Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1094

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JAPAN

1919-20 to 1924-25. Of the total 39,500,000 yen is to be expended on the building and extension of schoolhouses and 4,500,000 yen on the training of teachers (especially abroad). The proposal is to establish, in addition to the higher educational institutions already in existence, 10 high schools, 17 technical and commercial schools, 1 foreign-language school, and 1 school of pharmacy, besides extending the present colleges and organising new ones. It is expected that the programme will be completely carried into execution in the course of six years and that teaching at the new institutions will commence in 1925. The Emperor has contributed the sum of 10,000,000 yen toward the necessary funds, and the balance is to be met by public bonds or temporary loans.

In 1915-16 there were 900 libraries in Japan, with 4,059,972 volumes (3,835,683 Japanese and Chinese, and 224,307 European). In 1915, 49,181 books of various kinds, and 2,851 periodicals, monthly, weekly, and daily, were published.

In Formosa there is a special educational system.

Justice and Crime.

A system of justice founded on modern jurisprudence has been established. Judges are irremovable, except by way of criminal or disciplinary punishment. There are four classes of courts in Japan (exclusive of Formosa) ; namely, sub- district courts, district courts, courts of appeal, and court of cassation. In the court of cassation seven judges preside ; in the courts of appeal eight judges ; in the district courts three judges ; in each case one of them being the chief judge. In the subdistrict courts a single judge presides. A court which deals with disputes respecting administrative affairs is under the direct supervision of the Emperor.

A few judges of high rank are directly appointed by the Emperor, and some are appointed by him on nomination by the Minister of Justice. The following are the criminal statistics for five years : — In 1910, 106,179 criminals were condemned; in 1914, 103,292; in 1915, 94,931; in 1916, 102,691; and in 1917, 106,747.

In 1917 there were 52 prisons, 1,213 detached prisons and houses of correction. Number of prisoners of all kinds, convicted and accused, and those in houses of correction at the close of 1917 : — Men, 53,961 ; women, 2,247 ; total, 56,208.

For the trial of cases connected with the military and naval services there are courts-martial.

Pauperism.

In 1899 new legislation settled that the minimum amount of prefectural funds for the relief of sufferers from extreme calamity shall be 500,000 yen ; that funds below that limit are to be made up by the Treasury ; and that when the amount of relief exceeds 5 per cent, of the funds at the beginning of the fiscal year, one-third of the amount thus granted is to be supplied from the Treasury.

The relief statistics for 3 years show expenditure as follows (in yen, exclusive of Formosa) : —

Year

Shelter

390

1,370

18,396

Food

24,(10(J

30,439

319,835

Clothing

4,174 5,885

10,895

Medicine

Temporary lodgings

Providing with work

Total

(including

miscellaneous)

1915-16 1916-17 1917-18

M 19]

2,898

27,101 21,294 100.349

57,289 26,880 43,770

11", ST, 117 498,618