134 



JAPAN - MISCELI.ANEOUS 



An examination of this table clearly shows a considerable increase in 

 wages since 1906, that is to say since the great economic crisis through 

 which Japan passed and which was marked by labour agitations. 

 Taking, as we did in the case of the prices, the average of the index 

 numbers for each year, we obtain the following results : 



Agricultural l,abourers . 

 Various Factory Hands 

 General Average . . . 



149.6 



1 49- 1 

 149.3 



From these results, two other important facts may be learnt. 



1st., that the increase in the case of the agricultural labourers which, 

 up to 1910, was inferior to the increase in that of the factory hands, now 

 not only tends to equal but to exceed it. 



2nd,, The fluctations in wages have been all along considerably greater than 

 those in prices. 



In respect to the above statement, we summarise the figures in the 

 following table: 



Years 



Fluctuations 



in Prices 



in Wages 



Agricultural Manufacturing 



Average 



1902 



1903 



1904 



1905 

 lgo6 

 1907 

 1908 

 1909 

 1910 

 19II 



99 

 log 

 119 



131 

 129 



133 

 136 



131 

 131 

 137 



100.7 

 105.0 

 104.2 

 110.2 

 1 1 3-9 

 124.9 

 136.1 

 132.6 

 140.4 

 149.6 



107.4 

 107. 1 



1159 

 no. 9 

 119.8 

 135-3 

 142.9 

 145-3 

 1483 

 149.1 



104.0 

 106.0 



I lO.O 



110.5 

 116.8 

 130. 1 

 139-5 



138-9 

 144-3 

 149-3 



A careful examination of these figures permits of our drawing some other 

 conclusions. First of all, that the economic crisis of 1907 marked a quite 



