Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-04

tea. If he is poor the tea is of the
cheapest quality and the rice is some
what of luxury, millet and other
coarse grains taking it's place. Indeed,
the finer qualities of Japanese rice are
too costly for the poorer classes. They
are exported to other countries and
cheaper rice is kept for home con-
sumption.
The table furniture OF such man
costs almost nothing. He uses wooden
chopsticks instead of knives and forks
and few bowls suffice for his dishes.
His cooking stove is clay bowl and
| his whole housekeeping outfit would
not cost more than $40. His furniture
consists Of little more than straw
mats and one of two little tables about
| a foot high.
The mats cover the floor and they
| take the place of a bedstead at night
| Many of the people sleep in the clothes
that they use in the daytime rolling
themselves up in cotton comforters and
resting their heads on hard rectangular
pillows. stuffed with straw, or upon
wooden blocks. The latter are always
used by the women, in order that they
about 10 days wages is distributed
NAV not disarrange their hair, the pill
| low resting under the neck.
The house of the poorer workingman
| seldom has more than three little
! rooms, and it may have only one or
two There are outside walls of wood,
which can be slid back during the day
time, and inner walls of sash, with
paper panes, which slide back and
| forth. The roof is of thatch or of tiles.
There are no chimneys and no stoves.
| The only means of heating such a
house is by firebox filled with char
coal or by a square zinc or copper
/ lined fireplace sunk in the middle OF
the floor, in which wood is burned, the
| smoke making it's way out through the
room. Wood is sold in infinitesimal
quantities. A small Japanese city will
not burn as much as an American VIII
| lage, and the average American family
consumes more fuel in one week than
a half dozen Japenese houses do in a
month.
| 1t costs the Japanese mechanic COM
paratively little for clothing. He
| dresses in cottons winter and summer,
and seldom has underwear. His shoes
are of wood or straw. and his wife's
head always goes bare. The clothes of
the working woman cost less than the
ribbons of Uncle Sans hired girls. A
4 few dollars will buy whole years out
lift for man or a woman and | ven
ture than one could go to housekeep-
ing on s25 and have money to spare.
Cost of New Civilization.
i Some of these features are those OF
tne OLD Japan. Iney represent tIle con
ditions which still prevail among the
masses Of the empire, and under which
Japan is now paying it's big taxes and
carrying on it's mighty public improve
ments. AT the same time the new civ
i ilization is bringing in new wants ant
!; new customs. The big army which
: went to Manchuria contained hundreds
of thousands of mechanics. While
abroad they, were fed to some extent OF
foreign food, they had foreign shoes
and clothes of foreign cut. They ac'
CURED certain habits, which, in con
trast with their simple lives were ex
travagant; and they have brought baci
, innovations to all parts Of Japan. The,
want more than they have ever wanted
before: and it is probably that the.
, will demand higher wages. If sucl
} changes continue, they will gradual
ask for all that the American lahore
now gets; and it is question whethe
their country will stand the strain
At present prices are higher thai
2 they have ever been, and the taxes ar
4 heavier. Everything pays a duty, an
the necessities Of life cost more tina
: ever before.