Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-04-01
JAPANESE CHEAP LABOR.
Some Well Authenticated Facts Concerning
It and the Conclusions.

Opportunity coincident with the news
that Japan has decided to adopt gold in
place OF silver as It's monetary standard,
comes the publication by the National
Association of Manufacturers of this
country. OF report upon the commerce
ana industries of Japan, made to them,
after a three months investigation upon
the spot at their request, by Mr.. Robert
T.. Porter. former superintendent of the
e Mr pdn. census OF the United States
ana remained there until the end of the
Following May. and the results of his
work embrace large amount of valuable
statistical information. gathered during
his visit, besides many interesting de-
tails of japanese life and customs bear
ing upon the general subject of the coun-
trys industrial position and capabilities.
First in Importance, although not in the
place which he assigns to it. is the refu-
tation which Mr.. Porter's statistics fur
niSh of the often-repeated assertion by
the siiverites of this country and by the
bimetallists of Europe that the prices OF
commodities and the wages of labor are
still, in all silver-standard countries. as
low as they We're in 1873 when the fall in
tine value of silver relatively to that of
gold began. Upon the assumed truth of
this assertion it has been argued that sill
yer has not really fallen, but that god
has risen: and it is further argued, more
especially by the British bimetallists,
that i'm consequence of the lower prices
and wages prevailing in Japan, China,
| eihN iHdiSt, tdli We Cdi iVu
on in those countries so cheaply as TO
take the Asiatic market entirely away
from Great Britain. This was the burden
of fne prize essay on the subject pub
1885, and, only year ago, bimetalMst
member of the House of Commons de-
/ clared in debate that if the single gold
standard was maintained we must re-
concile ourselves to seeing our mines and
. our factories shut and our lands out of
cultivation; and then We should look at
the British artisan-lucky fellow-with no
work to do. gazing at his household uten-
sis made of Straits settlements tin. on
japanese coal burning in his crate: and
on cottage piano made in Shanghai, en-
joytng the privilege of tWrling his
thumbs and wondering how much the
pawnbroker would give for the whole
lot Similar to this were the utterances:
during the last presidential campaign, OF
the advocates of silver in this country.
while the prosperity of Mexico under the
silver standard was frequently cited by
them a proof of the superior industrial
advantages which that standard confers
Both the fact and, consequently the IN
ferences drawn from it. are SHOWN by MI
Porters figures to be contrary to the
truth. He reproduceS a table preparei
by the japanese monetary system inVes-
ti1ating committee in 1925, according 10
which the price of rice, which Is the
staple food of the Japanese people, had.
from 1873 to 1894, risen g. per cent. fire
wood Al per cent, charcoal so per cent;
rent Us per cent. and bath charges III
per CelG. making an dNtId St liiei .eiSt A''
the cost of living of 81 per cent. During
the same period the wages OF labor rose
% per cent, which. while it disproves tn
assertion that they had remained sta
the defenders of the gold standard here
maintain, that the adoption of the silver
standard in this. country would pc iol-
lowed first by rise in the cost or llVihG,
and only slowly and after long interval
by an advance in wages.
The population of Japan according 70
the census taken Jan. l. 1895. was. 42W0o@'
that of the united kingdom of Great Brit
ain and Ireland, according to the census
of 1891, being 3S000.000, and that OF TN
United States. according 20 the census ol
1890 being 63. 600 900. Unfortunately, tla
Japanese census does not CLASSIFY the
people according to occupations. put IN
majority are agriculturists, ana MI: foi
ter estimates the number OF weaVerS az
900 600. and that of persons engaged III
the transportation of freight and passen,
gers at $50 600. How many are employed
in mining coal and metals and in manu-
featuring porcelain. glass. lacquered
ware bronZeS and the various articles OF
bric-a-brac which the japanese shops IN
this country have made familiar to us,
Mr. Porter does not venture TO guess. nut
the exports from the country in 1899 m
cluded coal to the value in silver. OF 81
0o0o, copper 1000 900 lacquered ware ~,
GOO 600 matches $500, 0o0 and porcelain
81 coo 600 while those of silk and SILK
goods amounted. also in silver. to $6a'-
800, 000 of rice $7,00oGo0, and of teas "
000. 600.
me wages paid for the labor employed
in The various branches of japanese m
Gus,try are surprisingly low. Taiiors re-
ceive 24.6 cents. gold, per day f3r "o o.hnr
the highest wages paid are: to tailors, -
cents. gold. per day: to stonecutters, ~
cents; to printers, 1873 cents; to typese.'o
ters. AS cents; ito porcelain makers. 49,
cents; to blacksmiths. 15.5 cents. ana so
on down to 12.7 cents 10 dyers. Male farm
hands get al most So cents per day; ie
male farm hands. cents, and day LABOR
ers, II cents. These are maximum ng
ures, the minimum being from 212 TO
cents per day less. female farm HANDS
earring sometimes only 80 cents, goiu.
per day: female silk growers. ~ cents:
day laborers 7.3 cents; printers, ~ cents.
and typesetters 7.6 cents.
OF course. these low WAGES compel era rn
ers of them. Mr.. Porter says that the
rooms occupied by the most prosperous
families-one room being sur1lcient LOT !"
man and his wife and two or three chli
dren-are seldom more than three yaruS
wide. and frequently do not exceed Two
wards. Often the family is sheltered by
a mere roof. under which Its members ear
and sleep on woven straw spread on the
bare ground. For the best of these ac-
commodations the renJt is cents. SILVER;
per day, paid daily ana t3r me ftar nos ayng
rent suffice to purchase only rice ana
dried vegetables. even salted fish being a
luxury enjoyed only on rare occasions.
RACES earn more than any other class
Rave fish oftener. and are envied accord
ineE,ee. Their occupation is severe
drain upon their strength and wears them
ont in twenty-five years leaving them
et stu and bent and. victims Of hear
disease. pulmonary affections: and rheu,
matism. In fact. the cneapne3s Of human
labor in Japan tends Ito 50 great an EN-. EN-
ployment OF men for. work done n, IN orner
also have to be pressed into service ..,, for
loading vessels. handling railroad ireign,
driving pack horses, and working on
farms. .har H. no s,ch
thing as saving money among the poorer
.Jananese, the most rigid economy barely
Grabbing them to- keep soul ana oouN 10
gether. Their only resource in case OF
Sickness failure Of smplssg g snan IS the is
pawnslpop or the usurer. 80 scd hira H., Is
their stock of clothing that they hlre m
ssd Of buyng the hea1a in cola E Wenhsr
aa,.inr For. the Loan of the articles to
cents silver per aay Aesu an beggenTt IS
49, ~ as,;,,lran being used, as they are else