1901.1 



COMMERCIAL JAPAJS". 



Paper Money in Cieculation. 



2237 



Metallic Money Issued for Circulation. 



Total Circulation and its Per Capita. 



The amount of checks and bills cleared at the clearing houses, one in Osaka and one in Tokyo, has remarkably increased 

 to 1,000,000,000 yen in 1897, notvvithstanding the business stagnation everywhere; so that one may conclude that bu.siness transactions on 

 credit have come to prevail more widely and freely than before. The raising of the general intellectual standard of tlie cuuntry by- 

 improving the village schools in neces.sary features is an encouraging point of view in the present educational outlook. Municipal 

 government is now in full operation. The mayors are elected by the common votes. The care of parks, drainage, education, and the tire 

 system are all under municipal direction. The police is under direct control of the department of the interior. City improvements are 

 made, water pipes run as far as 14 miles from river into large cities, streets are widened and trees are planted. The commerce of the 

 country is keenly watched by all the nations of the world, and the United States is publishing yearly "The Commerce of Japan," 

 containing its area, population, production, railways, telegraph lines, tran.?portation routes, its foreign trade, and the trade of the United 

 States with Japan, and is studying these constantly by means of consul-general's reports. Laboriously worked out statistics.* the 

 "Resume Statistique de I'Empire du Japon," and "The General View of Commerce and Industry in the Empire of Japan" are published 

 yearly in Japan, and supply abundant data for a full and careful estimate, not simply of the facts'of extended trade, but also of its amount 

 compared with previous years, and fully illustrate the present condition, and so giVe approximately a correct idea of the quantitv and 

 relative proportion of the national growth of wealth. Consequently, it is not necessary to repeat them here, but for the convenience of 

 understanding its chief items let us look at the subject, dividing it into transportation.industry, and trade of the country: 



ARTICLE I. TRANSPORTATION. 



Professor Mayo-Smith states: "In early times the coasting ship was the cheapest means of transportation, and the most effective 

 one. Railroads have reached an enormous development for inland transportation, but the extension of the world's trade has kept 

 shipping of equal importance with railroads. In fact, the two now supplement each other; railroads bring the commodities to the sea- 

 shore, and ships carry them to other countries. Even in direct competition with railroads, shipping stifl plays an important part on 

 account of its superior cheapness. Transportation facilities enable individuals to command commodities of distant lands; it m-ikes labor 

 most productive by carrying it to the place where it can best be employed; it encourages capital to invest itself in new undertakings; for 

 the products can find an outlet. The history of civilization shows constant advance in the efficiency of the means and metliods of 

 transportation. Postal service was also improved by the improvement of transportation facilities. Telephone and telegraph service are 

 equally important in the development of the country. Highways, bridges, and canals are also a great help to the development of a 

 country, and are of special local importance." Unfortunately our statistics have not yet reached a sufficient proficiencv. so we observe 

 only those subjects of greatest importance. As transportation facilities are an important feature of the country the establislmient of these 

 increased as follows: 



Navigation 

 Railroad .. 

 Others 



Total 



1S98 



o&'pa-l P-<i-r'P'- 

 nies. 



1$9S 



Number- 

 of compa- 

 nies. 



196 

 64 

 276 



636 



Yen. 

 38, 985. 5SS 

 155, 881 , 9<v5 

 2, 952, 868 



97 

 30 

 110 



197, 233, 421 



Paid-up capi- 

 tal. 



Yen. 

 13,69.\009 

 73,2,52,797 

 3,013,029 



89,960,835 



• I am very sorry to say that the latest statistics did not reach my hand before the time required for this thesis. 



No. 6 14 



