The Coconino sun., 1925-02-27
WOMEN ARE VERY CONVEN-
TENT in JAPAN, CHILDREN
SEEM VERY PLENTIFUL
Continued from Page One)

helping her husband in the mornings
at their temporarily rebuilt store and
doing social service work with the \.
W. c. A. during the afternoons. That
seems to be the prevailing spirit
among the Japanese and has been af-
ter recovering from the first great
shock at the loss Of friends, relatives
and property.
The people generally have warm
feeling toward America for the aid
rendered so promptly following the
great disaster and speak of it on
every occasion possible, expressing q
desire that the people of America
know how greatly they appreciate the
help given.
The vast wreckage is rapidly being
hauled by hand-power in small carts
dumped into the sea, and leveled off
for park purposes.
There isn't much labor saving ma
chinery in Japan. 1t is mainly man
power. Instead of donkey engine to
hoist heavy material, gang of men
on ropes sing and heave, and keep on
singing and heaving, until the job is
completed The wreckage of the big
pier building adjoining the dock where
we tied up was being cleared away
by hand; the big steel girders and
frames all lowered carefully in order
sto save all Of it that possibly could
be used again.
While there are many very modern
buildings of concrete and brick in the
main business center, the great ma
jority of business houses along the
narrow winding streets are one-story
shacks made of light wood usually
without floors. It reminds one OF
Coney Island or a line of shacks at a
county fair where hot dogs and other
junk are sold.
Along on bamboo poles are flaring
banners, all the colors of the rainbow
and some that would shock a rainbow
These banners, with the brilliant, open
front display of goods Of all kinds and
colors, altogether makes a most bril-
liant scene.
The street traffic along these wind
ing narrow streets would surely drive
a New York traffic cop into a slob-
bering, gibbering maniac.
Along will come an old bull, hitched
to a cart of lumber or something, led
by Jap; rickshas dodging in and out,
on a dog trot; an auto will whiz along
just scraping men, women, children,
bull carts, honking as it goes. They
seldom seem to hit anyone, but it is a
miracle they don't, as there are little
Japanese kids about kindergarten size
in flocks, chasing around in every di-
rection.
Man power is used for heavy load
ed carts and men are loaded down like
an Arizona burro packed for trip to
a sheep camp. In one instance | noted
a gang of women on rope, working a
big pile driver. They hauled the old
hammer up and dropped it with a
steady swing. Why, there doesn't
seem to be anything too good for the
women over here. They are allowed
to do any kind of work, no matter
how hard.
About the most servile thing to my
mind is the ricksha man. The idea of
one human being sitting all puffed up
in one Of these two-wheeled carts driv-
ing another human being along like a
burro does not fit in with our idea of
the eternal fitness of things. 1t is
said these ricksha men live about ten
years on the job. Why, dang it, it
is almost as bad as being an editor,
or some job like that, in our country,
but it isn't up to US to kick Every
man to his own liking, as the man
said when he kissed the cow.
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