The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-04-24
ONLY FAIRY TALES.
Stories Of Japanese Greatness Are De-
luSiOnS.
American Manufacturers Have Notn-
ing to Fear From the
Japanese.


have nothing to fear from the manu-
facturer-s of Japan is the belief OF
George H. SCHUYLER, the manager OF the
Cleveland branch of the Consohdateu
Steel and Wire Company, who has re-
Gently returned from five months
stay in the chysanthemum empire MI.
Schiller left for Japan last 1all, III
tending to remain some months anu
study the condition and advantages OIL
the manufacturers of that country, anu
returned to America firm in the pelleL
that the Japanese manufacturer was
at a disadvantage when he attempted
to compete with the American manu-
facturer in the American markets
1T is true" said Mr.. Schiller, that
the coolie labor on the island Of Japan
is Cheap compared with American Ia
Dor, but it must be remembered that an
American workman will do from four
to six times as much work in day
as a japanese. The Japs
HAVE BEEN ACCUSTOMED
To working when they felt like 1t, and
resting whenever they wanted to. me
American, on the other hand, has regu-
lar hours of labor, and While he Is at
work he works with a will. l remem-
Der that while in Osaka, which is called
the Pittsburg of Japan, for the reason
that it contains a large number OF
manufactures. I first learned that the
japanese manufacturer could not sue
cessfully compete with the American
manufacturer One reason for this
lies in the fact that since the war
with China the wages of the japanese
workingmen have advanced from ~
sen to 100 sen, or from 20 cents day
to 80 cents a day in our money.
TT has been claimed that the Japan
csc manufacturers intend to run the
American markets, he is able to under
the market" said the reporter.
That is a ridiculous statement, re-
piled Mr.. Schuler Il heard that state
ment before l left for Japan, ana L
made a special investigation OF the pl-
cycle business in that country. tound
that the largest bicycle factory III ia
pan was in Yokohama, in room prop
ably fifty by thirty feet, with a rear
addition of small dimensions, and an
office in the main room. Thirty men
are employed in the factory, and twelve
machines are turned out every month
The monthly payroll in the largest BIZ
cycle factory in Japan is SD a month";
and the highest pay is 30 cents and the
lowest H. cents, American money
The
LIGHTEST WHEEL
the Japs make weighs twenty-five
pounds. and it is manufactured in this
factory. which, it is said, is expected to
knock out the American manufacture
ers.
There is one thing about the work
of the Japs that must be taken into
consideration. and that is the fact that
while they may put in from twelve to
fourteen hours of labor, they really &C
complish about one-fourth what an
American mechanic would be able to
do in the same length of time. The
japanese workman begins work early
in the morning, and after he has Ia
bored an hour or two he smokes
couple of hours Then he may eat
something after which he viii return
to work for another hour or two. Then
he will quit to enjoy-a pipe for another
spell Of an hour. By the time he has
put in twelve hours it viii be found
that he has actually worked only about
one-third of the time"
rs there any business in which the
japanese manufacturer can compete
with the American manufacturer" the
reporter asked Mr.. Schiller.
Il think the Japs have the advan-
tage of the Americans in the manufac-
ture of cotton. where they employ child
labor. I was in several cotton mills
while I was in Japan and I found that
the majority of the employees were chill
dren, ranging in age from five TO seven
years Their wages range from two
and one-half to three cents a day in
our money In those mills are found
the latest machines and spindIes oper-
ated by children, some of whom are so
small that they must
STAND ON STOOLS
and boxes in order to do their work
and arrange the machines. A large
number of women are employed in the
cotton mills, the average wages being
fifteen cents a day. while the men en-
ployed receive not more than twenty
cents a day. The bulk of the work,
however. is done by the children. whose
labor costs almost nothing Taking in
to consideration the cheap child labor,
the Japanese manufactures is enabled
try, ship it to Japan, pay an import
duty. and compete with the American
manufacturer.
Practically the same is true of
matches. Although the japanese manu-
facturer of matches cannot compete
with the American manufacturer in the
American markets, he is able to under
sell the American manufacturer in the
japanese markets. In one match man
ufactory ] saw four children sitting in
a box not over four by four feet, sort
ing matches. The mating and cheap
brushes made by the Japanese are
manufactured at the homes of the
workers. and in that way they are able
to compete with the American manu-
facturers."
Are the Japanese merchants good
business rnen?" asked the reporter.
They are crafty" was the reply
american manufacturers must be very
careful in selling 10 japanese mer-
chants. The Japs have no considera-
ton whatever for a contract. When q
consignment of goods arrives for one
of them he and his friends make a
critical examination. and pick out
technicalities and reject the consign-
ment if there is the slightest oppor-
tunity afforded. For that reason in
Yokohama and Kobi there are ST. 800
600 worth of goods in stOrehouses, re-
fused by the japanese and
LYING AT THE EXPENSE
OF the consignors. Recently the amount
of goods that We're rejected on techni-
calities grew to such gigantic proper
lions that it became necessary TO erect