The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-18
Japanese Labor Troubles
ny FREDERIC j. HAsKIN.
Yokohama


by FREDERIC j. ILASI<IN.
Yokohama.
labols 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 gov
for higher ray. While such arbitrary
proceedings may appear undignitied to
I legal gentlemen OF other lands. the
r9r 70 nrns,'e hs
prior to their strike the Judges receiv-
ed only 81 IA day. The postmen were
getting only So month, and whe'.
their petition for an increase was is-
nored, they quickly brought the gov
eminent to terms by refusing to deliver
the mail. The policemen, were the
more lore 5 salary ys and they we're equally
successful In. their strike.
a noticeable feature of strikes In
Japan Is that they nearly always sue
ure. to the destructiveness OF the low
er classes when they are aroused. No
matter what the grievance may be. or
how fair the prospects of a settlement,
destroy property and then begin their
peace talk. They seem TO feel that
their case Will receive more consid-
GRAFTON II they make an exhibition OF
Iviciousness. On this account, when a
MISUNDERSTANDING comes up. promp-
settlement or immediate protection
from the police is necessary.
An enraged mob of Japanese work.
men Will smash what belongs to the
government as readilyia as II IL were pri-
vate property. and sometimes without
900 men were employed at one place
near Yokohama to do a particular piece
Of work. AS the job neared compile
ton 1t naturally became necessary to
~
men TO go We're given three days eN-
ira wages. When 1t became necessary
to let out arother lot of 400. q protest
tice was not sufficient. Although the
objection was not at all reasonable,
an allowance OF five days extra pay
was made. merely for the purpose OF
oped that tho insufticiency OF notice
was not the real cause OF complaint
The men simply did not want to give
pay rolls they objected to being taken
or. no matter whether they were stu
needed or not. Before the police could
be summoned from Yokohama nasty
only fred valuable buildings. but ratded
a government boat and smashed the
engines.
The outbreak at the Besshi COPPER
strikers burned all the buildings in
the vicinity except the hospital. the
school and the laborers' quarters. They
tore up live miles Of railway track and
Iset the mine on fire. The manager
OF the company was beaten and left
for dead. The rioters armed themselves
with guns and ammunition from the
magazine OF the mine, then started out
to overrun the country. They organ
lied themselves in regular military
fashion. blowing trumpets and giving
signal nags. 1t required three com
panies of soldiers to round them up.
ana before the. were brought to bay
their depredations caused a property
Trouble with Japanese laborine'
classes. however, begins long before
the strike stage, as there Is never
any pea1Ge from me e tgs entered
into. The Japanese laborer or servant
takes holiday whenever he is SO
disposed. and he VIII quit the service
spons1bility to his work is a quality
which he does not possess. One street
railway line in Tokyo employs 100 mo-
es ana ebs are not all ali
and the Japanese trait of Independence
is shown in the fact that a stormy
day means a short supply 90 Of q lab or
700 men failed to- show up. notwith-
standing the inevitable fact that the
worse the day,5the greater the traf-
tic.
One Of the highest authorities on
Japanese economic questions Is Mr. ~
Schroeder. EDITOR OF tho Eastern World;
OF Yo1lohama. Mr.. Schroeder has lived
century, and is happily married to u
Japanese woman He has been close
student of labor conditions In this
"Suppose one is the head of a house
hold. and has to refurnish his home.
He goes to a furniture makers shop.
agrees upnn the terms and makes la, $, I, q !,
contract. He asks when the job Will
be finished. In ten days. That's too
long, as he Is in a hurry, 1t will have
to be done inItnree or Tour DAYS OF
not understand why he should be in g
lrlsh simply because his customer is
in hurry There are no pear pros-
ana iMe's there Ter us is an endless succession q
to-morrows to draw upon. Therefore.
lao decides that IT probably 'I Us some
land replies THAT the work can BIO fin
lished in four days at 10 o'clock In the
informing. b,
hack word that II VII be sent thar l,
| a boy comes to say that IT VII w be de- {,
Ana sft''h tiu is two S or three days go by.
|T Si tho householder finds that Nils
contractor knows nothing about The
Iworls he processes TO carry on, ana
THAT he is not only unable to deliver
| the goods, but has not even started the
WORK yv9 ( 4 In explanation. a icatalogue OF
4 distresslng family AFFECTIONS is given,
one or tie either Of which hes befallel
him, or his workmen SO that nothing
| whntever cen be done at the moment,
But in TWO CIR three DAYS more tho lob
Twin be finished. There Us no use to
Ihunt mp some other phi opher IN the
same trade. as II would be but TO SO