The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-05-22

ternational business in this staple.
Among the many articles included in
export of Japanese rice and do an in
their export business are coal, cotton
yarn, cotton cloth, copper, silver, coral.
cement, timber. railway sleepers. sui
phur, matches and so on.
Their import business is conducted
on an equally large scale. Their COM
mercial Importance to the United
States is shown by the fact that they
are the agents in Japan for the Amer
lean Bridge Company, the United
States Steel Corporation and the Cen
eral Electric Company. The list of
their imports includes such important
items as steamers, warships, ord
nance, locomotives, steel bridges, cleo
trical machines, pig iron, wire, lead,
tin, zinc, machinery of all kinds, and
material for railway equipment. Al
though equipped with a great fleet
which they own themselves, the Nit
suis find it inadequate to meet their
needs, and are known as one of the
great charterers of steam and sail
tonnage in London and in the East.
been engaged in the mining industry
since 1889 when it bought from the
government the extensive Mike coal
field. This tract comprises an area of
$1,000 acres, or roughly, twenty-five
square miles. Since the mines passed
into the control of the Mitsuis no ex-
pense has been spared in providing the
best and newest appliances to de-
velop the property and make it one of
the great mining enterprises of the
world. There are several seams of
coal in the Mike field, but only the
first and second seams are capable of
being profitably worked. These mines
give employment to over 5000 miners
and workmen, and the coal is convey
ed to market by 200 schooner-rigged
barges. Aside from the coal mines,
the Mitsuis also own and operate
silver, copper. lead and sulphur mines.
A noteworthy fact about the Mitsui
family is that, notwithstanding its
long history reaching back to the six
teenth century, it has not taken on
the crust of conservatism which char
acterizes so many old business es-
That it is the head of
so many phases of the industrial life
of Japan. that it is the foundation OF
the national credit at this time, and |
that no japanese firm is so we'll known |
in the outside world, proves that its
influence in Japan is of |
the first magnitude.
But the interests of the Mitsuis are |
by no means confined to those in
1ustries which are conducted under
the family name. The family owns
stock to the amount of millions in
other concerns in Japan. and on ac-
count of it's prestige. it's voice is re-
spectfully listened to in every joint /
stock company in which it has vote.
Among these private concerns which
are really part of the Mitsui founda-
ton are The Bank of Japan. The Yoko
hama Specie Bank, the Nippon Yusen
or Japan Mail Steamship Com
Dany and other prominent industrial
such as cotton mills,
paper mills, and sugar refineries.
Second only to the Imperial House
hold in influence, the Mitsui family
,annot be separated from the great
questions of world politics which cen
er in China and Japan, and which
are now forging to the front. Ii is
certain that the voice of the Mitsuis
will be always lifted against war. but
wen they have little influence in any
,ther line than business On the other
hands. it may be the Mitsuis who
will cause a war by leading the ag-
yressive commercial campaign which
Japan is conducting in North China
md which is already disturbing the
waters in the sea of World Diplomacy.