JAPAN. 



457 



throne and the people, consummated Dec. 22, 



1885, has proved thus far a measure power- 

 fully influential for the welfare of the nation, 

 and especially in the direction of simplicity 

 and economy. By this master-stroke of policy 

 8,000 Government employes were removed 

 from office. There were on the 31st of May, 



1886, in the pay of the Imperial Government, 

 1,362 high officers and 13,794 clerks, most of 

 them being in Tokio. Three grades of em- 

 ployment, with numerous subdivisions, are rec- 

 ognized, and the salaries are fixed as follow : 

 1. Minister President of State, $9,600 ; minis- 

 ter, $6,000 ; 2. $5,000 to $3,500 ; 3. $3,000 to 

 $400. In Tokio there are, in addition to the 

 military garrison, 3,123 policemen. 



In preparation for the inauguration, accord- 

 ing to the Mikado's oath in 1868, of represent- 

 ative government in 1890, the constitutions of 

 the various governments of the world have 

 been translated and studied. The political 

 model may be Prussian instead of British. 

 Two houses, an upper body of notables and 

 a lower body of commons, will probably be 

 constituted. An imposing edifice for the use 

 of the Parliament has peen planned under the 

 direction of a Berlin architect, and is in process 

 of construction. A national exhibition of in- 

 dustry will be held the same year in Tokio. 

 Courtesies between the Pope and the Mikado 

 have been exchanged. In the matter of treaty 

 revision little progress has been made, except 

 the proposition of a dual status of foreigners, 

 viz., that those doing business in the seven 

 treaty settlements should live, as heretofore, 

 in extra-territoriality, while those who dwell 

 beyond treaty limits should be under Japanese 

 jurisdiction, with the right of appeal to mixed 

 courts in which native and foreign judges sit. 



Fashions and Industries. The land under cul- 

 tivation throughout the empire, in 1885, 

 amounted to 30,604,322 acres, valued at $1,- 

 654,063,180. The annual mineral production 

 is officially estimated at $6,000,000 yearly. The 

 rapid assimilation of foreign civilization by the 

 people is the cause of many new industries 

 springing up, while the demand abroad for 

 novelties in Japanese art and handiwork tends 

 to stimulate manufactures and trade. Flour 

 and woolen mills are increasing, and the adop- 

 tion of Western diet, cookery, and apparel cre- 

 ates demand for new articles of food, furniture, 

 and dress-fabrics. The imports of woolens, 

 which in 1880 amounted to $188,484, increased 

 in 1885 to $391,904, while the number of 

 sheep imported is also larger. The Empress 

 has set the example of wearing European dress 

 and jewelry, and a revolution in female ap- 

 parel and in native textile industries is impend- 

 ing. House-building in Western style, apart- 

 ment-houses, the formation of social clubs, 

 social life with more freedom between the 

 young people of both sexes, waltzing, the use 

 of brass bands and Western music, are among 

 the signs of the times profoundly affecting 

 trade and industry. Wheat and rice straw- 



braid factories have been established at Yoko- 

 hama, and find a good market for their product 

 in the United States, to which country braid 

 to the value of $302,966 was imported in 1885. 



A beet-sugar factory has been begun at Sap- 

 poro, to which place also seventeen Ameri- 

 can stallions have been imported to improve 

 the native breeds. The value of silk handker- 

 chiefs imported to the United States in 1884 

 was $62,000, and in 1886, $240,000. Of soy 

 (shoyu), used as a basis of the table sauces made 

 abroad, there were manufactured in 1885, 45,- 

 564,320 gallons, in 13,905 establishments, em- 

 ploying 13,247 men figures which prove that 

 this industry is not yet, as many others in- 

 creasingly show, concentrated in the hands 

 of the large capitalists. 



Foreign Trade. The customs returns of trade 

 since 1868, published in July, 1886, show that 

 the foreign commerce is healthfully developing. 

 In 1869 the exports were less than $13,000,- 

 000, but during each of the past five years they 

 have not fallen below $30,000,000. The im- 

 ports were valued in 1868 at $10,500.000, in 

 1880 at $36,000,000, and in 1885 at $28,000,- 

 000. The excess of imports over exports dur- 

 ing eighteen years of foreign trade amounts 

 to $51,000,000. Great Britain has been the 

 largest importer, but her imports have fallen 

 from $19,000,000 in 1880, to $12,000,000 in 

 1885. The United States takes most of the 

 silk and tea, and returns machinery and oil, 

 two thirds of her exports to Japan being in 

 petroleum. The silk-crop in all its products is 

 valued at $18,500,000, and the tea-crop aver- 

 ages 35,000,000 pounds. The yield of tea has 

 increased threefold since 1868, but the price has 

 fallen one half. The value of the foreign trade 

 for the year 1885 amounted to $61,608,740, 

 imports $29,999,025, exports $31,609 735. As 

 compared with 1884, this shows a decrease of 

 $40,530 in value of imports, and an increase of 

 $1,753,610 in that of exports. The ports open 

 to foreign vessels are Yokohama, Hiogo, Nii- 

 gata, Nagasaki, Hakodate, with some little 

 business done at Shimonose'ki, Hakata, and Id- 

 zugahara. 



Two thirds of all export and import trade is 

 done at Yokohama. Of the 9,449 vessels, ag- 

 gregating 3,979,973 tons burden, entering and 

 clearing at the open ports, 568 were British, 

 223 German, 77 American, 53 French, 54 of 

 other foreign ownership, and 8,474 Japanese 

 vessels of foreign build. Except 1882, the year 

 1885 marks the largest export trade yet done 

 by Japan ; but even this as yet represents a 

 value of about $5 only to each six persons of 

 the population. These figures speak poorly 

 either for the productive powers of the country, 

 or the industrial character of the people. The 

 unrestricted opening of the country to foreign 

 trade and residence would give a great impetus 

 to business. Half the cost in the preparation of 

 tea could be saved if the product were packed 

 and sealed for export at the place of picking ; 

 and the large spaces of unused land could be 



