The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-06-06
PRDGRESS IN JAPAN.
Vast Extension Of the Empires
Trade What 1t Can
Buy from Us.

SAN FRANCISCO, June 6, 1S96.-Rob-
ert r. Porter, ex-Superintendent Ct Cen
sus, returned from japan on the steamer
Peru yesterday. Mr.. Porter's trip TO the
Empire OF the Mikado was for the purpose
of investigating the industrial conditions
of that country with regard to the effect
Of Japanese competition upon American
prosperity, being a continuation Of the
trips he has made to various countries of
the world in the study Of labor problems
and tariff systems.
After Investigating actual conditions in
Japan he deems the question of Japanese
competition one of the momentous prob
lens that the American nation will have
to solve, but he thinks It's danger lies, not
SO much in the present competition in
the uideveloped state of japanese re-
sources as in the enormous rapidity Of
the growth of the japanese output in all
lines of manufacture which they enter.
1.-THE whole Japanese trade said Mr..
Porter in an interview last night. 'includ-
ing bullion and everything, ten years ago
increased to $500, 600, 900. The exports of
textiles alone have increased from S511, GOO
to S23 .000, 900 in ten years.
Where do they send these goods?',
luty supply The nome uemdQu F0T-
merly they bought yarn in India. Now
they do not. Some of the finer woods
they still have to buy in England. They
supply the home demand for cotton cloth
and they also send some to England.
OF course that business can increase
largely without interfering with US. Last
year they bought S2,500,No worth of
American cotton. As they improve in
manufacture they produce finer yarns
and as they make better cloths they
mus use our cotton. In order to get
any portion of the trade that England
now has with China, they must use more
American cotton. In view of this there
was a japanese syndicate formed while
l was there with a capital stock of
5000, 900 to run a new line of steamships
from this country, from Philadelphia,
New York, and Portland. Oregon. They
hope to ship cotton from Philadelphia,
bu they may start a line from San
Diego. They must nave our cotton.
"It is not a mere question of tariff,
but a question of the future. Here is a
trade increased from SIS, 600, 600 to $780,
years ago they made $50, 900 worth of
matches and sent very little out of
Japan last year $4,o0o.000 worth, nearly
s5,o00.oeO, and all went to India. We did
not receive more than $4,000 worth.
The same with mating ard rugs. Ten
years ago the amount was enthusiastically
small. only $3.50 worth of mattings ex-
ported. Rugs were not mentioned in
amounted to 81, 600, 000. They do this with
a combination of modern machinery and
the most docile laborer in the world. They
have no factory laws and can employ
children at any age. Children work at
seven, eight and nine years of age, the
whole day long, for from one to two
American cents per day. The relative posi-
items of English and American trade to
Japan are Illustrated by the fact that
England sold Japan last year $50, G0e.O0
of products and purchased $7,000,o59 worth,
v.-lt liz A 77ariaa hol1oht from Ianln xl
COO, 600 worth n sold her only $1,000, 900
worth. 81 per cent. being our sample pro-
ducts.
eff we are to keep up this large volume
of business with them they should buy
from US, and we should make them see
it to be to their interest to do it. This
would be on the lire of reciprocity"
Mr.. Porte. spoke very highly of the
MARQUIS tie.