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40
where girls are recruited in country districts, hence the necessity for lodging them. Where the mills are near their homes they live at home and no additional money wages are paid in lieu of lodgings. At such times as labour is in demand a small premium to the parents of recruits may be paid, usually not exceeding 20 Yen (say £2) and usually conditional on a two years' engagement.
Food is sold below cost to the employees, the loss to the em- ployer on this account being estimated at from 6 to 10 sen per day, say 1d. to 2 d.
There is, in some cotton factories, certain welfare work which may be assessable at some money value, but we heard of only one instance of this nature in woollen or worsted mills. The value of the whole of the above additions to wages has been assessed at from 44d. to 5d. per day, and in general we should say that 25 per cent. to 30 per cent. of the money wages will fully represent its value.
61. Actual money wages paid, as stated to us, include winders, etc., 55 sen a day, (equal to Yen 16.50 per month or approximately Yen 200 per annum); weavers (all girls or women) 20 to 30 Yen per month, or Yen 300 approximately per annum average; men employed in finishing rooms and general labour, about Yen 30 per month, or Yen 360 per year average.
There do not appear
to be standard rates for different jobs, or for men and women, as in Great Britain. There is no reason to suppose that any of these rates are under-stated.
(Note. In fact, we found some anxiety, on the part of Japanese employers, not to be considered as paying low wages, and we would on the whole, be inclined to think that the rates of wages given to us, were rather overstated than otherwise.)
This may be tested in the light of the weaving price found to be paid at one mill as follows:-
Four box loom running 80 picks per minute, one loom per weaver, 63 picks per inch plain work 2/2 twill 2 fold 60 warp and single 52 weft price paid for weaving 6 sen per yard, or 7s. 11d. for 60 yards. In this particular mill nothing more was paid in kind except one meal a day free. The workers all live at home.
62. Taking these wages and adding 30 per cent. all round as the value of the food and lodgings, etc., we get for an average year of 312 days of 10 hours, equals 3,120 working hours per year, as follows:—
Winders, etc. Weavers
Men
Yen 260 per year
£26 10s. approx. Yen 390 per year
£39 15s. approx. Yen 468 per year - £47 15s. approx. =
2.04d. per hour. 3.06d. per hour. 3.67d. per hour.
We had the opportunity of seeing detailed working accounts of mills containing nearly one quarter of the total plant in Japan. These show the average total wages paid to all employees (except salaried staff ") of £42 10s. per annum. The only other item
1
·
41
C
}
of labour cost appearing in the accounts was dormitory expenses averaging £2 2s. 7d., per annum per head. We could not ascertain whether departmental foremen were included in the item salaried staff, but assuming they were included in wages corres- pondence between our estimate and the actual figures is reasonably close. We had no opportunity of getting to know if full time working was uniform throughout the period and it may be that under time was worked. If so, then full time earnings may be a little higher than these results. These earnings may be compared with the general Yorkshire conditions after the dispute following the Macmillan Report, 1930, as follows:-
some
Worsted spinnere, girls
Worsted feeder, women
Wool comber, man
Willeyers, fettlers, etc., men
per hr.
per week. s. d.
for 48 hours.
d.
23 10
5.96
31 0
7.75
49 4 = 12.33 49 10
=**
12.46
To these direct payments must be added the cost to the em- ployer of health and unemployment insurance, also that portion of the state contributions made by the employer indirectly.
63. It appears that Yorkshire wages costs per hour are from 3 to 3 times as high as Japanese. Against this is to be set off any losses resulting from lower Japanese efficiency. During our survey (admittedly and of necessity, of short duration), we saw nothing to indicate that the efficiency of the Japanese is seriously lower than our own. In carding, combing, winding, warping, weaving and finishing, the staffing of the machines generally was much the same as ours, and the dexterity and application to work, equal. In woollen spinning in one mill there were more piecers, but the work was of low quality. These piecers were all girls and the practice was observed of one head (male) in charge of eight or more mules, so there was a definite set off in the saving of higher supervisory wages. We consider it possible that there may be a loss of efficiency owing to the fact that Japanese foremen, generally speaking, have not yet had the same technical experience and training as ours. We can offer no estimate as to what this may amount to. We would consider that, allowing for all pos- sibilities, Yorkshire wages costs per unit of production are at least 21⁄2 times and may be as high as three times the Japanese costs.
64. Power Costs. Where direct steam power is used these are probably somewhat higher in Japan; coal is more expensive. Electricity from public supply mains is not dearer than in England and is very largely used. The small mills referred to all use this and so cut out power plant wages and some standing charges. Over the whole industry we consider there is little, if any difference in the cost of this item.
65. General Overhead Costs.-It is only to be supposed that in consequence of the lower rates of wages paid, overhead costs in
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