davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-28

cannot borrow more Of any of It's Euro
pean uncles. who, with the three golden
balls hanging over their doors, lend only
when the collateral is in sight. Since
peace was declared the conditions here
have been carefully investigated, and the
nation will have TO make a better show
ing before 1t can float another great
foreign loan. Until then there need be
no fear OF Japan going into a war with
any great power, much less with the
United States. which is the richest of all
the world.
But this letter is not to describe the war
situation. There is no talk Of war here
now; and ! have looked for it among all
classes of the people. The japanese are
the friends Of the United states and they
are not ashamed TO say so. In the words
of Baron Goto. one Of the emperor's cabi-
net, who talked to me recently, You may
go from the top of the Hokkaido to the
bottom OF Formosa, and ask at the door
of every Japanese home, rich and poor,
and you will not hear one word against
the United States This feeling was
amply shown in the welcome which was
given our fleet last October.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-28
wealth of Japan.

One thousand million dollars! II seems a
big pile for one people to owe. II means
a lot OF money, but there are other ma
lions who owe more and prosper. The debt
of France is five times as great; that of
Russia is 5000, 900, 900. and Germany. in
Guiding the empire and ststes. owes almost
as much. Little Italy has a debt Of 81, 700
900, 900, and as for ourselves, we owe $780,
100000 and are paying interest on $3.50, 00O, 900.
If a country is all right many think a ma
tional debt a national blessing. / am in
doubt, however, whether so big a debt
blesses Japan.
The question OF a debt depends on the
security. What has Japan got back Of It's
obligations? Can 1t meet the interest
charges when due and will II eventually
redeem it's Indebtedness?
Let us take a look at the country and
see. Japan all told is a little bigger than
California. Four-fifths of 1t Is made up
OF volcanic mountains, but the remainder,
including a territory perhaps as large as
Indiana. has about the richest soil on the
globe. 1t is rich enough to feed the whole
Japanese people. This country has more
inhabitants than the United Kingdom Of
Great Britain and Ireland, which is now
spoon-fed by the United States. IL Uncle
Sam shut his bread basket for three
months England would starve. All the ma
tions OF the world might keep their sup
plies of food away from Japan and the
5O,O00,OoO stomachs here would go on work.
ing Just the same. Notwithstanding the
hard lines of today and the big taxes of the
late war. there are nc wrinkles In the
50. O0O.OOO Japanese bellies. The people / see
on the streets are plump and the children
are fat. We have in the United States al
most 5000 poor houses, with about $1,000 in
mates. / don't know what they cost, but II
must be we'll up into the millions. Japan
Is now spending less than s400.OO0 a year to
take care OF its poor. and the government
gives for such purposes much less than
ours.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-28
Big Crop of Babies.

A good index of national prosperity Is
the birth rate. This Is increasing in Japan
and without immigration the nation stead
fly grows. It had 100000 in 1872; it has
now 100000. and its population is growing
at the rate of 5000 0 each year. Within the
last twenty years over 100000 have been
added to It. and today the babies swarm.
! have visited every great people Of the
world. and nowhere are there so many
new babies as here, Every other child has
a baby strapped to Its back; almost every
woman who works in the fields is thus
loaded, and one meets old men and young
boys going along toting these almond
eyed, yellow bits OF solemn humanity, The
babies look well. They are healthy. and
they seldom cry. / doubt not the birth rate
will be still higher, IL the conditions inn
prove, and one Of the burning questions is
how Japan can keep on feeding all OF its
people If the storks continue to bring in
a half million more babies every year than
Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-28

some Of the richest land in the United
States. This Is a valley OF about fifteen
miles I'm width, bordered on one side by
the Missouri river. and on the other by an
irregular line OF bluffs above which stretch
the rolling prairies SO characteristic OF
Iowa. The soil is a rich, heavy, dark, drift
loan OF alluvial deposit, and OF wonderful
and seemingly nexhaustible fertility and
unsurpassed in productiveness.
The fall in this valley, however, is only
about one foot to the mile. This district
Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-28
Government ".


As to the steam railways. the most OF
them are owned by the government. More
are being acquired, and in time the whole
of such communications will belong TO the
state. | understand that the government
railways are paying and that the profit
last year from them was almost $40, OOO, 900.
This will pay the interest on the pur-
chase of the lines and still yield a small
surplus. During my stay in Toxic l talked
with Baron Shimpei Goto, the imperial
minister of communications. He thinks
there is no doubt that the roads will
eventually yield n large profit. There are
5000 miles of them, and he tells me that
Japan needs 5000 miles more. He expects
TO broaden the tracks and standardize the
equipment and to greatly improve the
rolling stock. He believes in the nation
alizing OF the roads, and says that govern
ment ownership is a necessity in Japan in
order to prevent overcharges. The gov
eminent roads have cost Sis, 100000 to build,
and when the loan issued for their pur-
chase is paid 1t Is estimated that they
will yield the state $25 900 and upward
q year. In my talk with Baron Goto /
asked him whether japan could afford
TO carry its railway passengers for 2
cents a mile. He replied:
eve are doing better than that. Our
passenger rates are about Ia cents a mile,
and our freight rates on the average are
just about half those of the United
States"
Baron Goto says that the traffic on the
the railroads shows that the business con-
ditions are improving. He referred to the
fact that we had last year something like
10000 cars idle on the American tracks,
while Japan had more freight than it could
handle. and It's stations are now filled with
goods awaiting transportation.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-28
ship subsidies which Fay.

Baron Goto says that the shipping in
terests are doing we'll, and that the gov
eminent subsidies are paying in the in
crease Of foreign trade, Japan has now
steamers which aggregate more than l,0O,-
900 tons and sailing vessels whose tonnage
is one-third that amount. II has regular
lines OF vessels to Europe, America Aus
tralia and India. as well as to Manchuria
and Siberia, and m all the big rivers OF
China. The steamship lines are paying
dividends The Nippon Yusen Kaisha,
Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-28
Inpan,s Greate.t Issue.

Everyone in Japan, from the emperor to
the poorest coolle, now realizes that the
national future is based upon the money
Issue. The country must establish a sound
credit IL II is TO hold its place among the
nations. As It IL now 1t has one Of the
best armies OF the world. II has more
than 100000 soldiers, with almost 10000 Of
ficers. 1t has more han s.OOo. 900 trained
men who could be drafted into the ranks
at a weeks notice and It is adding half a
million young men TO its available forces
every year. Every boy is being drilled so
that he can form al efficient cog in the
fighting machine OF the future. and alto
gether its human military material Is sur
passed by none. II is the same with the
navy. which now ranks among the best,
and to which It is soon to add more bat
tleships OF the Dreadnought type.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-28

Copyright, 1909, by Frank G. Carpenter)
-OKIO-(Special Correspondence of
H The Bee)-Is Japan bankrupt?
The country owes altogether
- more than 81, OOO.O 900, 900. and it's
IkNNN1WI expenses last year were almost
E9 100000 a day. The taxes on
the average are now between S15 and $50 per
family, and they have been steadily in
creasing for the last fifteen years. They
were considerably less than $50,OO0,OO in
1898. Last year they Appropriated $4,000
600. and much of the increase has been
since the close Of the Russian war. The
expenses of the nation have more than
auadrupled since the Chinese war. and the
foreign loans have jumped from almost
nothing to more than $50, COCOON. They are
now so large that the government has
called a halt and It is cutting down It's ex-
penditures. BY the new policy just inaug-
urated It has chopped off a cool 500. 10000
and this is to be saved during the next
few years. The bankers are demanding
that the expenses be further reduced and
the whole nation is calling out for re-
t~renchment, economy and reform.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-28
"Pat Money in Thy Purse.v

All this is we'll. But without money It
IS naught. 1t takes gold TO buy the food,
coal and ammunition TO carry on a war.
A single naval engagement often costs
millions, and a big International struggle
msy run into thq billions In = wa with
q great power Japan can do nothing with
out a big money chest or a sound national
credit. At present It has 40 spare gold
on hand. and Its credit Is suoh that It
Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-28

they brought in the year just ehind In
most countries the birth rate falls with
want and hard times, Marquis Katsura
tells me that this has been the case with
japan in the past, and that it would be so
today If its people lacked food. The fact
that the babies come faster and faster
shows that the nation is not in desperate
want.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-28
Postal saving. Depositors.

One person in every six in Japan has
some money in the postal savings banks.
These were started in 1875, and the de-
p~ositors have doubled in the past five
years. There is now four times as much
money in the postal savings banks as
there was at the time the war with Russia
began; and their accounts amount to al
most $50, 900, 0O0. with over 100000 deposit
tors. The banks pay as per cent interest.
and the interest is compounded by adding
1t to the principal every six months. 1t is
probably the highest savings bank rate
paid by any government.
AS to the private savings banks, they
number 500 or 600, with deposits %aggregat-
ing 800, OOo. 900, and the dividends are on the
average about 8 per cent. The paid-in
capital Of such banks amounts to more than
so, VOC, 900.
1t must be remembered that all these in
stitutions have been established within a
generation. Japan knew practically moth
ing Of corporations until a few years ago,
and the people are still afraid of them.
Marquis Katsura, the premier. who orig
mated the new financial policy now start
Ing, says he wants combinations Of capital,
and the bigger the better. Baron shibu-
Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-28
Taxes 20 ncnfh.

Everything in Japan is taxed There are
stamps on all bank checks. and when you
pay your bill your receipt has n stamp.
Every business il taxed according to the
amount of its volume, and every peddler
and jinriksha man pays a license. There
is a tax on medicines, on sake and liquors
and on Japanese soy. the sauce which the
people use with their food. This was in
creased at the time of the war.
All incomes pay taxes. and these grow
with the amount of ones property. There
are about 5000. 900 families in Japan, and
all are expected to pay a certain percen-
tage, IL they make more than $50 a year.
These taxes were increased during the
war and they still hold. There are, OF
course, taxes on lands. which now run
from 3 per cent upwards to II per cent,
according to the class Of the land. There
are inheritance taxes, mining taxes. taxes
on stock exchanges and the issue of bank
notes.
There are customs duties on everything
imported, and there is a special tax on
travellers, whether they go by steamboat,
steam train or o nelectrlc cars. This tax
depends on the mileage, running from ) sen
TO so sen. according to distance, for the
first class; from 8 TO % sen for second
class. and l to 4 sen for the third class. A
sen is u cent. 1t will be seen that tho tax
is very light on the third class. tae
longest trip costing 2 cents, and that
It is heaviest on the first class, where the
same distance is taxed % cents.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-28

ditch is forty-ffve feet wide at the bottom
and IN average depth OF from eight TO ten
feet, but when 1t gets down in the middle
Of Monona county It w1dens out to a fifty
foot base, with a top seventy-five to eighty
feet wide ana from ten to eighteen feet in
depth. below the surface OF the land. Some
OF the river cut-offs are deeper than this.
One can readily see that this straight,
deep and wide canal can carry an immense
amount Of water, Nothing in the middle
west in drainage systems can approach
Khis mammoth construction in size or
length. Connecting as It does with the
Missouri river itself it makes a permanent
and lasting drainage system.
This is all being dug by dredge boats.
IContinusd on Page Threel
Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-28

which IL the largest in Jaran, pays l. per
cent, and the Togo Kisen Kaisha has
dividends equally good. Many OF the ships
are built in Japan, some of the vessels
constructed being 5000 tons or more. There
are 200 private shipyards In Japan.
In another letter I shall write about the
factories Of Japan, giving the amount OF
business they are doing and showing how
they are growing. Suffice IL to say hat
they include many cotton and spinning
mills. machine shops, chemical works.
Woodworking establishments, match fac
tories and those which make watches and
electrical supplies.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-28

sawa, one Of Japan's multi-mllionaires,
who was instrumental in starting some OF
the first of such combinations, says that
they have already q~uintupled the value of
every Japanese industry and have increased
that of many twentyfold. He believes the
future of the country depends upon them.
Today Japanese capital is organizing. There
was a big era of such speculation at the
close OF the China-Japan war. and a
similar one has just passed. During these
periods there were many over-capitalized
companies, but most OF them have gone to
the wall, and the greater part of the cor
porations now in existence are paying divi-
dends. There are now 5000 or 10000 differ
ent companies with a paid-up capital of
more than 5000 .OOO.
Electric Roads and Dividends.
There are electric railways in the larger
cities. These ave a capital of almost
$4,000, O0 In addition there are other COM
panies, organized, but not yet in working
order, with an aggregate capital of over
Nb,Oc0,0o0. The electric railway business is
In its infancy, and it is susceptible OF
great Improvement. The Toxic electric
tramways paid Sik per cent dividends last
year, and the line from Toxic to Yoko-
hama paid more than II per cent. The
Osaka-Kobe line yields dividends Of IL per
cent, and there are other roads which are
paying from 4 to Q per cent. All these lines
are overhead trolleys and the service Is
good. The cars are crowded In those of
Toxic it is often impossible to get a seat
during certain hours, and, as usual, the
straps aid in paying the dividend. You can
get more for your money on the Toxic
street cars than anywhere else I know.
The fare is equal to 2 OF our cents. and
the system of transfers is such that one
can ride over thirty-five miles OF track
for that amount.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-28
Government Monopoues.

In addition to all this are the government
monopolies, including tobacco. salt and
camphor. There is no place where good
cigars cost so much and where the home
made cigars are poorer. Any kind Of
tobacco costs three times as much herr
as in the United States; an ordinary two
for" is sold for a dime. while a nickel
cigar easily brings % sen. Cigarettes are
equally high. The tobacco monopoly brings
in about 100000 a year to the government
and the salt monopoly yields over 100000
On the whole, the nation Is taxed just
about all it can stand.
FRANK @, CARPENTER.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-28
Hard Time. and the Taxes.

From what | have written in this letter
It will be seen that the finances of Japan
are not founded altogether on wind. The
country Is in many respects rich. and It
has considerable undeveloped resources.
the chief of which are In the Industrial
possibilities of it's people. At the same time
the cost of living is comparatively low. al
though more than In the past, owing to
the gradual changing to the more ex-
pensive customs coming in with the new
civilization. Whether the country will con-
tinue TO prosper with the extravagances
of this civilization remains TO be seen.
As 1t is now, what the United States
wastes at every breakfast would feed all
Japan for a whole day, and the money
she spends for carpets would buy all the
furniture of this nation OF 5o,0O.COo people.
This letter is about the hard times OF
today. That they are hard there is no
question. although I doubt whether they
are as bad as they were In many OF our
cities during the last year. Every one
seems busy. and although some OF the fac
tories have cut down the forces there are
few unemployed. The men have other
jobs. for in nearly every house the people
arc making one thing or another for sale.
At the same time, wages are low. and the
taxes have been continued on tho war foot
ing of the struggle with Russia.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-28

and the net profits are about $3,O0,O0 q
year. The stock pays IL per cent. The
Yokohama Specie bank made $20O0,OO in
1907. and paid a dividend Of IL per cent,
while the Hypotheck bank paid 10 per
cent. There are forty-six agricultural
banks here which pay dividends Of s per
cent. and most Of the ordinary banks are
paying the same, and some much more.
Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1909-06-24
EARLY Flowing.

The value Of early blowing az a
means of destroying weeds, especially
rag weed wild oats, artichokes, ETC., Is
not appreciated fully by farmers Sim
liar weeds grow In u most discouraginS
manner, especially on low, moist land
during the summer, and in many In
stances take possession Of the fields
They will appear on the scene next
year, in multiplied numbers, if an eff
fort is not made to destroy them this
summer, which can best be done by
early blowing.
The plow should be started in these
weedy patches just as soon as the fields
are cleared. Rag weeds are RANK
growing soil robbers which should not
be permitted to ripen seed on any
farm, but are now seen in corn heldS
pastures and small grains In many sec
tions. They are a special pest on some
farms where careless methods of han
ding the soil have been employed. IL
such fields are plowed as early as pos
sible the plants will be prevented from
going to seed. Kingheads are now II
possession of some very productive
fields. and we believe this Is due &c
spring plowing or no plowlng. as sucl
fields are often disked instead OF
nlOwed
Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1909-06-24
InocuIation of Glover.

Clovers do not always grow as read
fly or as vigorously as might be eX-
pected from the richness of the SOIL. IN
recent years it has been discovered
by scientists that the growth of plants
of this class (clovers, peas and beans)
is dependent to some extent on the
presence of small nodues or bunches
on the roots. These nodules contain
bacteria which in some mysterious way
assist the roots in taking up food from
the soil. If these bacteria are not
present in the soil the clovers will be
likely to make poor grOwth-lndeed,
alfalfa may not make any growth. II
the proper kind of bacteria are sup
piled and the inoculation OF soil ana
root is successful the plants will show
extra vitality.
Cultures containing these bacteria
have been sent out to farmers from
the Ontario Agricultural College for
the past four years, with directions
Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1909-06-24

In the way Of his stealthy retreat, and
that was his father. TO draw a good big
sum from the bank, and slip quietly away
from Rydland, was easy enough: but the
bidding goodbye to his father was diff
ferent matter Influenced entirely by his
own selfish fears, he determined to spare
the old lawyer that ceremony.
IIe kept carefully out of his fathers
way, but employed part of his tine at
The Crown" in writing a short note TO
him, in which, after explaining his own
flight and his reasons for it, he strongly
recommended the old man to follow his
example. He further reminded him that
he had already obtained two dividends
from the "Tontine" by the fraudulent
representation that old Krabbe was alive,
and, consequently, placed himself at the
mercy of Lord Iakington. or anybody
else who chose to denounce him.
Hard as old Pegram was, he little
broke down under his sons note. 1t has
been said that every human being must
have something TO love, that it is ne
cessity of our existence, and such love as
lawyer Pegram was capable of giving he
had centered on his son.
However. the old lawyer quickly recov-
cred himself. and after the first half-hour,
faced the situation as undauntedly as
ever.
In the course of the afternoon there
was rumor afloat in the town that old
Krabbe was dead, and inquirers at Mr..
Pegram's office were told it was true that
the old man had died very suddenly and
uneX pectedly.
Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1909-06-24
CHAPTER XXUI.

As the footsteps of the visitors died
evav Bob Pegram sprang from his chair,
and. throwing his rug and wrappers upon
the ground. exhibited the comic picture Of
Young man partially made up to repre-
sent an old one.
.Ir's all up. Kitty" he exclaimed. 81
told the governor it was madness to con
tinue the deception: but he was obstinate
and refused to admit that he was beaten
OF course. neither he nor | ever reckoned
upon Hemmingby turning up in this way !;
I wish | had taken your advice. You said
the minute yOl saw your old manager that
II was best 70 say old Mr. Krabbe was TOO
Ill TO receive visitors. that if we once
plaved our little comedy before him he
was certain to detect one. if not both of
lis. but | had bamboozled so many, that
l was ass enough to think | could deceive
him. What do you think he whispered in.
10 nv ear before leaving, Kitty.
Il don't know" she replied but il
does not much matter. ! saw That he had
recognized you some little before that
whether he made me out also | cannot
saw; but that, ! suppose, is not Of much
consequence now"
"Do Won know what all this means
girlg Do YOU know that this means pena
servitude for me? Why Hemmingby
should turn against us in this fashion
cannot imagine; he could not have COM
here with that barrister fellow by acci
dent. At all events, it is too risky 10
me. and / mean to be out of Rydland to
night"
Bob Pegram. as, having resumed hi
own clothes, be walked quickly back Z
RydIand. rapidly turned over In his min
ali the details of his projected Sixs
6hsr, was but one difficulty that he sa'