1901.] 



COMMERCIAL JAPAN. 



2251 



SANITAUY CONDITION OF FACTORIES. 



All companies pay attention to the health of their employees, but the laborers, as said before, have no ideas in this regard. When 

 they fjct their waj^es they spend them for eating? and drinking, spoil themselV'iS, and the attention of the employers to j-anitation i.s in vain. 

 They furnish doctors and examine the patients, but if the examination is too strict the latter dislike it and run away. The exyieruK: to whirh 

 62 large companies went for sanitary improvements for three summer months was 12,405 yen in 1897, with average of :iOO yen per company. 

 But there is a hopeful decrease in the amount of sickness among the laborers. 



Sickness in thirty-five factories, from October, 1896, to October, 1897, is shown as follows: 



Aggre- 

 gate. 



Deaths. 



Contagious diseases 



Devclopmeiitiil and exhaustive . 



Skin and mr.sclc 



Bones and joints 



Blood vessels 



Internal organs 



Breathing, throat 



Diet 



Nerves 



Kidney and reproductive organs 



Wounds 



Miscellaneous , 



Total 



908 

 735 

 807 

 015 

 2:55 



■no 



220 

 115 

 872 

 547 

 375 

 220 



42 



5 



3 



6 



12 



2 



104 



39 



17 



11 



2 



6 



249 



The above table shows the greatest number in the diet list, and the next is in throat disease, caused by drinking. 



BUILDINGS. 



Recently great improvement has been made in factory buildings, which are now erected under the supervision of technical 

 architects, who have studied the European and American factories, llost of them are of brick or stone, but on account of earthquakes 

 most are of one story and very seldom of three stories. They pay attention to liglit, ventilation, and especially to the prevention of 

 tire. To keep the factory clean they sweep it all over three or four times a year, besides the daily sweeping. Dormitories are not in 

 the foreign style at all; they are made for the convenience of our laborers, which the foreign style of dormitory would not be. 



EDUCATION. 



First of all, labor and education can not run parallel; the employees work all day and come home almost worn out, and it is 

 impossible to pour learning into such dull heads. Moreover, they had not proper education when they came, and if they are compelled 

 to attend lectures they dislike it and run away. But on account of the improvement of machinery and the division of labor, they need 

 more education. Some companies give lectures by priests, and inculcate morals; some use shadow pictures and explain the redress of 

 wrong and try to improve their personality; others give lessons in sewing to female laborers, and this last is the only successful methc>d. 



in thirty-seven large factories, October, 1897, there were 6,0-11 males and 21,463 females who could read, and 1,211 males and 17,471 

 females who could not read; there were 521 males and 3,124 females under 14 years of age who could read, and 405 males and 3,808 

 females who could not read. 



Three to 6 per cent of the wages are reduced compulsory for savings, on which the company gives 5 to 10 per cent interest, and 

 this they never allow to be drawn out during the employment, unless it is needed. But, as stated before, the laborers are ignorant and 

 never understand the principle, and think that the sum taken away has gone as a contribution or commission to the officers of the 

 company, although as time passes they begin to know the value of the idea. The result was: 



f ij Some idea of savings for need was given and at the same time their extravagance was stopped. 



(2) When sickness occurred in their families it gave great help. 



(3) When expiration of employment came they had some capital. 



(4) As the amount of savings increased they became more and more studious to save. 



(5) If they violate the by-laws those saved amounts are forfeited, thus ifisuring their good behavior. 



(6) Naturally they change their customs and tendencies and become good employees and get more wages. 



Thus the system is of great benefit to the company as well as the employees themselves. Besides these savings the company takes 

 their deposit on voluntary savings and gives interest a little higher than the market rate. The company also sends their remittances of 

 money to their homes without any charge. 



