Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 8.djvu/379

 JAPAN

321

JAPAN

Investigation

Ex

PLOITATION

TEAR

o z

s o

p ^

EXTENT

P

EXTENT

3972 5184 2767 3131

tsuho

822,65 1,U0 2,185,566.000

952,781.000 1,132,867,000

427fi 53S9 5469 5460

txubu 284.807,000

589,778,000

842,260.000

1906

876,696,000

From this it will be seen that within eleven years the extent of mines with a view to exploitation has more than trebled. The following is a table of the min- eral products for the years 1897, 1901, 1906, in yen: —

1897

1901

1906

Gold

1,368.341 yen

3.300,765 yen

3,633,715 \ n

Silver

2.082,006 "

2,116,819 •■

3,439,143 ■

Copper

8,692,658 "

16.252,442 ■■

30,079.926 "

Lead

103,431 •'

246,409 •■

496.909 ■■

Iron

1,002,389 •'

1,209,228 ■'

2..VJ5.122 "

Iron pyrites. ..

32,210 •■

27,782 ■■

•H.gys '•

Antimony

273,672 •■

134,814 •■

228.626 ■■

Manganese. . ..

87,582 "

108,464 •■

51.i.65'-) ■■

Oil

18,995,918 •■

30,609,314 ■•

63,144.000 •■

.Sulphur

335,886 ■■

386,127 •'

61.1.865 "

Petroleum ....

443,898 "

2,278,418 '■

3,145,502 "

Other minerals

38,630 ••

34,503 •■

413,380 •■

Totals

33,456,621 yen

56,705,085 yen

108,397,838 yen

daily wages: men, 55 s<n\; women, 25 sen. Japanese industry began to soar at the time of the war with China. The Japanese decided to add to their charac- teri.stic of being a warlike people that of beiiii; an in- dustrial people. The following arc the figures for nine

This shows that the total product of the mines has more than trebled within eleven years. From 1895 to 1907 the copper output increased from 5,000,000 to 29,000,000 yen, and that of oil from 5,000,000 to 19,- 000,000 yen. Number of mine-workers, in 1898, was 132,731; in 1906, 187,922; accidents (1907): fatal, 765; serious, 426; slight, 6092.

Manufactures. — Very early Japan had its industries, and the traditions on this point have not lieen lost. Artistic bronzes, lacquers, porcelains, and paper are still among the riches and glories of the country. Nevertheless, subsequent to 1868 a transformation took place, and a new era began for Japanese industry. Formerly the work had been done by hand in the fam- ily, but now began the reign of the factory and the machine. In order to encourage private woi;kers to use machinery, the Government itself built model workshops and manufactories. Besides, to hasten the development of the industry, the Government has often organized national expositions in the important cities of the empire, it has always taken part in foreign expositions, has instituted a bureau of industrial ex- periments, founded technical schools, encouraged the formation of industrial associations and sent students abroad to learn the operation of factories. It has also made special laws for the efficacious protection of in- dustrial property.

Workshops, Factories, and Arsenals Founded by the Slate. — Royal printing establishment, with typo- graphical workshops and paper-mill; a mint with a branch; 5 tobacco factories; military arsenals at Tokio and Osaka ; naval arsenals at Yokosuka, Kure, Sasebo, and Maizuni; marine ar.senal at Tokio; powder factory at Shimo.se; marine preparatory schools at Takeshiki, Ominato, and Mako; 1 steel foundry; 2 factories for the manufacture of material for telegraphs and light- houses; 13 railroad workshops, etc. Number of ma- chines for all government manufactories, 1075; horse and steam power. 118,353; workers, men and women, 130,515 (men, 107,776; women, 22,769). Besides these, 62,324 day labourers are also employed ; average VIII.- -21

1 s-

m

^^1

1

!1.S

l^p

HdHENBERGER ToURT OF BUUDHIST TEMPI, E AT NlKK;)

years of the factories or workshops employing more than 10 workers, men or women: —

Year

Workshops

Employes

Men

Women

1897

1904

1906

7.287 9,234 10,361

437,254 526,215 612,177

182,792 207,951 242,944

254,462 318,264 369,233

The figures for 1906 are divided as follows:-

Factories

Number

EMPLOYE-i

5,592 686 1,326 1.308 1,042 407

325,047

58,977

62,708

49.260

Various. '.v.'.'.::v.'.'.

50.176

66,009

10,361

612,177

(Men, 242,944;

women, 369,233)

The most prosperous industries are those of silk and cotton. In 1907 the number of silk mills was 4758; besides 392.581 families occupied with this industry. The quantity of silk thus obtained (including waste) equals 3,236,692 kwan. In 1895 it amounted to 2,299,688 kwan. Silk is the chief article of export from Japan. The following is the progress made within five years: In 1901, silk tissues manufaetured in Japan represented a value of 68,988.381 yen: in 1906 they rose to 88,994,617. And within eleven vcars the ex- port figures have risen from 43,000,000 to 158,000,00) yen.