The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-03-13
WAGES IN JAPAN.
Remarkable Industrial Revolution
Now In Progress In the
Mikado's Country.

1.-THE industrial revolution that is now
going on in Japan is quite as remark
able as the political revolution that o.
CURED there thirty years ago, and equal
~ important to the rest of the world.
says William Elroy Curtis i'll the bulletin
of the department of labor issued by
the government of the United States.
Until recently all the manufacturing
done in Japan has been in the house
holds, and % per cent. Of the skilled
labor is still occupied in the homes of
the people and in a measure independent
of the conditions that govern wage work
ers i'll other lands. The weaver has
his loom i'll his own house. and his wife.
SONS and daughters take their turns al
it during the day. 1t has always been
the custom for children to follow the
trade of their parents. The finest bro
cades, the choicest silks. the most artistic
porcelain, cloisoune and lacquer work are
done under the roofs of humble cot
tages, and the compensation has here"
tofOrc been governed usually Ivy the quail
ity of the piece produced.
''1n the oldcn times the fendal lord.
or dain,io, who ruled a particular prov
ince, was always expected to purchase.
the highest grades of industrial art thar
were produced in his jurisdiction. and if
some of his sulordinates who had none?
to invest i'll such luxuries. but Row there
are middlemnn who stand between til"
artisans and the public markets and
buy for both tn" local and the export
trades, taking all sorts Of goods and dis
posing of them wherever they can do p"
to the best advantage. These middle"
men are the same who used To h3 ntile
similar wares during the days Of the
daimios. and their fathers followed the
same business before them. The rrla-
tons between the producer and his agent
have gone on for centuries in the SANG
family. Asana. the weaver. sells his
brocades to the great grandson Of the
merchant who bought his great-gra ndfa-
to be placed, say. for 1000 lacquer trays
| or 10000 embroidered shawls. the midi
dleman distributes ii among the families
of his acquaintance who are in the lla bit
of doing such work. If they are poor
he advances them money and furnishes
them materials. He is usually their
| banker. and they keep an open account
they furnish and charged with whatever
money or supplies he gives them. Ii
they get little ahead he advises them
| III making investments. and acts as
friend and counsel in financial affairs.
The relations between these commission
men and their clients. which sometimes
extend over provinces as large as our
states, have nothing to resemble them
among the working classes of Europe or
America. They are the outgrowth of
the feudal system. and to the credit of
Japan it may be said that the conf
dence which the working PEG ,e have
placed i'll their agents has seldom been
betrayed. There has not been a fixed
! price for anything except the staples of
| the country. but the producers have re-
lied upon the middlemen to represent
their interests and get as good prices
| as possible for their wares. just as a
large real estate owner depends upon his
agents to rent and sell his property to
advantage.
The ancient system of household Ia
Dor is being rapidly overturned hy the
introduction of modern methods and ma
chinery. The older artisans are offering
a vain resistance and cannot be drawn
from the antique looms and FORCES by
any inducement that has yet been Of
fered. but the younger generations are
| rapidly acquiring Il knowledge IF the use
| and value of la bor-Sav wing machinery and
| factories are being built in all parts OF
! the empire. The grea test progress THUS
| far has been made in cotton spinning
and weaving. but several iron mills have
been esta blished and machine shops are
springing up all over the empire. In
four years the new treaties go into eff
feet. when foreigners will be allowed to
engage openly in manufacturing enter
prises. Then their ca oital and experience
| will give decided stimulus to nechan-
! ical industry and the increase in the
productive power of Japan will be even
| more rapid than now.
THE following are present rates of
| wages Maid in the CITY of fokoba1nn for