Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-11-19
NOLABOR UNIONS
ALLOWED IN JAPAN
Nipponese Journalist on Visit
Here Discusses Problems
Of FIowery Kingdom
VISITS LEDGER BUILDING

The greatest problem facing the
newspapers of Japan today is the Japu
nese alphabet of more than 1000 let
ters.
Mr., ,Hikoichi Foohay, assistant city
editop of the Osaka Maiuichi, of Osaka,
the principal industrial city Of Japan,
End special correspondent for his paper
at the international labor conference,
Washington, came 20 the city ycstcr-
day to inspect the home of the EVE
MING PUBLIC LEDGER.
''If 1t were not for our alphabet of
more than 1000 letters we might be
able TO use linotypes in our COMPOSING
rooms and typewritcrs in our editorial
re- - Is - Sid VI i'r'''Nv.
''all the writing is done in long hand,
and all the type is hand set. And vet
we are abe to get an extra out on the
streets in twenty minutes.
'"There was linotype machine sent
to JaDan once, but it was mostly
curiosity. 1t is now probably in
museum for us to look ut and marvel.
Somebody also imported typewriter
with japanese letters. But it had such
a - \ Il W" -" TO ~ "
like you would u xvlophone. Or you
would have TO use a loug pole to reuch
all the letters.
Employs Eighty Reporters
1.-THE Osaka Mainchi is The hest naner
in Osaka, though the Osaka Asahi,
which is our intense rival, would not
admit it, The Mainichi is u three
sheet daily. with morning aud evening
edition. On Sundays there are but
ewo sheets to the paper, it emplovcs
st" 900 men. including eighty mon
and women reporters, and an extra 100
men aud women in the business depart
ment."
MIR. Fookay is u specialist in labor
and industrial! matters. He has a
scholarly forehead, and reads labor lit
eratnre like hungry man eats.
20 Each of our reporters is III charge
of special kind Of story. The women
do society news, the men are divided
into departments coniiniug them to
police news, or TO court news, or to
military news, industrial news, sports,
and so on. And we have slang, too, in
our sports accounts, by the way, and
an incomprehensible Japanese in our
financial columns" Mr.. Fookuy said
that with a smile.
Contrary to the custom OF your
papers, all our reporters write their
own news stories instead of phoning the
stories into the Office for somebody else
pens. Seventy per cent of them are
university or college trained.
Mr.. Fookay drew out copy Of the
Mainecbr, The headlines arc written
vertically, and to the left of the page.
The story extends TO the right.
"And we read our lines" he said,
with broad smile, 'from north to
south. instead of from west TO east.
greatly respected. They ride on the
trolleys free of charge. 1t is our belief
that newspapers are the best medium to
cement national and international
friendly relations of the future.
Newspaper Work Personal
Newspaper work in Japan is of
very personal kind. We have Intense
rivalry between different papers, and
It would be an unforgiyable piece Of
disloyalty for one newspaper mau to
share bit of exclusive news with
representative of rival paper, no mat
ter if they were out on the same story
or not. Sometimes, to prove we are
kind, we divulge unimportHnt items of
news to each other-but only unim-
portant ones.
Not only do our reporters strive to
get exclusive stories for their own
papers, but our editors lambaste each
other at every opportunity. The cdi-
torial page is extremely hot.
''Our paper is not radical, but we
are in favor of labor unions. As you
know, labor unions are not permitted
by the government of Japan, and there
is constant struggle with the govern
ment upon this problem. However, we
are fair with our government, and when
our government does things that are
fine. the Mainichi is the first to COM
mend it,"
Mr.. Fookay will remain in this coun-
try for two months. He VIII tour the
eastern section of the United States,
making Washington his headquarters,
to study labor conditions in America
and to study newspaper and periodical
methods.
"We Japanese have so much to learn