The Washington times., 1925-08-11
JAP DIET To ACT
ON RIGHTS OF
LABDRITES
Legislation Asked to Clarity
status,of Unions apd Com
binations Thereof
BY LUTHER A. HUSTON,
international News Service.

TOKYO, Aug. 11.-Legislation to
define and clarity the status of
organized labor in Japan probably
will be proposed as one of the Inn
portant measures to be sponsored
by the government at the next
session of the Diet. Premier kato
already has announced his intention
to draft legislation which will make
de facto the de jure right Of Jap
anese laborers to combine into
unions.
Special legislation is necessary
for the reason that the language
of the Japanese constitution is so
obscure that governmental and
police authorities can, under al
most. any pretext. declare labor
unions to be illegal. The constitu-
ton grants citizens the right of
combination within the law" The
question of describing what Is
within the law" is entirely in the
hands of the law enforcement
authorities and is at their discre.
ton rather than defined by statute.
Hitherto, and at the present time,
any action by any labor union that
is capable OF being interpreted as
detrimental to the general social or
political welfare of the nation inn
mediately comes under the ban OF
the authorities. The right TO COM
lbine has frequently been denied la
borers for the most nebulous rea-
sons
The legislation which the Govern
ment is expected to propose at the
next session OF the Diet will give
labor unions a definite status and
81
they may be organized and the ac-
tiyfties IN which they may engage.
If the law is passed it will mark
the realization of an objective long
fought for by Japanese laborers.
The fac: that there exists no spe-
|cific franchise for their formation
has not~-f8revented the organization
Of many labor unions iTf4Japan. In
all there are now about $50 unions
OF laborers and artisans and also
about fifty farmers unions, COM
posed of men who till the soil.
There is a central federation,
various district councils and the
local units, in fact all the machin-
cry of a strong, well organized fed
Grafton of labor. This. exists and
operates despite the absence of a
legal charter, but its activities are
so hampered and restricted by the
police that conditions extremely
irksome TO the unionists prevail.
Such legislation as may be en-
acted for the amelioration of these
conditions will be inspired, not so
much by the desire to improve the
status of the laborer as In recogni-
ton of the growing political power
Of the worker in Japan. The uni
versal manhood suffrage law passed
by the last session of the Diet has
enfranchised millions OF working
men hitherto denied the vote. Under
the guidance of able leaders these
workers are developing conscious
ness ofrtheir political power. Lead.
ers Of existing political parties
are exhibiting marked interest in
the tendencies being manifested Ivy
organized labor in Japan and adj
mittedly are shaping their policies
with. an eye to the tremendous
vote the workers will cast in the
next election.
(, Even so it Is doubtful If the "old
line parties can long control this
newly enfranchised labor vote. There
is every indication that the next
few years will see the DEVELOPMENT
of a strong labor party in Japan,
with the possibility that it may he.
come one of the dominant factors
In the political situation.