The National tribune., 1909-05-13
yapaN,s q, FINANCES.

Il
A mosb interesting article on Japan's
finances is contributed to the American
Review of Reviews by Adachi Kinno-
suhe. the editor of the Far East. 1t
must be remembered all the time that
while JAPAN has swarming population
of 45.ooolO0o. or approximately that of
France, iGermany and Austria. her
wealth is incredibly less than that of
any western Nation. This must be so
when the people work for such wretch
edly small sums as make the pay of
even skilled Japanese workmen. While
SO cents represents as much to the Ger
man. Frenchman or Englishman as a
dollar does to us. a nickel comes nearer
representing as much to a japanese as
our dollar does to one OF our working
men. The conditions of life are ex-
ceedingly hard for everyone in Japan,
and in 1873 a National debt of $780,
SS6,931 was very much more of bur-
den to them than the hundreds of mil
lions to Western Nations. In spite of
this, the Nation entered the war with
China, which resulted in raising the
indebtedness to $211,000,000. Then
came the Russian war, which strained
every nerve of the japanese almost to
the breaking point, and ended with an
increase of the debt to $S50,000, 900.
The Government of Japan has a chronic
wrestling with this enormous load, and
every source of taxation has been sought
out to bring the last yen into the public
treasury. The Government is laboring
to maintain its credit, and is laying
aside at least SIS, 900 a year to pay
off the principal of the debt. At the
same time she is spending immense
sums to extend her railroad system
thru Korea and Manchuria and to
bring under Japanese influence those
territories and the island of Formosa.
These are exceedingly necessary to give
employment to her swarming popula-
ton, both by settling the surplus popu-
Iation there and by opening up markets
for Japanese goods. the manufacture
of which will provide employment and
wages. Japan has no great resources
like our wheat fields and oil wells to
enable her to pay Off her debt. In all
Japan there are only $4,000. 900 square
miles Of tillable land. This includes
every little shelf on the mountain side
that can be possibly made to grow
anything. The farms are very small,
and are worked by hand labor, with
everything produced literally by the
sweat Of the poor peasants brow. Their
mines are insignificant They have few
quired territories their best prospects
are in fishing. While this business has
grown rapidly, yet its sum total is only
$3,250,000, year. Manufacturing has
been stimulated. as rapidly as possible.
but still the sum total hardly amounts
to as much as that Of single branch
of our industries.
The main resource Of the Government
is the tax on land, which before the
war with Russia was two and a half
per cent under which the people
groaned. If Under the pressure OF the
financial need of that struggle the tax
was In some Instances raised to as high
as II per cent, and yet this only pro-
duced s42,S59,229. The next important
tax was that on beer, which is now S.
per kolu, about the size of one of our
barrels, upon which we collect 81. From
the tax on beer and spirits the Govern
ment only received s35,904,842. Next
comes the income tax, and this has
been increased to what Western minds
would consider frightful rate. The
lowest income pays 10 per cent to the
Government and the highest 20.35 per
cent; that is. each man must pay from
q tenth to fifth Of his income. This
condition of things was only made pos
sible by strong appeals to patriotism.
Men were adjured to sacrifice every
thing for the benefit Of the country. All
imports are taxed heavily, and all ex-
ports which can be taxed without injur-
ing their sale are subject to this drastic
imposition. Next comes three monopo-
lies, tobacco, salt and camphor. The
Government now allows individuals to
grow the tobacco. but does not permit
thShi " AhohuAoCtuft- II DuyS the lear
at a fair price and sells the manufac-
tured goods. Salt Is manufactured by
persons licensed by the Government,
which buys the product from them and
sells 1t to the public at profit. No
foreign salt can be brought into the
country. The camphor market is un-
dergoing great vicissitudes, but the
expects to in time derive a
large revenue from it. The Govern
ment has acquired the ownership of
most of the railroads, and is running
them so as to make a profit.
In spite Of the crushing weight Of
this burden, the japanese statesmen are |
hopeful. They think that within 10 or |
20 years Korea. Manchuria and For
nosa will all be developed SO as to
,our golden stream into the imperial |
treasury and relieve the country of the
incubus Of its gigantic debt. Mr.. Kin
losuke says in conclusion:
'The people Of Japan are perform-
ng the financial miracle of giving up
lbout 80 per cent of their net income
very day without saying a word about
t. In other words, the greatest asset
If the Japanese Empire of to-day is the
of her people. Within 25
ears, perhaps. at the rate of conquest
Western cSmmercialism and the doc
rine OF ipdiy,dgal rights are maklng]
-fnonS our people, We shall be as civil
zed as any other so-caIled Christian
Nation hny &I.o ,tok. Col