New-York tribune., 1920-08-15
High Living Cost Agitates
Thoughts Even of Chinese
Price of Rice Scars, Reducing Millions of People
to Verge of Starvation Profteers Busy and
Strikes Numerous and Frequent

are scallng IN Japan, too, and the
Japanese are looking elsewhere for
supply. The likeliest field is China.
The Japanese have been using their
decisive political influence in China to
get rice. They have made a condition
of their vast loans to corrupt Chinese
officials that they wink at the snug
Cling of rice to Japan. There has been
smuggling in huge quantities.
Regular syndicates are working in
various parts of the country getting
rice out to Japan, receiving hand
some profit on the deal and loans,
besides wherewith to further their
own political aims and simultaneously
feather their nests. Magistrates, gov
volved, and the Chinese people, the
hard -laboring collie and peasant, the
hardest laboring men in the world,
have suffered in consequences. 1t is
in addition to the long score the Chi
nese people have against their plunder-
ing, parasitic officialdom-and Japa-
nese political debauching.
The direct consequences of the in
creasing cost of living has, of course,
been laoor troubles. Strikes have been
numerous in the cities. The carpen-
ters OF Shanghai the silk weavers or
Soochow-thosc same men who wove
tIe IOpeS tldt hOIlldIl SllpeIoiS Woie
the wood carvers of Ningpo, the salt
drillers of Szechuen have gone out in
the last few weeks.
Even to strikes in China, there is
the quaint, fantastic touch, and the
sober common sense that underlies all
life in China. A week ago the Shang-
hal carpenters struck in Shanghai.
They now get $50 brass cash a day,
about 25 cents in American money at
the present rate Of exchange, about
16 cents normally. They wanted from
sixty to a hundred cash morc-that is,
from 6 to 10 cents more.
They quit work, they had meetings,
they picketed in the orthodox manner.
All the Western accomplishments of
labor disturbances were present, even
ing with two non strikers. while they
were at work. Interference with lib
erty of the worker, said the judge SOL
EMMY. AS it happens, they don't know
about injunctions yet.
Mass Meeting of Workers
There the analogy ends. On Sun
day afternoon thre was a joint mass
meeting of workers and employers at
the carpenters guild. All afternoon
they argued, anybody talking and all
appealing to the homely wisdom of the
sages and swearing by their loyalty to
their ancestors, in the volubleness and
garrulity that is charac teristic Of the
Chinese, American impressions gath
cred from laundries, to the contrary
Notwithstanding.
And when they had debated them
selves hoarse and hungry they had a
recess for tea, and in the most pleas
ant harmony employer and striker
had tea and cakes, and bean curd
sweetmcats together, and little putfs
at the long, long pipe. Then they re-
sumed the debate, fiercely and volubly
as before, and finally compromised on
a raise of six cents a day. Why not
be sensible?
But the Chinese have nothing tc
learn about strikes. When they strike
they strike, and it is an alright, hole
proof strike, as no other people in the
world know such things, except, per-
haps, those who have suffered from
Chinese boycotts.
In labor disturbances, as in phioso-
ply, inventions and almost all other
things, the all-sufficient West can take
leaf out of the Chinese book. Many
leaves, maybe the whole volume.
But to revert; serious times are ahead
of China. There may be relief TEN.
porariy, but the cost of prime neces-
sites will continue to go up there will
be new laJor troubles, there will be
popular risings and there will be suf
fering and death. One reads here oil
the II. C.. l.. in America with relative
| feelings