Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-12
woMEN's WORK IN JAPAN.
Girls Employed Now as Conductors OF
Railroad Trains.

From the London Telegraph
The social condition of woman Is
fairly trustworthy measure OF the CIVIL
ization of a state, and judged by this
standard Japan has not yet reached the
summit of western culture. This fact,
however Is not reproach, seeing that 1t
is not long since even European nations
have bridged the abyss which sunders
former barbaric customs from the hui
name legislation of today. And the Jap
anese are even now working hard to imi-
tate us. Hitherto, and, indeed at the
nresent moment the ranks of female
hands" in Japan are recruited from
among the rural population by agents,
who induce the country lasses to sign
contracts for quite a number of years
the best portions of their lives. And the
wages averaged Sd. day! For that
miserable mess of pottage the girls not
only labor hard during working hours,
but permit themselves to be wholly iso-
lated from the outer world, just as il
they were in prison, a hospital or a nun
merry Thus they are entirely in the power
of their employers, the least scrupulouS
of whom take unfair advantage of
their helplessness. Thanks to the initia-
tive of the press and to the high spirit of
a few wealthy firms strong and lurid
light has been thrown upon those dark
places of Japan, and redress is already
in sight The Manchester of the mikado's
realm is Osaka. and it was the terrible
state of things In vogue in the mills and
works of that city which first attracted
attention. The slaves of the southern
states of North America had a better
time than some of the wretched girls in
Osaka, the products OF whose labor were
thrown upon European markets at NOM
inal prices. Happily the Guild of Weav-
ers has now set to work to better the lot
of these helots, and its efforts are being
reinforced by government employees.
Curiously enough In the higher call
ings and professions which require skill
or scientific training instead of mere
manual labor there was hardly any field
for womans activity. Thus in none Of
the ministries or government offices was
The respectable firms of merchants like
wise rigidly excluded members of the
fair sex, refusing to employ them as
saleswomen; only in few cheap bazaars,
where the work was very fatigufng and
the pay utterly inadequate, were women
to be seen behind the counter. But here.
too benefcent change is now being
made The Arm of Mitsui, the weavers.
for example-one of the wealthiest in
Japan-has just decided to take on girls.
For a considerable time past women
have been engaged at railway stations.
especially in dealing with passengerstraf-
hitherto eliminated the female element,
has completely broken with its tradi-
tions and in future the passengers by
that company's line will be looked after
by lady conductors and perhaps lady con-
trollers as we'll The crown prince of
Japan takes keen interest In this move
ment, which aims at making life less
miserable to his future female subjects,
and he has begun by setting an excellent
example He has married but one wife
and has allowed it to be generally under
stood that he is, and intends to remain, a
monogamist to the end of his days.