The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-18
JAPAN TAKES UP
SOCIAL WELFARE
Wave of Democracy Begins to
Take Concrete Form Through
Organization.

TOXIC. Oct. 1.--Social upiift work has
become a fad In Japan. The tidal waves
OF freedom and democracy have awak-
ened tho Numbering national sense Of
social justice and the result has been the
advent Of a new era in Japan's social
politics.
The first step OF the movement was to
establish social service bureau in tho
central Government and In each Of the
prefectural governments. Each OF the
larger cities was also induced to estab-
llsh department of social settlensn-
OF which tho ones located in Tokio3 nd
Osaka are the strongest and most pro-
gressiye.
The work has been divided into a.
study OF existing conditions; (2) ex-
tension OF immediate help. and (3) tho
establishment of preventive measures.
For the first task there have been many
systematic individual and public efforts
to elucidate the actual miserable condi-
tons. The first national census now be-
ing completed. which is to be published
early next year, has laid special stress
on the living conditions of the poor In
big cities.
For immediate relief much is being
done both by tho public and private In
situations. BY far the most successful
work along this line has been accom-
plished by free hospital services. Of
which there are more than hundred.
extending medical aid to many millions
OF people. There are now in Japan 60
, reform institutions. 1870 orphanages. 80
, homes for the aged, 100 outdoor relief
institutions, both public and private, be-
sides nearly a score each OF vagrants'
homes. protective societies for women.
schools for deaf niutes and the blind and
ex-convict protective societies scattered
throughout the country.
Aim at Preventive Measures.
AS to the preventive measures two
lines Of approach have been experimental
upon. Ono Is to establish local self
governing leagues in cities and rural
communities, organized by citizens with
the purpose Of promoting social welfare.
The system which has been in vogue in
the city OF OsolSa was modelled after
that of Elberfeld which divides the city
into some 1000 school districts, each
containing about 1000 population. In
each of these districts there Is estab-
lished a local welfare body composed OF
voluntary citizens, which takes care of
the problems arising in that district.
by a central relief board, jointly COM
posed OF city and provincial officials and
voluntary citizens elected by the local
welfare bodies, which directs the policy
of general relief work. Similar plans
have been put into execution in many
other cities and rural communities, with
minor notifications.
Another line of preventive work is
legislation. During the last few years
bills aiming at social welfare were passed
in wholesale fashion, among which the
most notable are the factory law, hous-
ing regulations sanitation bills, and pre-
ve. I. We measures for contagious diseases.
The Government has just proposed to the
Diet the enactment of laws regulating
the treatment of the insane, both at their
homes and In aslyurns creating juvenile
courts modelled after the American sys-
TEN, and affording public help for ma
ternity cases. One proposed bill which
!s enjoying the hearty support of the
liberals Is preventive measure or
veneral diseases. which guarantees the
right OF woman to demand health GER
tificate from the party contracting mar
riage.
Japanese labor presents two acute
problems: one is unemployment and the
other is the struggle for recognition of
rights The economic boom during the
war absorbed nearly million factory
hands from various sources, chiefly from
agricultural communities and from the
middle classes. The arrival OF the dis
astrous business SLUMP early this year
has crippled and crumbled many mush-
room firms which had appeared during
the war buoyancy. Immediately all
firms and factories began to take eau
tious steps by curtailing their enter
prises. and the economic activities OF
the empire became generally slackened.