The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-08

was taking the thing too far, and the scheme did not hold together long. One native newspaper said it was a case of ..euttine the flesh of the thigh in order to eat" and that view appealed to the spinners when they were called on to pay their share of a bounty to be given to some other spinner to reward him for cut ting down the price of their own product.
 The spinning mills will have to close down if conditions are not lighted at once. Silk reeling establishments are already closing, and the silk production probably will be curtailed next year Thus far the vast amount of public work going on has kept the most of the people in employ ment but as the people pay the bills through taxes this is another case of cut ting the flesh of the thigh to eat. It may help for a time, but the day of reckoning will come. Among the masses of the people the prosperity caused by the unusual distribution of money during the war is still manifest. This is point to be considered in reckoning Japan's fight ing spirit. The nation has 100000 men who would welcome war that they might flock into the army-not because of the old samurai fighting spirit. but be- cause as soldiers they have better cloth ing better food and better pay than they could ever hope to have as working men. The Japanese soldier fares not half so well as the American regular. The differ ence in the condition of the laboring classes of the two countries is forcibly illustrated at this point. The Japanese pray to get into the army for the good pay-the recruiting officer in the United States has to beg men to enlist.
 A people as poor as this cannot afford even one week of idleness. When the factories stop in the United States it causes much suffering. it is true, but when they stop in Japan the word sui fering does not go far enough; 1t means starvation.
 Many of the wisest men in Japan be- lieve it was a good thing that the boom burst so soon IShi- had gone on for an- other 12 month againstqu1d have involved absolutely the Aehy a cat'al of the couh- try and the wreSh the u have been com- plete That the crsets tome before it was physically possible Ae fame of the peo- pie to get their moreme has helped the situation As most -he capital that was invested t' was was noERgut nterested re5IsI But nevertheless black as, aar pans financial outlook is at this time, Ware IS still faith. In the face of the panic and the govern ment policy of taking over transportatoh properties at it's own valuation whenever it gets good and ready, British com pany has put up s5,0O0,00O for an electric railway to be S3 niles loiiS- lAo failure of the first great steel-maklng project in Japan has not deterred other venturous souls, and new steel com pany is about to be perfected with Eng fish money actually in sight.
 No nation is more interested in Japan commercial prosperity than the United States Ours is the largest share or us foreign business, and the financial health of the two countries is closely connected. Japan has shared our monetary trouples although infinitely less able to bear them' and it is certainly to be hoped that she will share our returning prosperity. But as vet there is little hope of speedy re- covery and the industrial situation Tn Japan is extremely gloomy. Private finances and credit are strained. Pubic finances are in a tangle that is causing storm of protest from every part of the empire. But that is another story. TO feel the tragedy of the thing as Jap anese must feel it, one must imagine hlm- self making pasteboard boxes for wages of cents for a 1o-hour day. Even the American imagination refuses to work Tor such wages.
 Copyright, 1908, by Frederick J. Haskino
 Tomorrow-Japanese Business Methods. |