People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1896-05-28

been benefited, but how about the
cotton spinners and weayers Of Eng
land, whose products are to be dis
placed by those Of japanese weavers
and spinnerS operating English ma
chinery in their own country;
But even the newly created de-
mand for English machinery can not
be depended upon to last long. The
initiative faculty of the japanese is
well known, and their disposition to
make the best Of it is also understood.
1t may be assumed that people who
speedily learn TO reproduce the best
class OF marine engines, and who
have access to cheap coal and iron,
will not long neglect tue opportunity
10 save their c0untrymel the trouble
Of importing cotton machinery from
England or the United States, and
thus at an early day even the small
comfort of providing English rivals
with the means for the undOiDg Of
England will vanish.
The condition Of affairs existing
in Japan is also met with in other
parts Of the Orient. The transfer
ence of the jute industry to India
from Scotland is plainly attributable
TO the fluctuations in exchange since
tie demonstration Of silver. The
manufacture Of jute was once cOnfn-
ed almost wholly to Dundee, but now
large quantities Of Jute are worked
up on the HUOgly, near Calcutta, and
in the near future the tranSfere will
be complete, for the Scottish manu-
facturer can not compete with the
subtle advantage enjoyed by the
manufacturer in Silver-usi1g coun-
tries.
This advantage has also operated
to deprive English shipbuilders of a
share of trade. At meeting Of the
China Mutual Steamship Company,
Mr.. Maitland, the president, remark
ed that the working expenses had
been considerably reduced, almost en-
tirely by the great fill in the gold
price Of Silver.
" For the repairs o! their steamers
very large amounts OF money were
annually needed and they bad al
ready commenced to make repairs in
Singapore, China aud Japan. With
the dollar at two ShilllngS the skilled
ASiatic will work for mouth for
less than a skilled British subject
will work for week. This testimony
regarding the danger to the ship
building industry is supplemented by
that q the chairman Of the PENN.
Sular and Oriental, the greatest
steamship line plying between the
Orient and Europe, who mas not hest
tated 20 predict that il the Chinese
and.Gapanese continue to se.ain the
advantage which the excessive ap-
probation of the value Of gold gives
then, the new vessels Of the company
will be built in those countries, and
he adds that it is not at all impr6ba.
: blethat the Chinese and the japanese
in'ske near future will build ships to
be operated in Western waters.
"On the 10Th of September. 1894,
the Hongkong Press published au
article from the pen Of Il. Kopsch, F.
R, G. S., in which he pointed out the
reason why the English shipbuihing
industry was suffering through the
| appreciation Of gold. He enforced
his views by practical illustrations.
"SOne years ago." he said, "a man-
DARN sought to obtain estimates for a
steam launch ia anticipation of his
being permitted to introdnce steam
power on one Of the lakes of the En-
pire- The tender submitted for the
launah was el,0O0 or 5000 Mexican
dollaEs. Subsequently the same
officer renewed his Inquiries and was
amazed to find that the launch,
which he could have had built for
5000 Mexican dollars when he first
made his inquiries, would cost him
10000 Mexican dollars under the
changed conditions. Permission has
| since been given to navigate certain
inner waters Of China, but owing to
the high price of gold the Chinese are
themselves making the boilers and
the engines instead of getting them
from England" This same writer
also noted the fact that between 1854
aud 1893 there were 3ss steamers
aggregatiRg 1904 tons, built and
and engined in HonekoBg. and he
adds: Twenty years ago had any one
prophesied that Chinese would ever
compete with British shipwrights
and engine makers he would have
been SidiCuled; nevertheless the ap-
4 probation Of gold has 50 reduced
wages as to make it possible for China
TO compete with the West 10 the
manufacture Of articles for which the
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