Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-27

ment railways are paying and that the
profit last year from them was Almost
SO, 10000. This will pay the interest on
the purchase Of the lines and still yield a
small surplus. During my stay In Toxic
! talked with Baron Shimpei Goto the
imperial minister Of communications. He
thinks there is no doubt that the roads
will eventually yield large profit. There
are 0.OCO miles OF them, and he tells me
that Japan needs 1900 miles more. He ex-
poets to broaden the tracks and standard
lie the equipment and to greatly improve
the rolling stock. He believes in the ma
tionalization of the roads. and says that
government ownership is necessity in
The government roads have cost $115OOO.-
coo to build. and when the loan issued
for their purchase is paid it is estimated
that they will yield the state S2o.OO0.0O0
and upward year. In my talk with
Baron Goto l asked him whether Japan
could afford to carry it's railway passen-
gers for cents a mile. He replied:
We are doing better than that. Our
passenger rates are about IA cents a
mile, and our freight rates are equally
low. Our rates on the average are just
about half those of the United States
Baron Goto says that the traffic on
the railroads shows that the business con-
ditions are improving. He referred to the
fact that we had last year something
like 100000 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 transpor-
tation.
Baron Goto says that the shipping in
terests are doing well, and that the gov
eminent subsidies arr paying in the in
crease of foreign trade. Japan has now
CT a MOI W oh 70
1000. 0e0 tons and sailing vessels whose
tonnage is one-third that amount. 1t has
regular lines of vessels ID Europe. Amer
lea, Australia and India, as well as to
Manchuria and Siberia and on all the big
rivers Of China The steamship lines are
paying dividends. The Nippon Yusen
kaisha. which is the largest in Japan,
pays l. per cent. and the Togo kisen kai
sha has dividends equally good Many o.
the ships are built in Japan, some of the
vessels constructed being 1000 tons or
more. There are 600 private shipyards in
Japan.
In another letter | shall write about
the factories OF Japan, giving The amount
of business they are doing and showing
how they are growing. Suffice 1t to say
that they include many cotton and spin
ming mills. machine shops, chemical
works, woodworking establishments.
match factories and those which make
watches and electrical supplies
From what l have written In this letter
it will be seen that the finances of Japan
are no. founded altogether on wind. The
country is In many respects rich. and Il
has considerable undeveloped resources.
the chief of which are in the industrial
possibilities of its peop,e. At the same
time the cost of Living is comparatively
low although more than in the past,
owing to the gradual changing to the
more expensive custom; coming in with
the new civilization. Whether the coun-
try will continue to prosper with the ex-
travaganceS of this ci,iliZa ton remains to
be seen. AS 1t is now. what the United
States wastes at every breakfast would
feed all Japan for whole day. and the
money she spends for carpets would buy
all the furniture of this nation of
30. 600. OAO people.
This letter is about the hard times OF
today That they are hard there is no
question. although ! doubt whether they
are as bad as they were IN many of our
cities during the past year. Every one
seems busy. and although some of the
factories have cut down the forces there
are few unemployed. The men have
other jobs. for in nearly every house the
people are making one thing or another
for sale. At the same time. wages are
low. and the taxes have been continued