The Hawaiian gazette., 1896-07-03
Possibilities of Encroachment on
the United States.
wEAvERs THREE CENTS A DAY,
Infamous Laws Permitting Young
Children to Work in Factories.
Nearly One Million Women weav-
ers Aid to a Census Taker.

Robert P. Porter, we'll known as the
United States Superintendent of the last
census, returned from Japan on the
Peru yesterday, says the San Francisco
Chronicle of June Is. Mr.. Porter dhas
been in Japan since March, where he
studied the industrial and manufacture
ing conditions of the empire. He re-
turns with decided ideas that the coun-
r. try is fully awake to the needs of the
times, and that it will prove a strong
competitor to Western nations
Mr.. Porter is a chubby-faced, clean
shaver man, native of England, who
came to this country when IA years of
age. He spent twenty years of his life
as a journalist, after which he became
superintendent of census. Speaking of
Japan, he said:
Il am satisfied, after looking over
the industrial situation, that Japan has
taken its position with the great civil
lied nations of the earth and has be-
come an important factor in the com
merce of the world While have spent
far too little time in that fascinating
country, the opportunities afforded me
for study were very satisfactory have
therefore been able to collect a vast
amount of valuable data on all branches
of industry. 1 was greatly impressed
with the progressive spirit of the Jap
anese officials whom 1 met at the EN-
peror's garden party
Mr.. Porter says that the Statistical
Society of Toxic furnished him valu-
able material. He was impressed with
the fact that nearly all the prominent
men and women he met, including the
Emperor, were dressed in European
costume.
During my stay in Japan" he said,
81 think l visited more than two hun
dred mills, factories and shops, cover
ing every important industry. The gen
eral letter 1 held from the American
Minister secured admission everywhere.
In some cases the proprietors not only
gave me all available data, even to the
profits of their business, but personally
took photographs of their mills and
machinery that might inform my Am
erican friends of the Industrial progress
of Japan"
The investigator covered pretty thor
oughly the main island of Japan, also
the north, central and southern por-
lions. The main island represents a
population of 35,000,000 or $4,000 900
including Formosa.
1.-THE weaving or spinning of tex
tiles" says Mr. Porter, constitutes the
most important industry of Japan, and
there are fully a million weavers re-
turned in the census, $4,000 females
This tremendous force of weavers has
enabled Japan not only to supply nearly
all her own wants, but swell her exports
of textiles from sell 800 in 1885 to $22,-
177,626 in 1895, an increase of more
than forty fold.
I'm the investigation of the silk in
dustry l spent some time, where found
the current wages for female weavers
from to cents per day for young
girls and to 10 and Is cents for expert
weavers. l also paid particular atten-
ton to cotton spinning and weaving.
see no reason why the exports of cotton
to India and China will not reach $780,
100000 before another decade. The to-
tai value of the textile industry of JAP
an may reach nearly 100000, 900 this
year,
Some of the other industries visited
were the rug makers of the country
where / found children of and s years
working for a cent day, and to
cents a day were current wages for q
day of twelve to fourteen hours. II
some of the manufacturing regions the
schools had been depopulated to one
third of their former number that there
might be a supply of children to MAKE
mating. Japan can also beat the worlt
on tooth brushes. have samples tina
cost less than 81 per gross. The bes
quality costs only 81 per gross.
'The wonder to me is that Japan ha
become so important a manufacture
without being a purchasing nation
Speaking of the foreign trade, tn
student of figures says: 'Japan's for
eign trade has gone from s7S000000 il
1885 to 1926 5000 900 in 1895, which
nearly half the Pacific trade. In m
opinion it is sure to increase as Japal
secures more and more of the Asiati
markets"
AS an old newspaper man Mr.. Porte
objects to the way the Government
treats newspapers. "To class organs Q
public opinion and education with oc
equations that are regulated by the pc
lice is a great mistake. The chief of pc
lice of each city has the power to sus
pend the publication of any newspape
at will. and the right is not infrequent
Nv exercised, as the reports show"
1t struck the statistician as ba
sign that man may get divorce fror
his wife in Japan on the ground c
"talkativeness," and that there are on
third as many divorces as marriage.
But in spite of many odd customs an