It is in the demand for chairs that outside influences become visible, for textile workers know quite well that it is impossible to work (we and three looms from chairs and that it would require the tion of the entire textile industry in China to accede to this. demand, They are resorting to a test case, calling a small strike in tone mill, which, however, affects every mill and Which the manage-mont of the particular mill concerned cannot settle without consulting with all mill managements and without common agreement, In a word, without calling a strike in all is; the workers create a situation which involves all mills. And the suggestion that no chairs are provided is likely to influence public opinion, which may express wonder that the workers should stand up, although in many industries it is quite impossible to sit and work at the same time. Hand typesetters, for instance, cannot sit down and set type. A Chinese typesetter has to run about from case to case secking the 7,000 characters necessary to pul paper. These comparison for the sake clarifying the atmosphere.
In Japan, no chairs are provided for loom workers who have to handle two, three and sometimes, four looms,' Te do so would impai the efficiency of the worker, who is paid by the production (piece work) and therefore his earning capacity would diminish, At any ate, the textile industry in China is so organized that no chairs can be provided at the looms, according the management ' of textile mills, In making this ease, the workers raise an issue which ean-not easily be settled and which involves a further attempt of the Inbour unions to dictate as to the management of the mills No Valid Complaint In connexion with the Naig Wata Kaisha mill, it is important to note that the hours of labour are from 10} to 11 hours per day while previously textile workers used to work from 12 to 14 hours per day. The mill also strictly en-forees a rule that no women with bound feet shall be employed and maintains measurement test. to prevent child Inbour. A worker must be four feet five to be employed. Cases of fatigue among loom workers have not been reported to the management of the mill and from information available have not occurred, It is therefore dificult to understand why this question should have arisen at this time, unless it is forthe purpose of interjecting a new and unsolvable peoblom in Shanghat's labour situation, The following data with regard to Japanese owned cotton mills in Shanghai, published by the Chinese Government Bureau of Economic Information is of interest:
Total number of mills 32 Spindles 998,172 Looms 5,836 Number of labourers 55,488
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.