"Numan ayo Linon 2x cin iby Adelaide Mary Andersen, Farm aad Factory in China by Jo Both these books are published by, the Student Christian Movement Voth are to some extent concerned with the same problem except that Danie Adelaide's book whilst being "the record of a survey Uy an expert observer of industrial conditions in China," is dedicated hiid Workers of China" and deals especially with the labour conditions as they affect children.
Dame Adelaide was formerly! Principal Lady Inspector of Factorjes in England and as such was invited to make a survey on behalf of the National Christian Council which resulted in the Child Labour Commission of Shanghai in the years 1923-4. The Commission was dot successful in the regulations desired to set up and "it was the opinion of a good many foreigners that any question of regulation by the Council of the conditions of child workers was finally closed in the Foreign Settlement for they were! convinced of the inadvisability of there atterapting regulations affect~ ing Chineeo customs against the national feeling. Yet it was not airist the spirit and provisions of the by-law itself that Chinese opposition was directed,"
But in as much as that was the case and many foreigners were desirous of secing tetter conditions Dame Adelaide hopes that the set Vnck was only temporary and that the future the reforms suggested: and even greater ones will be me troduced, And her idea of the place that Shanghai is to take in the Suture of China is shown in these words:—
"The interest of Chinese and foreigners in that Wonder City of all Asin," Shanghai, are not only inter Jecked: in tonic things they are organically one. No industrial or other etonomie and social problem can be more than partially solved there, until there is effective mutual understanding and ce-operation expressing itself administratively as well as personally."
One would wish that this book anight have a.arge 8 cheaper edition might It might do a great deal to remo misunderstanding of the actual position. The reviewer once heard Sir Sidney Barton whilst Consul-General in Shanghai say of the Chinese "The more one sees them, the more one likes them," and the very real goodwill of British officials towards China is expressly stated. "The first legislative steps—Britis people may be thankful for it—actually taken in the Far East for protection of Chinese workers in Sactories were taken by the Government of Hongkong." Further, the efforts of the Council and the Child Labour Reform Movement are said to have been "supported by the advice and help of the British Consul-General."
The position in China is put graphically by quoting the inscription on the monument to James Watt in Westminster Abbey in that he had "enlarged the resources of his country, increased the power of man" and' risen "to an eminent place among the meritorious followers of science and real benefactors tf the world." The Industrial Revolution hus come to stay and the whole situation may be turned, Chinese wrote to the Bri Delegation, into a "blessing or a curse" according to the way in which it is developed while the ation is still plastic Tt has beconie a matter of international knowledge that the whole mats of the Chinese labouring peo-lo still travail to be delivered from the - wasteful - poverty, limitations, and cruel drudgery ' of unaided manual and muscular toil." And in the present "plastic situation" Dame Adelaide points out that "The for-motion of the International Labour Office makes available the pooled experience and scientific knowledge of the industrialized countries" of the world. "It is open to a unified China to learn without trying-out in ignorance the effect in powerairiven industry of undiscriminating employment of children at the power-driven machines: of excessive hours of employment at mechanical work: of dangerous dusts and fumes of poisonous materials without control and of the use of dangerous enguarded machinery.
Enough has been written to show the aim of the book. There is a <fuil account of the negotiations which led to the formation of the Child Labour Commission and the reason for its failure. There may be occasions when Dame Adelaide saw "things Chinese' through rose-coloured spectacles when og. at a feast she took as a special personal compliment what is ordinary custom "And this ceremony of offering wi was transformed into gracious significance" or when display of flags and feasting followed by the presentation of photographs seem to have been taken to imply enthusiasm for child labour reform where one mors familiar with China (whilst equally grateful for the hospitality) might have doubted whether there was anything more than Chinese politeness, At least it is a good fault and one to which most people who have any chance of intimacy with Chinese may plead guilty. It remains to add that the book is written from the diary notes of an acute observer and as. the cover states "'is a travel diary of great human interest."
Mr. Tayler's book is cheaper and smaller. It is concerned with conditions generally both in the cultural and industrial world and while also written from a humanitarian point of view is specifically from the economist's or Christian economist's _standpo' gives Hlustrations of the Tt_ is packed with information,
appalling conditions and wages but shows how all sorts of varying conditions have to be taken into vexation when trying to work out a standard rate of wages. When the work of this and other surveys has been completed, surveys dealing with "the productivity of the worker, his money wages and its purchasing power in terms of subsistence wants and higher wants.
will then be possible make such a statement (to take a hypothetical case and figures) as that the textile workers of Shanghai might be paid one-sixth the rage of corresponding Lancashire workers for one quarter the output while their money might go three imes as far." Mr. Taylor adds "It rudies would reveal some curious anomolies."—cuenicus,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.