The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-05-02
WORK IN JAPAN
Christian Laborer Points
Out Great Obstacles.
Great and Enduring Strength of
Tradition - Material Progress
EVIL of the Factory System.

Rev DR.. Gordon, OF Kyoto, gave an
interesting address on the topic COB
stacles to Christian Work in Japan"
at the meeting of the Ministerial Union
Sunday morning. The first obstacle
mentioned was the factory system. as
introduced into Japan from the United
States and Europe. Hitherto the man
ufacture of crepe, brocade and other
hold industry. The manufacturer would
have from five to twenty weav-
ers in his employ, living on the prem
Uses as part of his household, for whom
he held himself responsible. The work
hours were long, from sunrise till near
midnight but there was no very close
There was opportunity
for leisure, meals, for seeing friends,
for release from work ON occasion.
Now, all is changed. We have brick
factories, five and six stories high, with
to work for twelve hours on a stretch,
and then the night shift come On for
the next twelve hours. Young men
and women from the country are often
representations of the kind of work to
be done and leisure enjoyed and wages
paid In the boarding houses, where
they are herded together, there is op-
portunity for debauchery and immor-
ality, with little supervision of the
character and conduct of the inmates.
There is little opportunity also for
friendly intercourse in the way of nor
al instruction or religious appeal. The
operatives are too tired after their
long hours of work for such cOnversa-
ton. AS these abuses of the system
become more evident, the Japanese
will enact the legislation
needed to meet the emergency, as Eng
land and America have been necessI-
tated to do, forbidding the employment
Of children except for stated hours, and
with opportunity for education in
special schools.
Social immortality is so prevalent
that it is as yet an insoluble problem
how to cope with it successfully. Con-
cubinage is not recognized sby Japan
csc law, though it is we'll understood
that cOncubnes are often reported dis
A Toxic paper published
the names of 200 or 800 public person.
a ges, mem bers of the legislature. pro-
fessOrs in the university, and others OF
such prominent positions, who main
tanned two or more concubines. Against
this breaking down of family life, lit
tie or no remOnStrance is made by Bud
dhist priests: nor any protest against
the public supervision of prostitution.
That vice is not lessened by such legal
supervision, whatever may be the fact
in regard to the diminution of disease
from that source. The little band of
Christian believers are standing up
bravely against all forms of immoral
ity.
And even those who are not Chris
tan believers, astute statesmen, bust
ness men, are deploring the spread of
immortality, so ruinous to the national
welfare. They attribute it to the utter
absence of religious teaching in The
Government schools. And to this want
of moral instruction they attribute also
the spread of a spirit of insubordina-
ton in the mercantile marine, for in
stance. The Buddhist priests are not
examples Of pure lives, and can hardly
be expected TO oppose immortality in
others.
The provisions of the revised treaty
are going into effect July l, and both
japanese and foreigners are looking
forward with much anxiety to the eff
fects of the new arrangements. All
foreigners are to come under the juriS
diction of the Japanese Government. It
is believed that this can be as safely
trusted as Spain or Italy to deal fairly
with a foreigner. The Japanese Gov
eminent, stimulated by the good work
done by some Christian chaplains in
the Government prisons, are making
special preparation for the reception of
foreign criminals. Foreigners will have
the privilege of residing anywhere il
Japan, and leasing property for res
licences. This will be a decided advant-
age in the prosecution of mission work
though it remains to be seen how they
will be treated in districts where the
is extremely ignorant, big
Oted and SuperStitious.
OF special interest was the settlement
of the Dorhisha university question.
lue property udu peSh put lHOo tue
hands of Japanese trustees. They
wanted to secure for the university the
privileges that are accorded to the
Government institutions of education
transfer from lower to higher grades
exemption from CONSUMPTION. Japanese
law requires young men of 20 years to
serve years in the army, and five
years more in the reserve. But those
engaged in study in Japanese Govern
ment shoots or in foreign countries are
exempt from this conscription. To Sc
cure this, the Dorhisha trustees sought
to secure Government recognition. To
do this they were willing to give up the
distinctly Christian influence of the
school. But to do this, they were
obliged 10 set aside the provision of
the constitution which, when they ac-