1935-04-12 — Page 15

THE HONGKONG - TELEGRAPH.

FRIDAY,

APRIL 12, 1935.

COMPETING WITH CHEAP LABOUR

JAPAN SETS WORLD MERRY PACE

TRICKY PROBLEM FOR ECONOMISTS

Toyko. | Yusen Kalaha, the most important Western nations, in the opinion of numerous Japanese shipping of some economists, may find it companies, operates the world's neccessary to lower their living most extensive steamship service. standards until they are compar. able with the standarda prevalling

in Asin. That would be the most

WAGE ITEM

painful method of meeting Anlatic have a great deal to do with the. Japanese Ingenuity and industry competition in world markets. growth of Japanese commerce but And diflcult as it would be,, itit la difficult to emphasise too much might prove easier than elevating the important of the low cost of Asiatic standards to the point at living and the low wages paid which Japanese and Chinese work-Japanese of almost all classes-- men would demand and receive factory workers, clerks, salesmen; wagen comparable with the average sailors and all.

in the Western Hemisphere.

I

Japanese plans for increasing vastly the area devoted to cotton raising in China, using the pro-

Differences in national standards China to-day is n negligible of living are to be discussed at a factor as an exporting nation, wo special regional conference of the much so that her growing adverse institute of Pacific Relations here trade balance is a deterrent to all! soon and they are being discusserl (laes of business In that country. with growing anxiety in many | But at Peiping lust month you director' rooms around the globe. {could see in exhibition of almost So long as Japanese cotton mill, 10,000 samples of articles_manu- | shoe factory and trinket factory [factured in Peiping, And Peiping') operatives continue to live on n is supposed popularly to be a dying i fraction of what the American or city, an ex-empital of little more European faclory worker receives importance than an ex-king. in wages and spends, the spectre of Japanese competiton will dis- turb the sleep of all accidental manufacturers and throw a gond many of them into bankruptcy, duct In Japanese-owned cotton Nor are the factory owners of mills in both China and Japan, are the West and their employees the well known and experts consider only ones suffering from Asiaticem fensible, although many pre- competition and threatened with ems in this connection remain to

be solved, more mente suffering in the future. Sales of American cotton to China this year promise to fall far below the imports of 1934 because the Chinese are learning to raise more and better colton, and last season enjoyed specially favourable wes ther throughout the growing and picking period.

The vast difference which pre- vail

between Occidentul and Oriental living standards accen- ties the difficulty of peaceful and friendly relations among the! nations of the East and West. Some of the

most experienceed! oliservers of Far Eastern affairs statesmen and consider it will be impossible toi economists have speculated for preserve peace in the Pacifle area j years on the possible results to be unless to-day's economic problems expected when the millions off are solved with wisdom and speed. Asinties

began putting into praeited Press.

Dusiness men,

lee the industrial lessons taught

by Western teachers. Uhtil re- contly, however, it was the fashion

to view the problem philosophiently. SKILLED

Increased Japanese proficiency in

the manufacture of many articles

was too apparent to be ignored,

but this correspondent recalls the

LABOUR

LACKING

assurance given by a leading PROBLEM FOR YEARS

A private reception several of the art experts at present in Shanghai for the purpose of selecting Chinese art treasures for axhibition in England, was given at the residence of Mr. R. D. Abraham ra cently. Photo shows the group taken in the grounds of Mr. Abraham's residence. From left to rights Mrs. R. D. Abraham, Dr. Wu Lien-teh, Mr. D. L. Hobson, Mrs. Rosenheim, Dr. M. P. Pelliot, Mr. G. Eumerfopulos, Mrs. F. Ayscough and Mr. R. D. Abrabam.

Three intrepid Shanghailanders have set forth on the first lag of their 15,000 mile treasure hunt; * quest that will take them into many stranga coriters of the world. Their boat, "The Flying Dutch- man," is a 33-foot, two-masted sailing cutter; it is equipped with a small cabin fitted with two buski and tiny gallay.

CENTRAL

Queen's Road, Central: Car park: Jervois Street.

Take Buses No. 4 or 6 going west, 3 min. from On Lock Yuon Stop

OPENS SUNDAY

Positively The Most Brilliant Comedy of the Year! Can You Imagina

CHARLES LAUGHTON

As a Funny Man!

You'll Scream when you see, THE 5 COMEDY STARS

in THE 5 STAR COMEDY

-YIPPEE .. IT'S RUGGLES' NIGHT TO HOWLI You'll bowl too, when you

maot the first citizens of Red

Gopl Harry Leon Wit.

son's grand, human characters brought to you with the grandest

cost ever

Adalph Zukar presentE

blad.

"RUGGLES of RED GAP"

with

CHARLES LAUGHTON - MARY BOLAND CHARLIE RUGGLES ZASU PITTS

ROLAND YOUNG

•

LEILA HYAMS

A Paramount Picture Directed by Leo McCarey

MOST POPULAR PRICES Dress Circle $1.10, Back Stalls: 55 cts., Front Stalls: 35jcts.

American business man bere no

more than ten years ago that Jupan

would never in our time prove a

real menace to, American industry.

To prove his point, the business msn explained how his factory on

TO COME

New York.

Should industry return to-day to

AL.

#

the Eastern seaboard of the United 1920 production basis. it States was able to underhid in the would find itself faced with case of expensive and complicated dearth of skilled inbourers and machinery even the Japanese firm sharp Increase in industrial acel with which his company co-operat-dents, due to long enforced idle- ed and which had the full use of ess, Mr. William II. Lange, diree- all its patenta. Under Americnntor of the National Re-employment technical supervision, the Jnpa-Service announced here.

nose concern was able to turn out more cheaply than its American high production scales would re Lange said a sudden return to partner many small articles fairlyveal skilled workers had lost their; simple in design. The American touch in the intervening years of partner, however, had to fill the idleness, Also, he explained,

more-important orders. That was many industries dispensed with the situation ten years ago. To apprentices and learners during the day the number of articles which depression and replacements would the Japanese factory is unequipped be diflleult to make,-United Press, to produce has dwindled almost to the vanishing point. The quality of the entire line manufactured in Japan has improved tremendously, But wages in Japan have remained comparatively insignificant and the reduced exchange value of the yen has lent added importance to Japanese competition in all mar- keis.

AUTOMOBILE EXPORTS Japan is already an exporter of automobiles. It is not precisely the type of automobile the typical American would drive by choice, but it is far better than no auto- mobile at all and, according to re- Hable reports, it is efficient and. economical to operate. Its prica is far below the lowest at which any American automoblie could bo acquired.

panese cotton plece goods are the low price markets of the world and the flood would be greater except for drastic import quotas imposed in India and else where. Japanese crab ment in tins la laid down in New York well below the cost of New England crabs. Japanese rubber boots and shoes aro the cheapest of the sort to be purchased in hundreds of American and European shops. The fact that most of the mem entos of Washington to be found in Pennsylvania Revenue shops are made in Japan makes them no less altractive to tourists who need something tangiblo, portable and Inexpensive to remind them of the Capital building and the Washing- ton Monument.

These and thousands of other Japanese products are carried in increasing quantities to the four corners of the earth. And thoy are carried almost invariably in Japanese ships. The Nippon

Thousands of Chinese journeyed to Kiangwan Civic Centre lo be witnesses of the first mass wedding ceremony to be performed in Shanghai. Above, the brides precasding towards the head. quarters of the Shanghai City Government, where the ceremony was conducted, and holow, part of the huge crowd which waited patiently outside during the nuptials.

Shanghai's Brot axpariance of “mass marriage" was witzemend at Kinnawan civio sintre, whad Mayor Wu officiated at a cere- mony in which fifty-seven couples were united within an hour. The mass wedding, which was conducted under rules prescribed in the.. New Life Movement, was of the simplest character, but picturesque scapes were witnessed as the couples, two at a time, were married, Following the ceremony, Mayor. Wu made a short addreas; in which he explained the principias of the Naw Life Movement and exhorted the couples to carry them out. Thousands of spectators were drawn to Las seene, come out of curiosity, hut many in support of the

Haig

SCOTCH WHISKY

JOHN HAIG & Co.Ltd.

Town Halg & Hag MARKINGH, SCOTLAND.

How Haro

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- NO FINER WHISKY COES INTO ANY BOTTLE.

Sole Agents:-

GANDE, PRICE & CO., LTD. St. George's Building, Ice House Street. Telephone 20135.

Hong Kong.

SWAN, CULBERTSON & FRITZ.

invortment bankora and brokers in securities and commodities Daily New York and London Stock Exchange Service, · Commodity Futures on the principal American marketa

Members of:

New York Cotton Exchange. Chicago Board of Trade.

Commodity Exchange, Inc.

(Silver, Rubber, Silk, Coppar, Hides and Tin). Now York Coffee and Sugar Exchange. Canadian Commodity Exchange Inn.

Winnipeg Grain Exchange.

Manila Stock Exchange. Correspondents for Hayden, Stone & Co,

Telephone: 60244, 80245, 80248. Cable Address: Swans

9, Queen's Road Central (Corner of Ice House Street).

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