Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-02
Mayer & Co., Seventh @'s s,es., NV:

+ wi aver
*.::s.......... $3.50.
every necessity has bounded skyward and
| is steadily soaring. Rice has gone up 20
| per cent, vegetables per cent, dry goods
| per cent, and the cost of meat makes 1t
| prohibitive except to the very well-to-do IN
deed. Foodstuffs come in slowly and in
| limited quantities from the interior, owing
| to the governments monopOlization of the
| railroads for military purposes; and even
| in the interior the last part of a country
| to be affected by war, prices are up 10 per
cent, so great is the demand of the govern
ment for commissary supplies for the army.
| For this reason no one looks for prices to
! fall when the railroads are again In posi-
| ton to carry commerce freely.
Patriotic Rich Men.
The one reassuring feature about this de-
plorable state of affairs is the attitude Of
the moneyed Japs. They coming to
the succor of their less fortunate country
men with a whole heartedness and en-
thusiasm that awakens deep admiration in
the occidental breast. ALI manner of relief
societies are springing up throughout the
islands; and the Keppeibu, the department
of the government which takes care of des-
titute soldiers, is devoting much of its
energies and appropriations in the same di-
| rection. In Yokohama, where the suffering
among the poor is even more intense than
here, the retailers have formed the Gun
yukai (the War Fund Society, and the ex-
porters and importers have effected a SINH
lar organization, the manufacturers an
other, the jewelers. still another, and these
are supplemented in their work by the
Kanogawaken Rikukaigunjiu KaZokukyu-
gokai-the Society of the Prefecture of ka-
nogawaken for the Support of the Families
tnff I,a lf ha RIM a n
Yokohama is in this particular prefecture.
and any one who resides in the prefecture
may become a member of the society by
agreeing to contribute one yen, or 90 cents.
| a month. The membership is well up in the
hundreds, and already the society has dis
tributed over 5000 yen. Nearly every pre-
lecture in Nippon has a similar organiza-
ton or is planning one.
The. officers of the various societies report
that seemingly everybody who has laid
little money aside is making an effort to
contribute according to his or her means.
Such a statement cannot be far from the
truth when the criminals in Yokohama
prisons-notaby the silversmiths-have pc
titioned to be allowed to donate part OF
their earnings, and the geisha girls are
freely giving, one geisha sending 100 yen
to a Tokyo society. AS one paper says:
THE geisha girls are convinced that this
is not the time to play on the samisen and
drum and spend their time in coquetry
They are giving their money, and all want
Then there is the representative incl
dent of an old woman of the name of Mat
sura Toya of Yokohama.
When she saw the suffering on all sides
she went to the mayors Office and handed
that official 200 yen. The mayor, noticing
the lowly position of the woman, became
suspicious that she should have such a
large sum of money In her possession. be-
fore accepting the gift he questioned his
visitor, and this was the story, later Verl-
fed, that he heard:
II am seventy-three years old. / have
worked since was young While l TOOK
for future needs. Now 1 see the need OF
money all about me, and bring you halr
of my savings"
Will Need the Money.
There is use for all the money that will
be contributed.
Mayeda Sawajuro was lacquer painter
before he was called into the army. lie
employed two assistants and messenger
boy. His income was 90 yen month. ana
with this he supported an aged rather ana
mother, brother of seventeen years ana
three younger brothers Immediately the
war began the business was closed, all IN
come ceased, the family servants were dis-
missed and the old father had to take TO
pulling a rickshaw and the eldest brother
to sewing handkerchiefs. The other broth
ers tried for work. but could get none, and
| nobody rode in the old mans rtckshaw, for
everybody walks in order to economize. In
| week the family income went from II
ven to few sen week, scarcely enough
| to buy medicines for the invalid and Grip
pied mother.
Mochidzuki Isaburo. carpenter. made u
yen month and supported comfortably an
aged mother, wife, two children and his
wife's sister. One of the children has been
| seriously ill since last July. When Isaburo
! went to war the woman tried to get work.
| but without success-nO one wanted SER
wants, the factories were discharging In
stead of engaging. lsaburo had no rela-
tiyes to whom he could intrust the care OF
! his family, and SO today its members are
| dependent solely on charity. But before
food was taken to them they were much
! emaciated from hunger.
These are two cases out OF thousa nds or
| similar ones; SO Is that of Okano Hidegiro,
which. to say the least. seems peculiar TO
| foreigners, but is truly Japanese.
An Unusual Method.
Hidegiro had position in the Yokohama
post Office that brought him Is yen a
month. When he received his war sum-
mons he was supporting deaf mother and
a bride. He asked his father-in-law to
look after the two women, but he had lost
his position owing to hostilities. and did
not have enough on hand to keep his own
family In food for q month. There was only
one thing for Hidegiro to do and he did It.
He sold his household goods, took the pro-
ceeds and his father to an intimate friend.
and asked the latter to look after the
mother with the money realized from the
sale. Then HidegIro divorced his bride.
cit will now be easy for you to marry
again." he told her when he handed her the
divorce land perhaps you can get new
husband who will take good care of you.
Anyway, you can go out and look for work;
and then II you were still my wife, thoughts
of you might keep me from doing my duty