The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-06-28
JAPANESE AND THEIR WAYS.

JAPANESE AND THEIR WAYS. A newspaper correspondent, writing from Yokohama, says that one of the first things to attract the attention of the foreigner in Japan Is the dreadful waste of human energy" This state ment refers to the primitive methods used by both Japanese and Chinese ir all manner of work. domestic. mechen- fcal and agricultural. It is peculi- arity of the Orien tals which Is always the first thing to be noticed by an American. because their methods are so radically different from those of the pushing. hurrying Yankee.
 The Japanese advance with exceed ing deliberation in their labor meth ods. In the science and arts of war and in some other respects their ad- vance has been the wonder of tho world. but in their domestic lives they have moved at a snairs pace. An American carpenter. for example, would quit his trade in disgust. if put down to carry on his trade with the tools and appliances used by the Japs. Ma- chinery for either mechanical or do- mestic work is little used. and both men and women stick to the slow. prim- itive and laborious methods of their ancestors.
 That thik dreadful waste of human energy" as the correspondent express = es 1t, is astonishing to the restless. go- ahead American Is not surprising. but there is reason for their hesitation to adapt themselves to our methods, and it Is a reason aside from the con- servatism and easy habits of all ori- ental peoples. The cause of what VIC look on as their lack of progress lies In the over-production of Japan and China. The population of Japan is at least 300 to the squaic mile, and most of them are laboring men and women. That is one reason why their methods are so primitive, their work so slew, and why so many are employed on one job. The general introduction of Amer .can methods and American machinery into Japan would throw a large DOT tion of people out of employment, and suffering and trouble would be a nat ural result. In short. 1t is really for the safety and quiet and advantage of the country and the people that they cling to old habits and ideas.
 The pay of Japanese mechanics is very much in proportion to their man. ner of work. Carpenters get from 30 to 45 cents per day. which would be looked on as the reverse of what an American would consider fair pay for a days work. but we must remember that expenses are about on the same scale. The Jap can rent a house for about $1 month. that will be ample for his family. His rations of fish, rice and vegetables cost him but a few cents day, and Japanese workman can provide himself with a complete outfit of clothing for sbout what an American would have to pay for a de- cent pair of shoes
 From all this 1t appears that in Ja- pan there is a general balancing of things. If they adhere to ancient and primitive methods. it means employ ment for more of them. If a man does but little work in a day. he gets but little for 1t, and If he gets small wages, the cost of living is in proportion. Thus what we would look on as disadvant- ages balance each other, so that the quiet Oriental seems to get along about as well as the pushing American, so far. nt least. as the Japanese are con- cerned.