The Washington herald., 1908-04-10
JAPANESE LABOR CONDITIONS
By FREDERIC ]. HASKN.

cially if they are required to construct
something Of dimensions which are not
on their system Of multiples Of three.
The roof Of a house is built on the ground,
and is then put Up on top Of the frame.
While steam pile-drivers are used N
constructing large government works. the
majority Of contractors stick to the old
fashioned japanese way. A crude pulley
arrangement is suspended on poles. and
a rope extended from the driver 10 each
man. usually a dozen or more. As they
begin to lift they ali join in a song. AT
certain point in the chant all hands let
go. and the weight drops onto the pile.
The. contractor IS furnished with a lot
Of crude music while his men perform
their work. The laboring man IN Japan
has to know lot Of tunes. He also has
to be well posted in bis cues, OF he may
let go at the wrong time and mix things
up generally. .:
The average family among the labOring
classes probably will consist Of FIVE par
sons. In most cases both the man and the
woman work. and their combined income
Will not exceed IS or s a month. They
live in a house 12 by IS feet In size, which
costs from 70 cents to 81 a month rent.
Their food consists OF rice, fish, and vegs-
&
Fish and vegetables are extremely cheap
The furnishings of the house are so scant
that there is no need for hiring a drsy
when moving day Comes-they can easily
carry everything on their backs. This is
illustrated whenever there is an alarm
Of fire. The fragile. infiammable houses
I are easily consumed. and the first indica-
ton Of danger from this source viii cause
the immediate exodus Of a whole COM
munity, household effects and all.
| The expense for dress Is insignificant.
I The cost Of a mans winter outat viii not
! exceed SI.59, and in summer he wears no
clothing except a cloth about his Ioins.
The woman can purchase a kImono az
/ almost any price. Foreigners wonder why
the natives do not discard their wooden
clogs and wear leather shoes. II thess
wondering strangers can furnish some
thing equally as serviceable as the native
sandal for ) cents a pair they viii doubt
less be able TO secure many customers.
1 On account Of the low scale Of wages,
merchants, peddlers and vendors have to
get along on a scant margin Of profit
The average store is about twelve feet
square. The proprietor has such a limited
stock that his customers can usually
point to any article In the place AS a
rule, the merchants family lives in the
rear. and the store is utilized as a sleep
ing room when the blinds are put up
for the night Show cases and counters
are used in some places. but as a gem
eral thing, the customer sits on a small
elevation In the front part of the shop
while boys bring the goods forward for
r. s~H 81
TO pay even the smallest rent. and they
move about the streets with their stocks
on their backs, The fish market halts
regularly at the kitchen door, and the
green grocer knows no such item Of
expense as rent and clerk hire. Dealers
in lamps. flowers. baskets. brooms.
dishes. sc. 80 about looking for trade
rather than wait for customers 10 come
to them.
The extremely low standard OF wages
and Of cost of living in Japan explains
why the people are determined to emf
CRATE and it also accounts for their
being unwelcome in countries where
higher standards prevail. A japanese
llaborer can go to the United States and
increase his income tenfod, live In a
style which he considers luxurious. save
money TO send home. and at the same
time sell his services TO employers for
less than white man can live upon.
Naturally, when the japanese man, who
can earn but Is or 20 cents a day al
home reads of the great wages in the
lands across the sea. 1t whets his ambl-
ton to try for a share In the milk and
honey OF Canaan.
Copyright lss, by Frederic ]. Haskinl
Ta-,sa~zox~-u uaIfsS.s a To~~u