The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-02-27

Is one o. the I@3dll@ I~ncFnHcE~J T. EcS
q deep interest i'm all matters relating
10 government economy.
Tn leading ~oIiticaI question in
Japan today. insofar as III affects do
nestlc affairs. IL Whether tho cabinet
be selected by the emperor re-
2drGIess Of the prevailing sentiment
in the house or BE- made to conform
u the VIII of the people as expressed
through their representatives. II
present tn" emperor councillors ars
chosen @t his own discretion and the
States OF Satsuma and Choshu have
he'd q controlling influence IL the se-
lection of the cinpcror's advisers The
democratic sentiment Of the country
j. ut this time c1EstaliZing It'll favor
Of he demand that the emperor take
for his premier the leader of tho
popular party. as the kim Of England
does. However much this reform may
be delayed by circumstances it il
bound To come if Japan is to recognize
the right Of the people to govern
themselves.
In the cities, sanitation furnishes ID
most difficult problem. Al present
there Is little sewage. although there
is a pressing need for it.
In the industrial DEVELOPMENT Of
Japan ho people must meet the prob
lem Of child abO and the length Of
the working day. Women now work
twelve hours in the factory and orc
cannot see them and the children 1T
toll without asking whether Japan an
afford to impair the strength Of the
next generation for any advantage
which may be derived from such loac
hours Ond such youthful labor. This
subject IS likely to be brought be-
fore the next session of the diet.
In some reforms Japan has novel
more rapidly than the United States.
" heIpEnI she has water works in l4r,#
cities, they are owned and operated
by the municipalities. She also has a
telegraph system and a telephone sys-
TEN operated by the national GOV
eminent. Telegrams are sent at the
same rates TO all parts of the empire
and the service is satisfactory.
The telephone service is not so good
for while it IS alright so far as il eors.
the system is not extended as rapidiy
as he demand requires. IL Tokyo.
for instance. those who want to install
telephones haVe to wait until some one
discontinues his phone or is willing
to sell it, II q bonus is often de
manded. If the local telephones were
owned by the city and only the inter-
urban lines managed by the imperial
government, the service would re-
spond more quickly to the needs of
the community.
The Japanese government also owns
and operates 0 part of the railroad
system. and in doing so employs Moth
ing but native help. l travelled on
Goth the government and private
ines and could not see that they diff
fered materially 50 far as efficiency
was concerned.
The first-class fare is about four
cents per mile (in our nloney,) the
second class about two cents and she
third class (nearly al the travel is
third claSs) about one cent. A reduc-
tinI1 "a Ol a@rt =. 90
turn tickets, a reduction of from %
to 80 per cent. on communication tick
cts, and a reduction of from 10 to 50
per cent. on season tickets for stu
dents. h reduction to students
might be initiated to advantage in
our country. The government road
is all, ~CI~nearly all, double track ana
has the latest safeguards for the pro
lection of passengers at depots. The
japanese are much given to meeting
friends when they a~rrivesand escort
ing them to the train when they leave.
and his custom has led to the sale
of platform tickets for n cent Gin
our money->
Japan has two educational prob
lens: First. the increase in the per
centage Of those going from the pri-
mary to the middle schools, and sec
ond, the cultivation of an ideal Which
Will connect a respect for manual
labor with intellectual advancement.
To-day . large majority of her poo
pie work with their hands ana at
labor which fOrbids the wearing of
good clothes. 1t is probable tha the
education Of the masses viii show it
self to some eXtcnt i'll improved
methods and in the more extensive
use of animals and machinery, but
there must remain a large mount o.
work which requires daily contact
,r-. - Is r@I Il,
in the mud and, cannot be harvested
by machinery; The fields too are sc
small hat they cannot we'll b. cLli-
tivatcd with the aid Of animals. The
farmers boys n girls are now 60
ing to school and gradually adopting
the European dress. VIII they be
content to return to the paddy aeide
when they have finished their edura-
ton? Some Of the young men nuii
'rikishas in the day time in order t.
earn money to attend school at night:
Will their learning make them unWi1l-
ing to do HAND work Or will they
substitute the cab for the 'rikisha?
Japan faces the educational prob
lem that confrOntS the civilized world
viz, how to put behind 4 trained mind
an ideal which Will make the educated
citizen more anxious to do service
rather than to be waited upon. Toll
stoi's solution of the problem is "breaa
labor" that is physical toll sufficient
to produce what one eats. This he be
lieVes Will teach respect for labor ana
by identifying it unite all parts Of So
ciety in sympathetic cooperation. Has
any better solution been proposed?
With a broader educational foun-
dation Japan will find it necessary to
extend the suffrage. At present the
right to vote is determined by ?
strict property qualification. but There
is already an urgent demand for the
Tp6IIpiin0 Of tnY Glra1iffca ton and II
Will not be long before a large aG-
dition will be made to the voting pop
ulation.
b most serious national problera
With which Japan has had to deal Is
that imposed upon her by the attempt
to extend the sphere Of her political
Influence to Fornlosa on the southwest
and Korea on the northwest.
The people Of Formosa no not vel
come Japanese sovereignty and an
army of some six or sever thousand
is kept on that island to support jana