sre bugesematsearion ano few Berece ov zo Wear With Special Hetercnce {0 Great Britain and Japan-—By Hroboardnsssted "by Denali Baring, With a" Conclusion by Brot fewer" N/E Gretory." "Oxford University Pres, London, 107
This comprehensive and up-to-the-minute statement of the present Industrial and trade situations in Japan, China, India, "and Great Britain and their respective interrelationships is possibly the most Valuable survey of the changing directions and balances in world trade fof the last decade which has eared. "It has been inspired ata Major contribution from the Royal Institute of "International. AVtalrs Which acts as the British Cosinell the stitute of Pacife. Relations, to the forthcoming conference. of the later body 10 be held in. Yosemite, California, in" 1096." The Conference will deal with *the international alms find results, in the" Paeifle, of the Soelat economic and political policies of the countries most intimately con nected with that aren!" Mr. Hubbard, Whose work the production largely is, well known in China, where he was formerly connected with. the Hongkong and Shanghial Banking Cor poration. He has hid the assistance specialists inthe preparation chapters other "than that von China. Professor. E. Gregory writes a revealing chapter, giving. the views point of an economist on the material presented.
Tu a foreword, Lord Astor, Vice-Chairman of the Cotinelt of the Royat Tnatltute, states' that "the study was srreatly fociiiaied by the abundant Gata accumulated during the last elzht Years by the Institute of Pacific Relations itself and by lls component naional units?" There Is no doubt but the Tnstitute has amply lustied itsett the first-decade of its existence, only for the stimulation to research Whos given. Meeting tentatively Honotulu in 1025, the troup recognized that accurate data would be essential (oan understanding" of - Pacife Problems. and objective facts wore not available. The Institute set itself to urge the collection of pertinent material, 'The present volume, Pack ing fact after fret Into small' space, loquent "of the value. of the meterinl Which has been published. So complete fx the range of data presented, especinily: In respect of Japan for which there are more. adequate statistical Giros, that Tt fs. doubted here could he single expect of the xoneral problem envisaged the answer which oontd not be found in the power. of this new. book, "There Is careely discursive remark, Fact ire martiatted. inexorably to indient> position, editions ave uceinetty raven, ravens are' sutored ahd trance "eonciston Fenched in 0" cor paratively short a apace that the book, fs. and probably wil remain for some time Ue most significant. compilation on this subject of world importance.
"As is natural. a major. attention focuses on Japan and Tapaniese export trade expansion. "Bui the matter. Is atvonce putting focus by the statement that competition from Japan ts nota novel feature in International trade peculiar to the Tat five: years: bet Sopanese exports taken asa Contrary to. the. frequently
Whole have gained ite Yale since the war, Invthetrnhare: of work export trade ths een "a moted one, Te. cal lever in export wats Was rene a fons anon 1023'and. the tre then share of world export trade expressed In fold values Ting "only" Increased from. 208" 1030 to S37. In 1033, and hasbeen Dalanced yy Japan's share of Import trade tron 28 In. 1029 to S047, Yana, "Phe Intensity with which Japanese compelltion has threatened the. trade. of alder" countries owes int ich more {9 qualitative causes. The steady tranetition from the production foodstuffs and raw materials to the Sutput of finished manufacture, the duction in export prices, of export activity Bexond rea, andthe relative volume of exports universal" depression. have" been More' potent Of anxiety Sapan'e Indust her head of population, The section on Jupan's industrial future will be read with interest. Can Japan further expand the volume of exports?" Analysis of trends indicates im increasing diversification of Japan's that there is reason for anticipatin export trade, and herein ties an im= portant factor for the consideration of the West. But It is pointed out that the dilemma of the Japanese Government in the agrarian depres-slon is significant in its relation to the future of Japanese industry. If in an, attempt to alleviate the agri cultural situation, the Government forces up the price of foodstuffs and raises thereby the cost of live wages In industry would rise, whi would be injurious to manufacturers interests, while inaction will be. disastrous for the rural population and even may affect the basis of the state.
IL is natural that the discussion would include the much "debated question as to wherein has lain Japan's ability to expand Its exports at a time of world depression. While admitting the dif culty of direct comparison and outlining clearly where these difeutties lie, It is stated that enough data have "new been accumulated os a result of research by Mr. and Mrs. Orchard, Mr. Amo Pearse, and Miss Utley fo allow of certain tentative conclusions regarding the relative cheapness of Japanese. labour in those branches of the textile industry which particularly compete with the West. Taking everything Into account approximate wage costs of spinning 20's counts in. Great Britain are £1.80 per bale and 13/~ for Japan, for 40's counts, £2150 for "Britain and £171" in Japan, And. in the words of Miss Ulley "The British Manufacturer's rates and his health and unemployment contributions are a heavier financial burden than "all the welfare work of the Japanese mill owner." The figures given are certainly carefully weighed and represent important evidence In the controversy referred to, Speaking of the wide gulf that exists in Japan in the labour conditions separating the larger enterprises from small workshops, the statement is made that factories employing less. than 10 workers, but using power, are subject to inspection under "the Factory Act. It is the understanding of the reviewer that this is nol cor rect. The pertinent clause {translation of the Act issued by the Japanese Government indicates "that Jonly places employing more than ten, or carrying on dangerous trades, come under the Act. Hence all those many small units using power are not thereby subject" to regulation. Gunter Stein in a recent publication entitled "Made in Japan" indicates that 34 per cent. of the workers of [Japan are employed in industries not Under supervision of the authorities. This means that the. length of the working day is undetermined. The book under review would seem to. ive too Iiltle attention to the signi-'Geant parallel rationalization in commercial field which hax accom= }panied that of the large scale industry. Well financed interests which buy raw materials,. distribute these Jamalt workshops for partial or whole manufacture, then collect the products land market them, though referred to. in the ease of bicycles, would seem to be much more widely operating, But where the procedure is recognized It is stated that efforts toward—the linking up of the scattered forces of family industry will involve the exploitation in the export field of cheap family labour.
The chapter on China deals with political factors. involved. in and JGovernmental policy toward industry. acknowledging the hindrance which foxtraterritoriality offers to national industrial development, with the AitMculty of mobilizing purely Chinese capital required for large scale plants, Jand finally and frankly with the pos sibility of the expansion of foreign, and notably Japanese, enterprises on Chinese soil under' the aegis of extraterritoriality to the point where they might play an appreciable role in world affairs by supplying China's internal market and thus diverting, the output of Japan to external markets. It seems scarcely fair to find minor inaccuracies in a picture which grasps the, essential features. But there are some.
1, Tt is not necessary that the entire capital of factories shall [Chinese ownership to participate in the privileges of exemption from ex. port duty. AN factories duly: vegistored are so exempt.
2. There is no differentiation in the Jongh of the working day or shift as between Chinese and Japanese Jowned cotton mills In China. Both work from 11% to 12 hou mills do not work 8) stated The picture of recent trends Chinese industrial developnient is Incomplete. There is no indication of the new development toward pro duction of the chemical tools industry. The Government's 115 million dollar investment in an alcohol factory in Pootung is a reality, not a plan, and the factory has been in operation since the cant fort of the year. There is another matier industria} alcohol plant Settlement. There are three—o7e new and modern—plants under JChinese auspices for the manufacture of oxygen and acetylene in Shangha heavy acid plants in Shanghai havi been in existence for some years. one has been opened in Honan during, the past two years, and a further plant will be opened in Canton at the end of 1925. A plant for the production of nitrogen produetscommenced operations in Shanghai before
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.