Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-04-10
ORIENTAL COMPETITION.

A Serious Question for Capitalist
Statesmen to Solve.
At a meeting in Sacramento, Mr.. o. +.
Washbourn descanted on the increasing
pressure which Asia is bound to exercise on
the West, and presented such an array of
facts as gave the clubs individualistic
members plenty of ground for thought
can only give you a very short
summary Of an excellent lecture. Mr..
Washbourn pointed out that in 1875 the
Japanese Government introduced only
few machines for cotton spinning; that in
1887 these had grown to 10000; in 1895 to
100, 900, and before the expiration of this
year they will possess million.
The Swiss Consul at Toxic had said that
Labor is so cheap, that even Europe can
no longer compete. Good cotton under
shirts are being sold at 30 cents per dozen;
cotton umbrellas on iron sticks at 500 per
dozen.'' Wharton Barber of Philadelphia
has said Of the Japanese town of Ozaka.
''They manufacture speciality Of rugs
after the order of those manufactured in
this city (Philadelphia) which they origin
ally took for pattern. Surgical instru-
ments are being made there at about one
tenth the cost of similar instruments in
Europe. They have arrived at such de-
gree Of perfection in the manufacture of
these that it is impossible to distinguish the
Japanese product from the European
Again, Washbourn showed that San
Franciscan firms had sent cotton cloth to
Japan to be there made up into underwear
and returned, and quoted authority on
authority to show how serious was the
commercial outlook for Europe and Amer
lea. 1t will be remembered that short
while ago certain Mr.. Mills ian employee
of the S. p, we believe) wrote lengthy
and specious letter to the Call which was
reproduced by the Southern Pacific organ
of Sacramento, the Record Union, wherein
Mr.. Mills carefully avoiding the real issue
endeavored to show that the commercial
enterprise of the Japanese could never out
strip the West.
Mr. Washbourn cut through all this soph
istry by showing that what is to be feared
is that first, Japan, and ultimately, China,
will supply their own markets-so depriv
ing us of our exports land the loss of exports
means the inability to import) and, second
ly, that our capitalists will certainly remove
their plants to these countries and, avaling
themselves of their cheap labor, ruin their
home competitors; and, in support, he
quoted Mr.. Rutherford of the California
Cotton Mills, whose company had received
overtures to remove their plant to Yokoha-
ma-showing that if this was done the saw
ing in the cost of labor in working up 4, 900
bales of cotton would be S33, 000-namely,
Sl1, 200 for Japanese labor against $50, 900
for white labor.
How cheap such labor is can be gathered
from the following figures: ''Skilled ma
chlnists, carpenters, joiners, and the high
est class OF that sort of mechanics get 20 to
~ cents day for twelve hours work; sec
ond class workmen get from Z to 10 cents
day, and women who work right along
with men from 5 to Z cents.' l wish
could quote more from that very able essay.
The capitalstic system is going to pieces iii
not fast enough) from its own inherent
weakness. 1t would seem as though
Asiatic competition were likely to give 10
its coup de grace. H. DARCY POWER.