The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-06-10
CHEAP ORIENTAL GOODS.
Nays and Means Committee Con-
siders Japan's Industries.
RECOMMEND PR0llIBIIlNE TARIFF
Though Arguing That All Sitvor Coun'
tries Are Mt a Great Disndvan-
tago In Trade.

1
Washington. June 9--Chairman pingios
! of the house WAYS and means committee
today made a report on the menace to
American manufacturers by the threat
| cnei invasion Of the cheap products OF
or entail labor aud upon the effect of the
difference Of exchange between -ria
standard and silver standard countries
urcn United states manufacturing and
agriculture, these qu.stion having been in
veS;-sated by the committee.
The report says the sudden awakening
of Japan from tho oriental slumher OF
| centuries is being followed by an equally
RAPID WesteruizMg OF her methods OF m
dustIy. thai while ,he Jananese do not
have the inventive faculty of America Is
or even ct Europeans. u'"ir imiiatN 4
! faculties are rrndtkAblr; nut lAnOr -
N'rA chcap and their standard OF ilNiis
| Mould D.. regaric! as prtSuedi slarVa-
ton hv the w0rkmen of the United s'itci
| ana hours al iauoi are twelve hours
| taN. such WORKING tS hiacksm Hs, car,
| NeulerS. tnasonS, tnlDppsiic's. tallors ana
/ !aSiur.rs RECEIVE IN Japanese c.tit> uiay
| from - 80 g. cunts ana factory operatives
. to ~ c,uts per day in oar money ana
nearly double thos, sums ia jay inese
SILVER money, wh!lc iaful hands receive
| S.H Per month.
lin, pcai- and Am ricans. SAYS Mr.
l3nsieN. aye recogniznE. the proiitdbie
iicld aaol leA for investments and fac
| torl.s ami adds.
SlNtS-oua cotton mills, controlled os-
| tens IDLY hy IarAncSe companies, int pro-
mot.i Ny Europeans. ant several small
| silk factories ar, IN operation. WITH some
thng like halt nli!non aplndles. ,lapan
is making most OF lii. cotton goods re-
! CURED TO supply Dire narrow wants OF
l.rr own peorle and Us beginning 10 cNuoft
cheap six and haudkerchiefs.
| Recently Il watch factory with Amer-
! caa machinery WIS established by Amer
| icars, th' ngh the stock Is held IN the
names OF Japanese CAS- Foreigners win not
ne permitted to carry ON enterprises in
| thAr own names unul 1870 and In. prog
rcss made indicates that the eute rpr.se
VIII prove success.
IVY hle your COMMITTEES has not found
hat any articles al Importance made by
me factory methods in japan outs DE- OF
cheap SILK. mattiues. rugs. etc.-haNe as
Nci invaded the markets of the United
states II Is probable that tho rapid intro
duction of machinery IN Japan Will within
a few years make Jaianose factory prod
ncts, especially fine cuttons silks and
othcr articles in which tho labor Cost
here IS an important element in produc-
ton, n more serious competitor in our
| markets than tho products of Great brit-
am. trancs and Germany have been.
| simply for the reason that Japanese wages
are lower than our Elropeau wages and
| Japanese labor likely soon to become as
effective with machinery as European
| labor is.
This result, viii lie counteracted some
| what NY the inevitable tendency of contact
| with civilization TO improve the standard
Of living and consequently the wages OF
the Japanese workgncil."
According to Mr. Dingley. the eompeu-
hon VIII infer, not In kind. but III de-
gree from European competition.
Tho committee reports that ii knows
no remedy outside of the absolute proiribi-
'lon eniorces! against convict labor goods.
except tine imposition of duties on com
petng goods Of equivalent to the differ
ence OF cost and distribution.
An argument for this policy Is made
II heng said, To accomplish a double
pnfposte-fne collection of revenue to sup
port tho government ind the placing OF
compositions 10 our market on the san-
Hafd ui our WAGES.
! Alr. pinsl says. at IS clear tic man
uincturer ia Jlpiu in this respect Al a
disapNahiase, fci his cotton comes largely
from inc ulied States and he must nay
eli' rse FOR the risks of nuctuatior of ox-
change; resulting from the fact that
lalon do not have tho mone, ,ry stan
dati oi tn commercial world Nio0av in
the nited states is - per cenl higher in
purch|Slig power than QUARTER of a
lihor cost of production tn Japan is lar.s =
~ diminished, while the Labor cost of
production In the uRited States mas hcer
increased. EXCEPT as connieractel by a
larger use at labor saving devices
III Is claimed That notwithstanding the
wares 81 japanese labor have not risen as
the SILVER YEN Of Japan has depreciatot
| as cominred With gold, yet hat his wages
VIII sun bag rs many Japauese products
e. ns 'ney would twenty-ihrer vars ago
Yet II Is evident that SO far Tn. lara
r'Sc people consume foreign pr0lurts they
!. must pay nearly twice rs much as tho,
l. would pay if they were moi on a a.lveI
n has ga feet which clearly alminishcs Inc
purchasing power OF Japanese wages one.
x halt So far as the japanese consume Tor
eign products.
J., silver standard countries Ike Inpar
o AID MoNi 20 IN winch. as ii is claimed the
prices of domestic products estimated +,
slNor remain the same n~ in ls13-ara on,
a GlsAdNantusss ,fot