The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-02-23

vesoonens OK Japan Is undoubtedly ths
progress sszax nza6e In cotton Eanu.ac-
tue. MISUNDERSTANDING the natural dis
Ioezfson CT trade resulting from tbs per
suraess political atmosphere. TIE cSttnn-
spinning companies % japan realized very
ercos-axtnx results during ths E-ss half
OF the present year, the earnings n some
cases being as high as i per cent. This
favor1eie return - attributed 70 the tn
creased price Of yarns owing 20 specula-
tive purchases n view OF rhe revival OF
trade after the war: the gradual rise IN the
the price OF raw cofton. and the dsnnin-
isfe1 cost OF coal The returns recently
resolved show that the total number Of
sp4n1ls~ was only a single unit short OF
five iakhs and 1850 or rather more than
ons-cfrh CT the nominal number Tor the
entire Bombay presidency. The average
period during which the mills wsre work
ing In the month was tventy-seven days,
and the average tine IRE mills were kept
open psr diem was twenty-five and one
half hours The far Eastern mills reseua-
bic those Of British India in the class OF
work manufactured. which DO not come
into competition with the high counts OF
Lancashire The total number OF hands
employed was sess men and =, 44 women.
dssproportion which should be carefully
noted In Bombay. and which Is 10 be ac-
counted fer by the fact that while the
average rate OF pay for the male operative
N N.0s cents. that OF the women Is 8. .
cents.
New mills are being erected IN Japan.
and there ars not wanting indications Of
similar enterprises being undertaken in
China when Circumstances are favorable
Whistler Chinese or japanese capital IS
employed In the erection OF these mills. IL
10 quite certain that their working VIII
s4.1f
the japanese. The Chinese Is a very steady
going and Industrious workman. but he
has no head for the organization OF large
industry. and would bs utterly at loss IN
managing a mill. He will, therefore, cali
In the aid OF bis Eastern nssghbor, and
the mills win be worked under japanese
supervision. but with Chinese labor, a COM
b!nation insuring very cheap production.
against which the Bombay mill owner viii
md II hard TO compete. To the cotton mer-
chants in India the outlook Is less seri-
GUS, as there are not many parts OF China
where the soil Is adapted for cotton grow
ing excepting OF very coarse kind. and In
Japan the area available for cultivation
10 necessarily mainly absorbed in the pro-
oucrion Of rice and other foodstgffs to
meet the demands Of a growing popula-
ton. IL may, therefore. be safely assumed
that the lar East will continue 10 depend
largely on India for It's supplies OF raw
cotton unless japan is reached by the
American markets on equally good terms.
THIS being SO. Il Is rather dssquisting 10
learn that a line OF steamers Is shortly 20
DO established 20 run between Kobe and
Yokohama and Mexico. connectlng with
The Tehauntepec railroad, and thus with
the suf or cotton states. The line VIII
be worked under the auspices OF the Osaka
Cotson Spinning Association for the ex-
press purpose OF bringing the raw material
direct from America, and Il IL stated that
definite promises have been obtained OF a
subsidy from the Japanese government.
Beside cotton, IL Is expected that iron VIII
be brought from mine In the northern
part of Mexico. which. on the authority OF
al analysis made by an English Arm, Is
said 10 contain ore OF superior quality Sc
In beloved that paying return naTgoes 10
Central America OF japanese staples will
be forthcoming after the line has been in
working order for some time, but the main
object In View appears TO be the direct inn
portaEon OF cotton. 1t Is clear. therefore,
that the prospects OF the Bombay cotton
trade with the far East are the reverse Of
cheering and IL behooves the local merchants
To give very earnest attention To the stua-
ton. with view to seeing how far 1t is
possible 10 legitimately counteract this
existing tendency. Another Threatened in
dustry In which Bombay is interested. in
asinuch as IL Is financed In that presidency
ia the export OF Persian opium TO Formosa,
to supply the wants OF the Chinese inhabi-
tants. who number about 100000 The I'M
portation or opium into Japan Is strictly
forbidden, and the mikado's government
have, after careful consideration. decided
that the prohibition shall also apply 10 In.
recently acquired Island OF Formosa, On
the ground that the japanese on the island
might acquire the opium habit. The result
OF this Introduction will be the cessation OF
q trade financed In Bombay. the total value
OF which Is considerable.