The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-10
COMMERCE OF JAPAN.

element OF the 0opuls ton. They are near
ly all below the economic margin OF lux
ury; IN fact, from an American point %
view, very far below il. As long az the
price Of rice is low they can afford TO
buy extremely ltttle in the way OF cloth
Ing, household goods and other supplies.
As soon as rice advances, from any other
cause than a scant crop al home, their
purses are fattsr and their purchases cor
rcspon6ingly larger. Not much larger for
each individual & may be, nor for each
family but in the aggregate 50 much
larger as 70 give a great impetus % trade
throughout the empire. with the natural
result Of increasing the general average
OF prices
Now. last year Japan's rice crop was
very little below the average yield, out
the spectators. Tor various reasons,
bought up large quantities, 50 that the
price was kept firm. Ordinarily under
such circumstances foreign rice would
flow into Japan because better prices
could be had for It here than on It's ma
tive SOIL say in Burynah or China But
last year the rice crop In Burmah, Siam
and China was almost a total failure. The
result was that commodity prices in
Japan We're high, so high in some in
starces as 70 shut out foreign buyers and
thus reduce the exports, The Nippon
Trade Journal says that II was reported
that large quantities of raw silk that
had actually arrived in this city FOR ex-
p0rtation were taken away 20 interior
districts. where they were probably sold.
The same paper predicts a lower price Of
rice this year and a consequently larger
export trade
AJanan-American Trade Journal.
Among the best-pos.ed men / have met
here is f. Schroeder. editor and proprie-
tor of the Eastern World, an English
in, }1e
recently been advocating the publication
in Japan of an Ameriean-Japanese trade
journal and has addressed memorials on
the subject TO the chambers OF commerce
IN New York. Philadelphia, Baltimore.
Chicago. Seattle, Tacoma and San Fran
cisco. The plan has many things in its
favor, and Mr.. Schroeder is we'll fitted to
make Ii a success II 1t should be under
taken. He came TO Japan fifteen years
ago and Joined the stan OF the Japan Her
aid, the oldest newspaper in Japan. In
1884 he went TO San Francisco. About that
time the Japanese government ordered
the Introduction OF instruction in English
in all the schools and Mr. Schroeder took
the general agency of A. 5. Barnes Il Co.,
OF New York. for the Introduction OF their
books in Japan. In this connection he
met many OF the most prominent men
throughout the empire and. built up a
large business. Since he established the
Eastern World il has become widely
quoted especially on industrial and labor
questions, 10 which Mr.. Schroeder has
given special attention lie speaks Jap
anese fuently and has mingled among all
classes Of the native population. Speak
ing of his plan for an Acknowledgements
trade journal, Mr.. Schroeder said:
You may be aware of the fact that
about three years ago British manufac-
turers started an Anglo-Japanese adver-
Using journal under the name OF the Brit
ish Trade Journal IL appears every
month in an edition of 5000 copies. which
were at first sent free of charge, but FOR
which a small subscription is now charg-
ed. The enterprise has been an unquali-
fed success.
Early thi. year submitted to German
manufacturers a plan for the establish
ment Of similar journal but as IL nap
pened the German government, with the
assistance of the Oriental seminary mad
already taken up the plan, and the result
Is A German-Japanese trade journal under
the title Japanisch-Deutscher Industrie
Auzeiger' The difficulty In It's way has
been that of distribution AT first 1t was
given to a large local firm, who found.
however, that they could not undertake
1t on their recommendation and that OF
the German consul the agency mas now
been given to me. You may judge or It's
success when / tell you that every days
mail brings me scores OF requests for more
copies and already voluminous CORE
spondence is springing up between jap
ar ESQ and German manufacturers.
Both the English and the German trade
journals, however. labor under some as
advantages which am sure an American
japanese publication could overcome,
thereby taking the lead in the field.
Neither Of the two journals now here has
any local editorial supervision. Both OF
them leave out OF console ration the desire
Of educated Japanese TO read English or
German articles in their columns on topics
of Immediate and practical use. A third
difficulty with both of them Is that the for
e!gn advertiser. who naturally desires to
have some Information on industrial. COM
mercial and labor questions and issues in
Japan, is not considered at all"
Insurance Companies.
From a special report of Mr.. Kur.no.
japanese minister at Washington, made
last year. / gather that there are no acci-
dent companies in Japan; that there are
49, companies and ASSOCIATE ons. which are
either life Insurance companies strictly
speaking or associations supported by
mutual contr.but ons and designed to Sc
cure certain specified benefits 10 the MEM
hers that these companies and assocla-
lions have an aggregate capital of 5,607 COS
yen, but only thirtyfour Of them have a
capital OF more than 10000 yen each: that
the number Cf persons Insured Is 3s5.307.
and the total OF the policies g.. 2eA. l54 yen.
So far as Mr.. Kur.no advised. no foreign
life or accident companies do business
among the japanese people Several such
companies, however, have agents at the
open ports. but / believe that their BUSH
ness is confined to foreigners IN those
places. HERBERT L. BRUCE.