There was a large and representative gathering on the grounds of the Nagai Wata Kaisha in Gordon Road, on Sunday morning, for the ceremony of unveiling the, statue of Mir. Rihei Kawamura, president of the company. Among those present were Sir Everard Praser, K.c.M.c., Mr. Yamasaki, Japanese Consul-General, Mr. A. Trrooke-Smith, chairman of the) Municipal Consul, Mr. Chu Pao-san, Magistrate Kuan Chun and many leading Chinese and practically all the principal members of the Japanese community.
The proceedings" were opened by the grandson of Mr. R. Kawamura, who pulled the string which suspended the veil and the statue was revealed to view. The statue is} made of bronze and was cast Gri' Japan. It measures about seven feet in height and depicts Mr. Kawamura in his favourite working dress. The base is made of white polished granite and stands about 12 feet high.
After Mr. A. Takei, director of the company, had spoken in Japanese, tracing the company's develop-and Mr. K. Onishi had read a congratulatory address, Mr. G. Okada, manager, made most interesting speech in English. After thanking those present for their attendance, he continued From Smaty To GREAT.
"Mr, Kawamura is one of the pioneer workers of cotton mill in-Qustry in Japan and all through the trying stages of its development, he has been one of its mainstays and has contributed-not little towards bringing it to the present prosperous condition, as fne of the premier industries Japan. Japan resembles Great Britain in that she does not produce any cotton on her soi first essential of the textile dustry—and Mr.
Kawamura had made a journey to India early in the eighties to introduce Indian cotton to Japan, from which date the real serious development of the industry may be said to have begun in Japan. Mr. Karwemure also paid several visits to China in order to introduce Chinese cotton. Thus it will be seen that he has been so deeply associated with it that to relate his life would be to unfold the whole textile industrial history of Japan. The Nagai Wata Kaisha was first founded in the year 1887, just 33 years ago, and was a small company with a capital of only Yen 50,000 and engaged in the trade. of cotton and cotton goods. Mr. Kawamura was asked in 1898 to join it and to assume its direction. His connexion with it at once marked change-of policy, and henceforth its business assumed more of an industrial rather than commercial character. Soon a small mill was bought at Osaka and a little later another one was added. These are!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.