The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-18

The exploding OF tho bicycle yarn, the
other day, by Mr.. Dun, our minister to
Japan, who declares that there are no
| bicycles in that country not OF Ameri-
can or English make, has re-opened tbs
discussion as 10 industrial Japan, this
time TO the advantage OF. a little sound
sense and the disclosing OF some patent
facts
The japanese are a mighty clever people.
In the the lines OF their industrial de-
| velopmenl they produce as good or better
work, and produce 1t more cheaply, than
any other people in the world. We get
yet seen enters into competition with any
OF our manufacture S. And clover as are
the japanese their industries are limited
and Will be limited until the whole East
ern social fabric is rovolut loniZed, for in
dustrial conditions and social conditions
are intimately associated and Japan eday
is not prepared to undertake manu-
facture in lines that have given suprem-
ncy to the United States and to Great
Britain, for instance. And whether IL
will ever be 70 her advantage TO become
competitor, II II can ever be done with
out sacrificing her industrial speciaitiei
is question.
| A well known manufactures explained
something OF the situation and the con-
sideratiops inyolved 10 a Tribune re-
porter the other day, calling attention
| to the not unfamiliar fact that the
civilization of these eastern nations is
based upon the family, where ours is
based upon the individual. This differ
ence is much more profound than appears
upon the surface. Its consequences nre
not only far-reaching, but are almost i'm
mutable. The FIRST consequences is that a
father teaches bis children his own trade
! and seldom permits them to learn any
other. The fine lacquer manufacturers Of
Foo-Chow have belonged to one family
for over three thousand years, and they
do their work today, according to their
own statements, the same as their snces-
tors did before the Christian era. The
| moment a tradesman or man ufacturer be-
gins to prosper beyond a certain limit,
his taxes aud assessments are iucreased
more largely than upon the sliding scale
system advocated by the noisiest foreign
communist. Oriental society and law
bolster up this condition by giving
man certain social position out of which
It is almost impossible for him to move.
It permits his children to take higher
place in life, but does not advance him
| in the social scale. The son of coolie
who. becomes q millionaire must prostrate
himself before the lowest official. The
only recognition Of his wealth is when he
devotes large portion OF 1t to public
charity, to public uses or general philan-
throTy. He Is also permitted, when he
attains certain position, to buy title,
put it is title without office, power or
influence.
Even then he belongs to and is identi-
Hed with the social class in which he was
born. Corporations, as We understand
them, are unknown to these races, except
ing where they have been forced upon
them by foreign nations at the point OF a
bayonet and the mouth of cannon. AS
q result, In their Industrial system there
Is no dividing and distributing of the
functions of manufacture among a mass
Of men. The cobbler is the bootmaker,
and starts with the raw leather, and
works until he has completed the finished
boot or shoe. In the silk works the man
and his relatives and slaves will even be-
gin with the silkworm and mulberry leaf
ana toll IN every stage until q roll OF SILK
has been produced for the store. II is
true the orientals are very skilful. Give
them sewing machine, no matter how
complicated, and they win reproduce 4
with absolute accuracy. The reproduc-
.ion will be done by q concern consisting
OF man and his family, sons and grand
sons, or possibly, sons, brothers,
nephews, children, grandchildren and
grandnephews. They can reproduce one
machine, but they cannot reproduce i've,
or at least not at the same time. II 1t
takes one month 10 reproduce one, II
will take one year to reproduce twelve.
This is the first reason why the East can
not compete with Us Wes.erners.
On the other hand they have not that