supply and demand.
The condition of peace quoted which
: Japan has imposed upon China means
that Japan OF any other nation, under
what i'll modern treaty making is called
the Favored nation clause" may put
into tho interior of China modern ma
chinery and carry on commerce with
7 the inhabitants. Under instructions,
too. Of Europeans or Americans, the
'Ghinese will be i'll a position to begin
the manufacture of every staple article
5 of commerce that the world consumes.
Railways will be built through the
country, the great rivers drcdgcd and
made navigable for ocean going steam
ers for hundreds Of miles into the inte-
rior, facilities for marketing the prod
uce of the country will be expanded and
made to meet the needs the new ccndi-
tiun creates. Tho product cf cheap Chi
nese labor will be put upott the market
at such price that competition by any
other people will be impossible.
As an instance Of the ingenuity and
x adaptability Of the Japanese to modern
q methods i'll manufacturing, as we'll as
that of his foster brother, tho Chinaman,
with whom, by the treaty, ):e will be i'll
offensive and defensive alliance and CO.
operation, it is only necessary to cite
the fact that at an exposition now being
held at Kimoro, Japan, the exhibits Of
Japanese manufactures Of fbcrs, tex
tiles, leather, machinery, upholstery, no.
siery, hardware, surgical and scientific
Instruments, chemicals and glassware
are offered ut such prices that all posi-
ble competition is annillilated.
& The total exports of the United States
in 1894 were $500, gao. .D37. Moro than
half of this, Gr,to be more accurate, five
eighths, is subject to competition when
China becomes modernized and her in
habitants become used to modern ma
\ chinery and modern methods of manu-
facture and agriculture. OF course this
may not he for years. perhaps 25 or 80
years, but it will begin as soon as tho
japanese Chinese trade alliance goes
into effect
Our total Imports in 1893 were $780,
81 400, ,922, and III 1894, a bad year, they
were 1864, 994,62 In 1908 they are
likely to bo increased sloo,ooo,ooo by
goods and staples from China alone.
+ Last year the Upitcd States exported
Il 9b. 1858, 48s worth Of goods to China, Of
which 1854, ,220 was in cotton goods
and &2,438, ,G3G in petroleum We i'm
i ported from China SIT 7,l35, ,O2s-s7,-
Il 397 ,253 in tea, So, lG3, ,G84 in silk, SS07,
# .835 in mating and about 81 900, 900
sWnrth Of skins and furs. Our exports to
Il Japan were i'll 1894 valued at S3,9S1,- :
81 377. OF this &, ,226, 247 was i'll petrole-
pm. Our imports We're SIS, ,42G, 522, over
S el0, 900, 900 being in silks and $4,000
h 900 in teas.
One Of tho peculiar features Of tho
impending order Of things in China is
the fact that the market in China for folSr