96
The total number of operatives in the bleaching, dyeing, and finishing trades in 1914 was 10,731, of which 8,466 were males, and 2,265 females.
Wool. The woollen industry is not developed on such an extensive scale as the cotton trade, but the industry is new to the country, and great progress has been made during the last 10 years, particularly in the hosiery and underwear section.
In 1914 raw wool to the value of 529,800. and wool tops amounting to 979,4001. were imported (vide Table on page 91), while woollen and worsted yarns to the value of 432,600L. were received, mainly in the form of dry mule-spun knitting yarns from The Germany. This quantity was much less than the normal owing to the war. import of such yarns in 1913 totalled 1,029,7001,
The value of Japan's output of woollen fabrics and mixtures in 1911 was 2,300,0007, and has considerably increased since that date, although figures are not available. The most remarkable advance has been made in the manufacture of mousseline-de-iaine. The staple productions, however, are uniforms for naval, military, and police purposes, serges, flannel blankets, travelling rugs, shawls.
The knitting industry has doubled in size since the year 1906, and Japan, since the war, has not only supplied the markets of the East, but has exported considerable quantities to the United Kingdom.
The knitting industry received a good impetus during the Russo-Japanese war, and is also being stimulated now by the demand for war supplies. That it does not need a large plant nor much skill to start with is another factor which makes for quick development. Tokyo is the centre for the home trade, and Osaka for the export .trade.
The following statistics give an idea of the output in 1914--
Number of factories Employees: Male
Female
Output: Shirts
Drawers
Socks
M
Gloves
Pantaloons-
Other goods
1,441
4,748
5,826
Doz.
£
- 3,971,733
940,000
259,853
112,000
1,748,459
164,000
914,142
56,000
169,800
22,000
181,000
£1,375,000
97
Daily average working spindles
Tsumugi (silk and Silk consumed, in lbs.
cotton mixtures) } Production
Price per lb.
29,424 2,098,486 1,498,583
18. 6d.
Japan exported in 1914 756,400 lbs. of spun yarns, amounting in value to 238,8001. Japanese spun silk yarns are becoming a serious competitor in the United Kingdom market. The competition is of recent growth, and was first noticed about 1910. The imports from Japan into the United Kingdom since 1912 have grown steadily, as the following figures show ;-
1912
1913
1914
1915
Lbs.
40,837
58,462
110,928
236,885
There is little doubt that the British waste silk spinning industry is seriously threatened, and the evidence received by the Textiles Committee confirms this.
Silk Piece Goods. Owing to the excellence and adaptability of the material, silk fabrics woven in Japan are of many varieties. Kyoto takes the leading place in the production of heavy figured silks such as gold-wrought brocades and arras, figured damasks and crapes, taffetas, reps, &c., &c.
From the point of view of competition in the world's markets the plain-woven pongees known as "habutae' are the most important. These goods were exported in 1914 to the value of 3,163,6001. and were distributed as follows:-
United Kingdom
British India
Australia
Canada
United States
France
Germany
Other countries
Total
£
882,700
334,200
372,900
36,500
693,700
593,300
115,800
134,500
£3,163,600
Total value of output
Silk.--Raw Silk Silk reeling is one of the oldest and most important industries of Japan, and thanks to the wise guidance and protection extended by the Govern- ment, coupled with initiative and enterprise on the part of the native growers and reelers, the industry now supplies nearly one-third of the world's total consumption of raw silk.
Of the production of raw silk, 26 per cent. is consumed at home and 74 per cent. exported. The exports in 1914 amounted to no less than 16,516,000l., of which the United States took nearly 14,000,000Z.
Spun Silk.—In spite of the abundance of raw material, silk spinning until recently was, comparatively speaking, neglected, but considerable advance has been made of late years, and it is noteworthy that the silk spinning concerns have recently been absorbed by the cotton spinning companies. In evidence given before the Textiles Committee, it was stated by an expert witness that each of the large cotton spinning concerns in Japan contemplated the laying down of a silk spinning plant in addition, to be an extension of their works and to be driven by the same power,
In 1914 the number of separate silk spinning factories amounted to eight with a total daily average of 7,457 operatives, of which 1,797 were males and 5,660 females :-
&c.
Japanese habutac have held their own in the markets of the world for some years, and have not only driven out similar articles of European production, but have seriously competed with the similar though more durable and expensive Chinese pongees. In addition to habutae, Japan also exported in 1914:-
Silk-faced cotton satin, yards
Handkerchiefs, dozen
Kaiki, yards
Taffetas, yards
3,003,562
£ 155,300
872,139
241,900
125,802
4,900
753,765 52,300
The total production of all textile fabrics in 1914 amounted to over 28,500,000!,
and was divided as follows:-
Silk-fabrics
Silk and cotton mixed
Cotton fabrics
Hemp fabrics
Other tissueg
Total
£
9,700,000
1,900,000
15,300,000
480,000
1,440,000
28,820,000
Working days in the year
Average working hours per day Daily average wages, males
females
Silk
Daily average working spindles Silk consumed in lbs.
Production
11
Price per
ib.
298 17
11.27 pence.
6.20
84,008
1,550,049
2,463,541
6s. 5d.
The exports of textiles in 1914 amounted to nearly 60 per cent. of the total exports from the country.
(2) The Mining and Metal Manufacturing Industries. The exports of ores, metals, minerals, and manufactures thereof in 1914 totalled 6,117,400, or slightly more than 10 per cent, of the total exports of Japan. While far behind the textile industries in importance as regards export, these industries, and particularly the abundant supplies of
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