The sun., 1896-02-02
A NEW JAPANESE INVASION
AMERICAN MASUFA CTURERs FEAR
COMPETITION FROM THE EAST.

toMk-EI[IIOS rum III E EAST.
Jnpnn's Recent Prorress n Threat to Amer
lean Industries in Home and Foreign
Markets Low Wages nnd Nnnutsctur-
ing Capacity OF the Japnne.c-American
Manufacturers Appeal TO Congress.
Japanese competition with this country in
all kinds of manufacturing industries. here in
our home markets and also In foreign markets
Is n subject that within tho last few weeks.
almost within the last few days. has attracted
tho serious attention of manufacturers and
business men all over the United States.
The suddenncss with whid the new indus
trial issue has come into public notice. the
instant great attention IL is receiving, and
the immense importance which II has been
shown to possess. are very striking CharaC ter
istics of the matter.
For some little time the subject hus engaged
the attention of manufa rturers and busincs
men on the 1'nt iiic coast, MS they have al
ready felt the competition to some extent. and
have had an opportunity of knowing what was
going on in the Orient in the way of industrial
development. But they appeared to be unable
to arouse the business men of the East to con.
slider seriously the possibilities of Japanese
competition, and as late as month ago the
Chamber of Commerce and the Manufacturers
held n joint meeting to devise means to break
the lethargic Indifference of the East" and
to stir UP Congress to an interest in the mat.
ter. committee wss appointed to work TO
this end Within the pnst week or ten day =
the subject has been brought prominently to
the attention of manufacturers in every state
In the Union. representing practically every
important manufacturing industry, and
through them the attention Of Congress has
been called to II. In other ways, apart from
communications to Congress. the matter has
been brought forward in several quarters in
Washington. There have also been some de.
velopments in the movement of raw mater-
ais and machinery from this country to
Japan in the past week or SO that have served
to emphasize the Importance of the situati ion.
Last week there was in session in Chicago the
annual Convention Of the National Association
of American Manufacturers, at which were
present delegates to the number Of about $50,
representing every State and every prominent
manufacturing industry. Among tho dele
gates were such men us Warner Miller. Geo. b.
Sloan. Rudolph Dodge, and Charles II. Schicr-
from this State; George Pullman. f. p.
Studebaker, and c. $. Tominson. Many
topics of vital Importance to manufacturers
were discussed. and one Of the most important
was the matter of japanese competition with
American manufactures in both American and
foreign markets.
Because of "intimations OF an extraordi-
nary recent DEVELOPMENT of manufacturing
indust! les in Eastern countries, particularly
In Japan. and of the appearance III the Ameri-
can market of the products of these industries,
which products are offered at unusually low
prices" a committee had been appointed to in
quire into the matter. This committee made
its report to tie convention last week. The
| report said:
"The movement for the establishment of
man u facturcs in the countries referred to is of
remarkable character. Practically it began
within the last ten or fifteen years. and it has
continued with accelerated force. until the
present time. In 1863 the first cotton spin
ming mill erected In Japan, with J.lJ6
spindles. The business did not at first show
signs Of rapid growth but in 1888 there were
sixteen mills, with i3,,O0 spindlcs. In the
report of the Yokohama Chamber of Com
mcrce for May 8, 1894. the following statistics
were given at the end CT 1883 there were
sixteen mills, with 43.1OO spindles: at the end
of 1883 there were twcnty-four mills, with
Ss.l4O spindles: at the end of 1So? there were
thirty nine mills. with 4O3.314 spindlcs; at
the end of SOB there were forty.six mills. with
about 100000 spindcs. The same report
adds: A still more rapid increase Is expected
III the near future: large orders. it is KNOWN
nave been llhCcl more some lpf
yarn of the finer qmi iti"s.' This promise Q:
Increase has been fulfilled New cotton mills
are being erected. and Japan threatens t" be-
com. bold and large competitor, for the trade
oi the world in cotton fabrics. The Jnpancsc
use the latest improved American and EURO
pean machinery in this and other Industries
established 10y them. They begin with meChan-
iral appliances that are snperio. to those found
, in some Americans mills
More recent information than the commit
tee appears to have had shows that there are
today in operation in janan iift> >-sHrcn cot
fnH lS II I l1
pectcd that within fifteen months the number
of spimdlcs will bc fully 1.3Uo.UUo Labor III
eleven cents a DAY. ne ulntrtiltn nctWttli
eleven cents II day and the wages paid in Amer
lean cotton mill, Indicates what American
manufa 'turcrs have to fear.
The Japanese are also starting cotton mills
in China. where labor IS even cheaper In thn
recent treaty of peace between China and
Japan there is an article giving t" t!.c 'lanmE-
cse he right to engage in all kinds of mnnufac;
ports OF China, and 10 import into Chin. all
kinds of mac hinery. Already there are three
n"5ten moe are i bans worx "n1 W s""n i" in
ton. and three others are planned. These
nine mills viii have .!13.ooo sp.ndles., Just
japan and China. but il is said that III the
valley Of the InnStse the soil Is perfectly
of labor is practically incxhaustihle. The re.
port of tie committee of the Manufacturers
Association goes on to say:
''Bu, Japan does not cOniine herself TO spin
ming cotton. Her people nr" introducing y
great variety of manufacturing industries: all
using improved machinery. and thcy are I'M
tatinC the patterns and inventions "i the " Nrsi-
crn nntlois with imp.nity. because there is no
protection for t..rr thn patents or Trade marks
of foreigners in Japan"
4 letter j. quoted from William N. Banker,
/ editor OF the san Francisco NiitU HcpoW which
paper has been making II thorough iEuu'ry INTO
tie effect, of Iapancs" competition on the Pa
CiiiC coast. The letter says:
Articles of JapaiIc-c mnnufH", u"c. since
the close of their war, are being received Of
equal quality with American mauW'a, lurrd
goods AID II. prices So low that our ,nn;'Gtur-
tories OF those articles must closc unless re
licvud hy COHgrcs- -iUnal action. .AG"nr,cs are
being established East AMI West now hy rep
rcseItatlvcS of Japanese houses. The agency
here is uoW selling the irs par"r mat "lr-. III
tiI!-inci box. in hos and case lots of NttN cross
! in ease. dcli> cred to til" IncrD hast, freight
and duty paii. NJ ~ cents per groSs. lie also
sells doors. aR>hus. blinds. aud all article" Of
wOudcnwHrc. Coolcra-e, siu 4, d., of .nptn-
csc Inanut;,ulr nj from 80 10 30 Ter r"iil les
than they can lie narufactur"i for IL THIS
/ cpuntrS, with all Irc.sl.t and DUTY m" oy ih"
Japaacsc importers; also clocks, watches. III
| cycles. boots. shoes. clothing. lHt,. 'Hn'.
gloves, fancy C"pGs aud I"::pns, On similar
| terms. Their agents ar" iIyiuE cotton mill
/ machinery nud shlpp!ug il to .'nrnn. "ni will