New-York tribune., 1898-11-27


obtain details of the work. Twelve years ago
Mr.. Goto had one loom and was poor, but he
conceived the idea of starting a woollen fac
tory in Japan. He went to China to learn, and.
returning, began on a small scale. He made
many mistakes and some failures but finally
succeeded
His factory has all necessary machinery
ard appliances for cleaning and carding wool,
for dyeng, spinning and weaving. There are
fifty modern power looms and two hundred
hand looms. Last year the output Of the mill
in value was 100000 and this year 1t will
reach $i25 900 Next year he expects 1t will as-
gregate $4,000.
HAND WORK CHEAPER THAN MACHINERY.
observed that the increase exclusively
in the handle department. and called atten-
tion to the fact. The superintendent said 1t was
cheaper to weave 10y hand than to use steam
power. which doubted until he explained that
it required very little power to weave and as
wages were low II was cheaper to use the foot
of the operative for power than to have a steam
engine Further. the hand loom, made entirely
Of wood. together with the complicated machine
to handle and regulate the pattern for the
figures made Of wood. costs only a trifle COM
pared with modern power loom. 1t requires
one person to each loom. and the number OK
yards woven is the same practically in blanket
weaving In wide blankets it requires two girls
at each hand loom and only one at the power
loom. 1t was explained that girl was
helper and received less wages.
The same price is paid for weaving on tho
hand looms as on the power, to wit. two cents a
blanket, each yard and half square, and
they are very beautiful blankets. good op-
four girls operating each spinning jenny receive
17E cents a day each The men who dye tho
yarn are paid l712 cents day. firemen 10 cents
and engineers from % to 3714 cents. Some ex-
pert girls earn from SO to So month. Ordi-
nary girls earn from s. to IS. All employees
board themselves. There are regularly six hun
dred girls and two hundred and sixty men In
the factory, and frequently one hundred and
fifty additional were employed for a short time.
inquired if it possible to send out and
hire promptly in an emergency one hundred and
fifty girls who could do the work skilfuy. Tho
owner said there was no difficulty. as nearly all
the girls in Japan understand weaving. ID,
A VISITOR TO AMERICA.
The superintendent Of Mr.. Goto's factory has
visited America nine times. and speaks good
English He said that in most instances he had
been refused admission TO American factories
because they feared he would copy some OF thetr
methods The English and German manufact-
urers admit visitors and the result is large pur-
chases Of English and German machinery
A visit TO the Kamgafuchi Spinning Mill OF
Toxic exhibited some new phases OF the laboe
problem. This mill does no weaving; 1t simply
makes cotton yarn and sells It. The factory
consumes about thirty thousand bales of cotton
annually Of which it formerly purchased two
thirds In India and China and one-third In
America Now 1t uses mostly American cotton
because It Is better and can be bought almost
as cheapIy.
II employs seven hundred men at l7H cents
day and twenty-five hundred girls at II cents
day. All employees pay for their board, which
is furnished by the factory at four cents day.
They work from G30 m to 6:3O p m, with
half an hour for lunch at noon and one recess Of
fifteen minutes in the forenoon and one In the
afternoon The girls are not allowed to go out
without attendant. and are under strict reg
ulations as to moral conduct. There is free
evening school provided by the factory. Girls
who cannot read and write are expected to learn.
and generally do Sewing is also taught, as
II is in most japanese schools. l have spoken
Of board at a cost Of four cents day.
How poor that must be can be judged by
the following menu furnished his employees by
Mr. Shiraishi at a cost Of ~ cents day to wit:
Bean soup. boiled rice, rape radshes and bar
ley tea, and occasionally little dried fish. At
the meal bean soup is omitted 1t is tho
same every day. A good appetite supplies
sauce, sugar and coffee.