Arizona republican., 1901-09-05

that most frequent of all Japanese eX presslons, "Shikata ga mai" which means, literally, doing way Is nots" or as the Yankee hath it, "It ia no use kicking"
 So, in the early days of JapanTs trade with foreign countries Ire agents in the treaty ports were badly used, and the "gOGcWns' accumulated stuffs from all parts of the world that had been or dercd from abroad !n good faith, but which the native merchants would not accept on arrival, as their minds had changed. Even if the native signed a contract and affixed his signature. it made no difference. He did not look upon himself as bound in any way to take what he did not care for. How odd to insis when ! no longer wish the stuff, he would say. These barba- rians are strange folk They would really inconvenience me"
 Thus a contract cane to mean in the foreign sye nothing mere than a mem orandum t3 be ignored, unless a cash dCToSit went with it as a guarantee This cash deposit is not an absolute safeguard against bad faith, however. because of the competition among the foreign agencies. The Japanese mer- chants have been cunning enough to take advantage of this competition, and by going from one agent to another. are able sometimes to work the cash guar antee well down toward the vanishing point.
 They themselves are not so hamp- cred, for they belong to one and the same guild, Competition is nil, for they work in harmony But the foreign merchants, representing many different natioralities, have su far been quite unable to unite or to agree on any method of concerted action for mutual protection Time and again the Eu- ropeans have tried, but the north and south of Europe do not trust each other, and there has been bad faith after each attempt to organize
 The Japan Daily Mail is strongly pro- Japane-e, but of,Cn it has had occasion Co scold the natives on their lack Of honest bu:in ss methods. One mer- 1Aant, a gentleman vr wide experience and culture writing to the Mail, de- ciarCd hat in twenty-five years deal irg with the Japanese he had not found
 
 deed. only one native in all Japan had foreign credit, and this distinguished exception owned bank in Paris. which gave him financial standing in Eurc- pedn markets
 There are two large stock companies entirely in the hands Of Japanese in Osaka whose purchasing agents are trusted to some extent. because forcign- CTS believe these buyers are not person. ally inrcsted in the orders they give; but even these men will bear watching.
 -iil the stock companies are formed under the direction of an advisory beard, and would appear in many cases t1 he devised for the bleeding of the stockholders. Tn boards of directors have had complete control agr have nlrlged the business to their own ad- vantage.
 One lager beer brewery company. for instance, which sells beer throushout the empire. doing an enormous business has rot paid dividends because the profits were eaten up in buying bottles. Bottles are still beyond the making of the glass works of Japan, go the direc- tors bought supplies abroad and sold them to th2 company a. the modest ad- vance of six hundred per cent.
 Another lot of directors, who were the dummies of one of T0kios miiiOnlires. Iut up a factory under American super vision and fitted 1t wi.n elaborate ma Chinery for making hats. The machil- cry. bought in England, was charged to the company at cj los to each Gl spent. The Englishmnn and American engaged to oversee the wCrR wC:e 70 receive a certain percentage of the div idujs in part payment Of salary.
 The hat business was dull on account Of low duties on manufactured hats and general Gisinclina.ioI on the part of natives to wear anything closer to the head than an umbrella. (Hats are not indigenous to Japan, the Japanese word for hat is "shappo,' from the French %, ",la1eau,' and has the same pronun- ciati.n) Prospects for dividends were rot encouraging, but the directors wera instructed to make profits somehow. Only they thems Ives know wha. they did but the factory burned down one night. and the next cay they gave . grand picnic to all employees.
 They distributed tons of rice and sake broadcast and all that part of tho imperial city celebrated in honor of "TJkiO no llHa." Then the directors C.icrcd new machinery from London, charged it ;o the company at the rat- Of seven to one, and held it in Yoko- hama until the stocGholders paid up even to the last mo. \ mo equals .COGl Mexican
 After that chcy made money on the cu: and wool they sold tu thc company, LuthrrinE themselves not at all about the stockholders. and the foreigners, seeing no dividends forthcoming, re- signed and returned to their respective Ccuotlies.
 Japanese courts recognize the la.k of business sense and training on the part of those who appear before them ard deal paternG!ly with ths contestants. The interested parties go over the con tracts and agreements carefully and fully explain ev srything to the best Of their ability. Then the court investi- gates ;he conditions under which the contract would be carried out if the contractor should go on with his work. If Ee finds no obstacle in the way of fulfilling the contract he decides against the contractors; but if he finds the contractor had miscalculated and would lose money were he to go on, th court decides il his favor as manirestly u.p,,IJ k Q, b,,r,I.hi,, ror,a n, |, T,