"Night work reduces the power of attention and causes many ae-_ cidents. At a certain factory whicn employed 8,000 workers of both sexes, night and day alternately, 1,573 were injured accidentally, Within a period of 23 months. The percentage, according te the hours, shows that accidents in the afternoon were vhen compared with 2.7 in the morning, the climax being reached at night with 10.3 per cent.
At the end of 1924, the women employed in factories totalled 857,- 930. Of these, those between 15 and 20 years of age were most numerous; those between 12 and 15 years of ' age totalled 115,801, most of! whom were employed on both night! work and day work, alternately. Women employed in spinning mille whose wheels grind for 24 hours total 184,178.
"Night' labour affects woman as log:
mother and impairs her health' most seriously," On.account of night labour, factory workers are employment after they are married there are those who dislike life in the factory boarding house. Such changes are about 80 per cent. in. Tokyo. territory and about 100 per cent. in Osaka territory. Thus, in the commercial metropolis, there is practically an entire re-real of the personnel every year.
Wretched Pay "Under such circumstances,. it] goes that it is absolutely impossible' to secure skilled workers. On account of low wages, too, the factory operatives do not care to stay long. Between July, 1923, and February, 1924, the Average wage of a woman employee Fin a fibre factory was 86 sen a day.
"These girls and women are compelled to remit almost their entire earnings to their parents. The expenses of the boarding house are deducted before their was re given to them, The food and accommodations at such boarding! houses are extremely poor.
"At the end of 1924 there were 95,559 factories under the control fof the Government in accordance' with the provisions of the Factory Law. Out of these' 10,570 were provided with boarding houses. Such factories employ night labour, and this naturally affects the character and morale of the women very seriously, Their life is similar to that of convicts in prison. They are out off from all social intercourse and indescribable tyranny, wrongs: and cruelty are constantly reported as being committed by the capitalts or their henchmen against these, oer women.
"We, therefore, also peti some additional Articles be attached to the Amended Factory viding for Governmental supervision over these boarding houses, until] the system of boarding houses is) entirely eliminated by another Amendment.
Skilled Labour the Cure "Spinning is the most important dustry in Japan, and its operation and management will have a great! deal to do with national economy. In China, India and other Eastern lands, the spinning industry is grow. ing apace and Japan already is feeling the pinch, The only way to save our spinning industry from collapse and failure is superior workmanship, "There are only two policies, by! ther of which this remedy can be effected—the reduction of wages to the level of those in less advanced countries or changing the factories from inferior ones to superior by training the employees to become skilled workers. Needless to say, the former policy will be suicidal to Japan because it will be absolutely impossible for our workers to compete with China, India and other|Drought back to Japan, 40,000 Oriental lands which are able to Kor pay smaller wages. Such a policy Korean noses. will drive our workers to hunger and to despair.
"It will thus be seen that the only workable plan is to train our workers better. Such training will be possible so long as the personnel the factories change so constantly. Improvement of the terms and conditions in factories is the only way to induce employes to remain.
Best Policy for Capitalists "The policy hitherto employed by! the capitalists to use men and women as so many machines is a fundamental mistake. Technical skill and good training alone will help our industries to improve, and for that purpose night work should ton.
In advanced countries, this. problem was solved many years ago. Japan shouldered the responsibility abolishing night work at the first International Labour Congress. If she does not perform the duties she accepted by international agreement, che will be also guilty of neglecting most important matter—not observing her pledged word. Any, farther delay in enforcement of a already promulgated is a viol of justice and humanity. We earnestly appeal to you, ask for} your sympathy and hope that you! will put forth best efforts to carry out the needed reform."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.