2250 



COMMEKOIAL JAPAN. 



[Decesibeb, 



them from a distance at j^rcat expense and much loss of time. ISIany companies sent agents over 200 miles to get employees. As to the 

 efficiencry of the work of those brought from a distance, few are found to quit the company, although they need a few days' careful drilling, 

 while those who come from neighVjoring towns are found to need no practice, for they have seen and heard in their surroundings. But 

 they very readily quit work, for they come just to get money; therefore, if they are told of better wages, they are easily influenced to quit 

 tiie place. The defects of the former are that when they return to their homes for festivals, funerals, and so forth, they stay a long time; 

 the latter, having their homes in the near neighborhood quickly quit in ca.se of slight sickness and other circumstances. Very few 

 children (;ome by their own desire; most come by their parents' financial trouble, i. e., parents send them for work and get their wages. 

 People who can support themselves hate to send their children, because the associations are not good, and nothing can be learned except 

 to do that particular work. The employees, especially the females, are children of very poor people, as of peasants, fishermen, and coolies. 

 They have no idea of sanitation or the health of their bodies, and have no proper education; therefore they have no patience in their 

 work and no ideas of saving; they spend all they earn for insignificant things. Employees from the city or town, where there are facilities 

 of communication, are smart in work, but these" facilities give them opportunities to return to their homes, and they never stay long for 

 work. On the other hand, those who come from a distance remain comparatively longer, but take a longer time to become acquainted 

 with the work. The reason of their quitting is very simple — change of their customs. They have not grown up under strict rules of 

 condu(;t, and the factory system makes them as uncomfortable as if they were working in imprisonment. Employers want to have as 

 many etnj)loyees from a distance as possible, but there is considerable expense to this, as for sending agents, commission for recommenders, 

 outfit of clothing and traveling expenses given to employees, and advance payments which often are never returned. Another defect is 

 the competition of eini)loyers to get these employees, which gives the latter some favorable considerations. Still another is tbat 

 employees are cheated l)y the commissioner, and often complain to the company for breach of contract. 



T))e contract is written, the time is from three to five years, and their ages from 10 to 60 years, because the older employees demand 

 generally that their young children be employed with them. 



In October, 1897, in seventy cotton-spinning companies there were 71,301 employees, as follows: 



Thus, female children under 12 years of age form only .3.8 per cent of the total and 4.8 per cent of total female employees, and male 

 children uniler 14 years of age only 1.8 per cent of total and 8.7 per cent of total male employees. 

 Tiieir length of employment, October, 1897, in the seventy firms was as follows: 



HOURS OF LAiJOU. 



Generally speaking, they change their work from day to night every other week or every ten days, although changes are made 

 according to weather and season. Tiiey work ten to eleven hours, having recess one to one and one-half houi-s every three or four hours. 

 The hours are never different with male, female, old or young, but the kind of work differs. A discussion took place about the question 

 of night work. Some say it is too hard. 



To discuss this (question intelligently, the first thing is to observe the custom and degree of civilization, and also the benefit of the 

 country ; therefore, all lOuropean and American methods can not be taken into consideration. Eleven hours of work are short compared 

 with (he hours of clerics and salesmen, who sit in stores from twelve to eighteen hours. Of course, the work on the machines is not 

 very easy, needing cdiistant watching of the movements under fixed aiTaugements, and of careful study. As to tlie night work, thev 

 rather prefer it in winler, because they are largely poor peo])le and lack bedciothing and fuel at home ; s.i they jM-efer to come to work 

 and aavt! expenses, and also on account of the larger wages in night work. In sununer the factory is cooler tlian their little houses. 



Wages, Piecework and Salary Together, OtTonER, 1897. 



The average of wages in>r day is 2.3} sen for males and 14} sen for females. Customarily, females under 14 years of age begin under 

 7 sen a day, and oyer 11 years, 8 or !» sen ar(^ paid. :\Iales under Hi get 11 to 12 son, and over lt», 12 to 14 son art* paid. 



'rhc incri'ase in waires runs from 1 (o 3 sen jier dav. The payments are made according to the condition of omplovot\<' and the custom 

 of tiie place, but always with regard to the wish of laborers (daily, every Ion days, or monthly). Hoanling exwii.<os. if thoy li\T in 

 tenements; the charj:es, if they live at the company hoarding houses; nMit. if re<iueslod by the hou.so owner, and the compulsory sivinps 

 are dedncted from i)a.\ iui>nts. Wages rose v(>ry high after the war. The average rise formales waa 45 i)cr cent; for females, S3" per cent 

 in October, 1897, in some i)laces rising as high as 200 per cent on female labor. 



