The Washington herald., 1908-04-18

Yokohama, March Awhile nearly all
countries have had labor troubles and
strikes at one time or another, Japan is
the only place where the judges of the
courts have refused to try cases until
the government agreed to meet their de-
mand for higher pay. While such arbi-
trary proceedings may appear undignifed
10 legal gentlemen Of other lands, the
necessity for recourse to drastic measures
is explained by the statement that prior
to their strike the judges received only
dollar a day. Tie postmen were getting
only S. a month, and when their petition
for an increase was ignored, they quickly
brought the government to terms by re-
fusing to deliver the mail. The policemen
were the next TO make peremptory de-
Inands for more salary, ana they were
equally successful in their strike.
A noticeable feature of strikes in Japan
is that they nearly always succeed. This
Is due in a large measure to the de-
stfuctiveness of the lower classes when
they are aroused. No matter what the
grievance may be, or how fair the pros
poets or settlement the strikers have
8 tendency to first destroy property and
then begin their peace talk. They seem
70 feel that their case will receive more
consideration If they make an exhibition
OF viciousness. On this account, when
a misunderstanding comes up, prompt
settlement or immediate protection from
the police is necessary.
An enraged mob CT japanese workmen
viii smash what belongs to the govern
aTs1. 8 e,
property, and sometimes without any
justification whatsoever. About 5000 men
were employed at one place near Yoko-
hama TO do a particular piece of work.
AS the job neared completion it naturally
became necessary to cut down the force.
The first lot Of men to so were given
three days extra wages. When It be-
came necessary TO let out another lot of
500, a protest was made on the ground
that the notice was not sufficient. AL
though the objection was not at ell
reasonable, an allowance of FIVE days
extra pay was made merely for the pur-
pose OF keeping the peace. However, 1t de-
veloped that the insufficiency Of notice
was not the real cause OF complaint The
men simply did not want to give up their
jobs. Having been put on the psy rolls
they objected TO being taken OF. no mat
ter whether they were still needed OR not.
Before the police could be summoned
from Yokohama a nasty row was in
progress. The mob not only fired valuable
buildings but raided a government boat
and smashed the engines
The outbreak at the Begshi copper
mines was still more disastrous The
strikers burned all the buildings in the
vicinity except the hospital, the school.
and the labOrers' quarters. They tore up
Ave miles of railway track and set the
mine on fire The manager Of the COM
paHy was beaten and left for dead The
rioters armed themselves with guns and
ammunition from the magazine of the
mine, then started out to eveTFun the
country They organized themselves in
regular military fashion, blowing tTum-
pets ana giving orders by means OF cipher
codes and signal flags. Il required three
companies Of soldiers TO round them up.
and before they were brought to bay
their depredations caused a property loss
Of more than s409,000.
Trouble with Japanese labOring classes.
however, begins long before the strike
stage, as there is never any peace from
the time the relation Of employer and
employe is entered into. The Japanese
laborer or servant takes a holiday when
ever he is so disposed, and he will quit
the service Of an employer without no
tice. Responsibility to his work is a
quality which he does not possess. One
street railway line in Tokyo employs 700
mOtOrmen and conductors On a rainy
day these jobs are not at all pleasant
and the Japanese trait Of Independence
is shown in the fact that a stormy day
means short supply Of labor. On one
bad day recently 300 OF the 70) men failed
10 show up, Notwithstanding the in
svtabe fact that the worse the day the
greater the traffic
One Of the highest authorities on jap
anese economic questions is Mr. F.
Schroeder, editor of the Eastern World
of Yokohama. Mr.. Schroeder has lived
In Japan for more than a quarter Of a
century. and is happily married to a jap
anese woman. He has been a close stu
dent Of labor conditions In this country.
He says;
Suppose one is the head OF a house
hold, and has to refurnish his home.
ne EDEG 10 4 AuIMlLuEEUlaheE HnDU,
agrees upon the terms, and makes
contract He asks when the job will
be finished. In ten days That is too
long as he is in hurry. It will have
to be done in three or four days or not
at all. The little shopkeeper cannot
understand why he should be in rush
simply because his customer Is in a hurry.
There are no near prospects Of collapse
OF the universe, ana there is an endless
succession Of to-morrows to draw upon
Therefore. why should any one be IN a
hurry? He decides that it probably is
some foreign whim that must be hu-
mored, and replies that the work can
be finished in four days at 10 o'clock in
the morning
THE four days pass and the work is
not delivered. a messenger brings back
word that it will be sent that afternoon
al o'clock. An hour later q boy comes
TO say that it will be delivered the next
morning without fail. And thus two or
three more days go by. Finally the
householder finds that his contractor
knows nothing about the work he pro-
fesses to carry on, and that he is not
only unable to deliver the goods. but |
has not even started the work In ex-
planation, a catalogue Of distressing fam |
So