Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1912-07-14

and clothiug, and but siAty-nNo thous-
ana am told which Includes women
and children, are employed lu fac
tories The worker Ia factory
is miscrably paid from our standpoint
but notwithstanding the long hours ht
works ana the absence uf holidays
for Tho Japanese work week is seven
days long-he still leads ne OF COM
paralNe luXugy when compared win
the japanese farmer. The latter
makes miserable living. But II per
cent of the entire area OF Japan is
susceptible 90 cultivation, the tota
being q tribe above fourteen million
acres, This limited area Is occupied
by nearly five million separate land.
owners. Two and oncfouTth millions
of these cultivate farms OF less than
am acre ana quarter each
AeNcnty-two per cent Of the entire
farming population Is on farms OF lcss
than two and onc-hulf acres each
lhcrc are In the whole empire hat two
thousand aud seven hundred farmer,
each cultiNating an area of l25 acres
or more.
some idea Of the desperate poycrB
to which these people are reduced
may be cen IN the government rec.
ords which show that $4,000 land
owning farmers were delinquent IN
their taxes last year. In the aNcrag,
amount of $lb0 each, which they wer.
unable tu pay The year hefor,
there were $1,000 laud-owning farm.
crs unable TO pay government take,
amounting to AN average OF 20 cents
each, and whose personal effects wc,,
seized ana publicly sold 10 Iay this
petty tax which was beyond their pow.
er 20 meet, And yet, this is the couu
try which alarmists i'm America pre-.
tend To believe is secretly preparing to
make war with nation Ike tn
United States.
For the past six years tho poverty
stricken multitude OF this rmplr.
have been engaged In tremendous
struggle with finance ana consequent
taxation, so that they are unable {,
think night or day Of little else. So
Keen has the struggle become that
ten thousand suicides have occurred IN
one year, an alarming condition, uu.
known In former times. and attributed
by Japenose economists to the pres
ent hard conditions. The Japancs.
pauper does not beg; ne is too prout
for that, In any event II is useless g.
throw himself on a community unac
customed TO paupers and which wou't
snow him no mercy In Japan tn,
family relations must look after IN,
unfortunates that failing suicide is re
sorted TO. The other day n farme.
was taken out Of the river with hi.
two little girls tied on his back lie
could not longer pay the tribute lev.
led by society against him In his call
Ing Food and income failed and h
drowned himself and children; the
father, whose wife had died shortly
before thinking II better to end the
family misery. Such cases are fire.
quent In this country for the last few
years. The price of rice, the common
FOOD OF the people, is higher than
ever before. Many are compelled e.
resort TO barley, which is looked upon
as disgrace. AS one travels about
among these people daily and sees the
distressing condition OF the poor, he
cannot help but be impressed with
their miserable poverty-it Is an i'm
preston that is ever present and
more so when you know that even tn.
creatures with whom you converso
aer concealin. their misery behind
courtesy and smiling countenance.