The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-03-05
EXPLOITATION Of CHINA
MEANS HARM To LABOR
AMERICAN WORkINGMEN WILL
SUFFER FROM YELLOW PERIL.
Michael Davitt, Former Member Of
Parliament and Irish Patriot Diff
fers With Hobson's View That Pro.
fit Would Result From Industrial
Awakening Of yellow Millions. China
Is Capitals Greatest Field for Ex-
ploitation.

New York, March 3.-Captain r. p.
Hobson's optimistic forecast Of China
market for American produce gives one
side of q vast economic problem, but
leaves the reverse side untouched. It
Is tempting view Of a prodigiOus
question, which ignores all the dangers
and pitfalls involved in the proposed
commercial exploitation Of the most
populous empire in the world, said
Mlchcal Davitt yesterday.
China, with it's huge aggregate of
350,O00,000 human beings, may become
an enormous market for American
manufacturers, it is true. How it could
be made more so under Japanese domi-
nation than under Russia's superior in
fluence is not stated.
But this is not the point.
Another View Of Industrial Future.
The question is, suppose the capital
lists, trusts and corporations Of England
and the United States should think of
developing the labor, skill and energies
of these doclle people by the erection
of mills, factories, foundries, work
shops, ETC., in their midst, as English
capitalists are doing to-day in India
and in Japan-what then?
Capital has neither patriotism nor
conscience. BY the direction OF the
economic law Of profits it goes where
it cano btain the greatesct rewards for
It's investments, where efficient work
can be had for the lowest wages, and
where conditions of taxes and compe-
tition are the most favorable to the
rapid acquisition of wealth. This is the
governing creed and practice of capital
everywhere.
China Capitals Greatest Field.
China offers to English and American
exploitation Of labor the greatest field
ever opened up to the ambition Of Or
ganized capitalism.
An ordinary adult in China will work
for 10 cents day. At Nagasaki and
Osaka, in Japan, English cotton mill
owners have employees Of both sexes
who work from twelve to fifteen hours
a day for less than $3.50 per week.
In British India the wages are even
lower than in Japan. A friend Of mine
who presided a few years ago at the
Indian national congress in Madras WIS.,
tied the newspaper office in that. city
and found compositors working for
HR Rssuifs IT, o145o f SssTs RoIs2ot mum:
British india is an exampl OF: what
China may become under foreign rule,
directed and dominated by the money
power Of England There are some
200 900 of a population, highly civil
lied and doci]e, in British East India.
AT one time "the wealth of the Indies
was a proverbial expression. The coun-
try was famed for its mines and manu-
features, for the opulence Of it's cities
and for the dazzling riches of it's ORR
entail bazaars.
millions of Eastern people for the last
$50 years, with what results?
Let me answer by facts and figures
from an accepted authority on the con-
dition of British India.
Wage Sinks to Three Farthinqs.
Mr.. William Digby, c. I. E., an Brit
ish Indian official in his latest work,
prosperous British India," published
by Fisher Union, London, proves to the
hilt the following facts:
The average daily wage per head of a
worker in India in 1850 was two pence
cents.) In 1882 it was one penny and
a half In 1900 1t was three farthings.
These 200C00,0 600 of Eastern people are
British subjects. Not one human be-
ing among them can exercise the righ
to vote for the English governor SEM
from London to rule them, for the Sec
retary of State who governs the coun.
try from London, or can influence il
any way the expenditure of the take,
levied on the people by their foreign
mastrs. Thre are 70,000000 of thes,
British citizens unable to read or write