The record-union., 1896-07-20
JAPANESE COMMISSIONERS.
They Are Here Investigating Certain
rlatterS.

SAN FRANCISCO, July 19-Sho Ne
moto, special commissioner from the
Government of Japan, arrived here to-
day to study the prospects for the ex-
tension Of commerce by japanese
steamship lines to Mexican, Central
American and South American ports on
the Pacific Coast, and also to consider
the advisability of securing cotton from
the South, kerosene from Pennsylvania
and Eastern made machinery directly
through San Diego for transporta ton to
Japan by one of several prospective
steamship lines. With the Government
agent is A. Kusakado, a representative
OF the Japanese Colonization Company,
which proposes, through these two men,
to consummate the purchase Of 100000
acres in the State of Chiapas in the
southwestern part of Mexico.
This tract of land is owned by the
Mexican Government and can be
bought, the Japanese Commissioner
thinks, for 81 an acre Mexican money.
The idea is to divide it up into small
sections of twenty acres and assign a
section to each Japanese family. Some
coolies viii be employed, but the main
purpose is to Introduce family life and
encourage the colony to cultivate coffee,
cotton, tobacco and sugar. Particular
attention will be given to raising cotton
in this colony, as the manufacture of
cotton goods has become one of the
greatest industries of Japan.
we get a great deal of cotton from
Bombay" said Mr. Nemoto, but the
fiber is not firm enough, and from such
cotton we cannot make the best goods.
Our best cotton has always come from
the South in the United States We
consider that the best in the world
From this colony we hope to get
cheaper cotton for our factories. AT the
present we import no cotton from Mex
leo. only from the United States. Our
own people raise some, but not nearly
enough to supply the demand
This colonization company has ex-
listed five years, but so far it has only
been investigating. Three times it has
examined Mexican property and now it
is ready to buy. The payments will ex-
tend over period of fifteen years.
NO; there has been no talk of buying
land in the United States One reason
IS, it is too high, and another reason is
that your laws prohibit contract labor
My business is the investigation of
the commercial industry in Mexico,
Central America, Peru and Chile We
want to learn what the commercial
prospects are for Japan at the ports of
those countries, not only in shipping
our goods, but in importing for our own
markets. AT the same time l shall not
neglect the United States which is the
best friend we have There we pur-
chase all our kerosene, much machinery
and large quantities of cotton.
While my Investigations are not for
the steamship lines, the information /
hope to obtain will guide in a measure
the action of future parliaments in sub
sidizing new steamship companies. All
the steamship companies are private
corporations.
THE Act for the subsidizing of private
steamship lines passed our Parliament
last year. Already there is subsidized
line to Antwerp, with steamships run
ming regularly since May by way of the
Suez Canal and the. Mediterranean.
There are to be new lines to Singapore,
Australia, Seattle, Mexico and one to New
York by way of the Straits of Magel-
Ian The latter, however, is not quite
yet decided upon.
The Yusen Ksan, the largest steam
ship company of Japan will run one