1982-12-13 — Page 27

★教倭再三第張七第日九廿月十年戌壬靨夏

1983

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HISTORY (12)

Philip Y.L. Woo

VILL & DALE PRESS LTD.

The following is a

basic outline of the Meiji modernization of Japan (1868-1912). The word "Meiji” was the name of the emperor who ruled Japan during this period -- the Mei ji Emperor. Before 1808. Japan was basically feudal country: no central government, backward economy and society etc. From that year to 1912, when the Meiji Emperor died, many reforms were attempted, and they, changed, or transformed, đápan- greatly. Japan then became a modern state.

The process through which

Japan became a modern

state is known as "modernization".

Background to

modernization

Why did Japan try to modernize herself?

1. Western imperialism,

Since 1853-34, foreigners came to Japan and opened her up for trade and increased contact,

Economic imperiali su -Western goods entered Japan and destroyed the traditional

handicraft

industries in many

wave,

Military imperialism

Western countries had superior military technology

und weapons. They 'could use them to threaten Japan's national safety. Therefore, the Meiji statesmen (who helped create the new Meiji state in 1868) set the goals of modernization as "rich country and strong army",

Meiji Restoration The Meiji Emperor vas restored to rule in 1868, when the

Tokugawa shogunate was overthrown. This

made it possible. carry out

modernization.

Preliminary steps to

ódernization – Before modernization could be.

successfully carried out,

few steps had to be taken. These stepa include:"

Abolition of feudali sm

Politically, clan governments() of the past (ruling different parts of Japan rather independently) vère. abolished, Clan armiea were abolished too. MİNG Then Japan was divided into over 70 % 29 prefectures (similar to provinces), and in each of them the Central Government in Tokyo, appointed officials to rule, the people. In society, the samurai's social position was cancelled, so that all people enjoyed equal rights and shared responsibilities. The samurai were given ä salary, but from 1876. sä the gallary was changed into a sum lump paid once and for all. Many samuraj resented their loss of a superior social position, Some.

revolted against the new government, like

WAH KIU YAT PO

in 1877. But they were nöt a serious problem.

Setting up a

centralized government

This is necessary so

that central planning

of the modernization programmes could be carried out.

3. Creation of reliable

sources of income for the central government

The land tax was reformed. In 1873, all landowners were required by law tô pay a yearly tax (of 3% of the land value) to the central government. So the central government hað a constant and reliable source of money to carry out its different moderniza÷ tion programmes. As after this reforu the land tax could he predicted, the Meiji government could plan ita finances better too. Until 1888, Tand tox alone was respon sible for over half of the Meiji

government's total income.

Different modernization programmes - The Meiji government carried out these programmes at the same time. The willingless to do so explained why modernization was successful.

View

1. Economic modernization -Development of M military – strategic industries. This is understandable, in

of the felt need to defend the country against foreign imperialism. There was development of consumer industries too. This aimed at protecting Japanese goods against foreign economic imperialien.

Firstly, agriculture was modernized, for Japan was still an agricultural country at this time. Agricultural students were sent to other countries to learn more. advanced agricultur- al technology, Foreign experts were employed. New kinds of seeds and plants. were introduced. And

(a) v

experimental agricultural stations and

colleges were set up. With money

income obtained from agricultural development, the Meiji government could finance other

modernization programmea. (b) In the 1870s, the

Meiji government developed industries. herself, because private businessmen were unwilling to do so, in view of tlíe. risk involved. Thus shipbuilding yards, gun-powder and

munition factories, and artillery works. were established. These were all military-strategic

industries. Non

military-strategic

industries included. silk-reeling plants, glass and chemical manufacturing plants, cotton- spinning factories, ste

(c) From the early 1880

onwards, the Meiji government began to sell non-military industries to private handa but retained control of the military industries.

808

(d) Because of (c),

private Japanese- companies benefitted greatly. They a obtained industries from the government at very cheaps pricea, They became financial giants or financial combines called the zaibatsu (財):

Educational

modernization – There. were main aims;

i

ii

acquiring Western knowledge,

strengthening. national unity In the 1870s, universal,

compulsory education was introduced and

carried out.

However conserva-

tives soon feared. that Western. education, would destroy Japan's nctional tradition They opposed education on Western, liberal

lines.

In the 1880s or education became more and more illiberal and conservative. Although Japanese. still learnt Western technology, they were taught absolute loyalty to the

state. Free thinking was not encouraged. This was the root of Japan's ultra- nātionalism, which later (in the 20th century) led to conquest of China the Pacific War (1941-45), and

lastly disaster for Japan

(c) Meanwhile, during

the Meiji period national

unity was strengthened

educational modernization,

which therefore contributed to the success of all modernization programmes,

Military modernization - At first, the aim was to defend Japan ügainst possible attack from foreigners. From the 1880s on, however the sim was win offensive wars and acquire

imperialist

possession g

1873, Conscription

Law -All adult male citizens had to

ve in the army or serve navy for a period. In this way, rational armed forces were created. (b) 1878 and after

discipline in the

and navy və s. army made tighter. Administration was centralized. There- after, the Japanese military forces became more and more authoritarian and conservative.

Political modernization constitutionsl

movement.

(a) It started as a

struggle for power amoung the Meiji leaders Some political leaders wanted to make use

of the movement (calling for the adoption of a constitution) to obtain power from the leaders who ran the government. Therefore there was not a real desire for the benefits of a constitution, (b) From 1868 to 1877,

some of the Meiji leaders opposed the ruling leaders by

郭日僑華

armed

* BOL·

rebellions, The rebellions were suppressed. So the opposition leaders. chose the peaceful way of struggling for power through the constitutional

movement..

1881-the Meiji government'

日三十月二十年二八九一番公年一十七國民華中

quantity of the

product ne price

becomes higher.

Price Per Unit of a Commodity

Quantity Supplied

Per Month

2,000

3,00

2.90

1,800

2,80

1,600

2.70

1,400

announced that

2.60

1,200.

constitutj'on would

2.50

000

be adopted by.

2.4.0

800

1889. The Meiji

2.30

700

2.20

6.00

2.10

500

2.00

400

government wished to imitate the Western constitu...

tional system. From 1881 to 1889 the Maiji govern- ment strengthened the rule of the Emperor and discouraged the activities of political parties. Therefore, when

the constitution was adopted in 1889, there was not much change to the basically

illiberal, authoritartian nature of the Meiji state. Results of modernization

The results were superficial (on the surface)-

1. Only national

institutions were

changed; rural society

remained very

conservative. The

people were conserv&- tive:

But meanwhile,

Japan

successfully protected herself against

foreign imperiali am In fact, because Japan had been successfully modernized, she becane an imperialist power.... herself. A

When Japan was weak (in the 1850s or 1800s), she had to eign some unequal- treaties with the Western powers. When Japan was successfully modernized, she revised these unequal treaties (in the

189091ause

But

undemocratic...

authoritarian forces were not removed during the moderniza-

tion process, the

ground was paved for

the rise of militarism loter.

經濟

ECONOMIC (12)

K.K. Wong & L.T. Chan MILL & DALE PRESS LTD Supply

I. The definition of

supply

Supply refers to the total quantity of a commodity that will be made sveślalik tə, the market at a gives price, ever a given period of time,

The supply of commodity depends mainly upon the business decision made by the entrepreneur in the industry.

Just as demand is not the same. an need, the quantity of supply does not only take te mean the existing stock in the market. It represents the amount of «, good or service which is ruled by the price at a certain period of time II. Supply Curve

There is a tendency for a seller to put a greater quantity goods and services into the market áta higher price than at a lower price.

The following diagram shows that firm called a vill supply greater.

Putting the above table into a diagram

upward sloping individual supply

can be drawn. curve represents state of supply of Firm A at a particular time. The vertical axis refers to the price scale and the horizontal axis refers to the quantity supplied of that commodity. P. Price per unit.

500

Individual Supply Curve firm A

1.000 1.500 2.000 Quantity Supplied Per Month

The individual supply curve clearly shows that the higher the price of a commodity, the greater quantity would be supplied by' the fiANANA

The aggregation of the supply curve of all firms in the whole industry in called market supply curve of the commod- ity, as shown in the figure below. Its shape is similar te the shape of individual supply. curve.

Price per unit.

Mark

Supply

Cuvie

Quantity Supplied Qs. for a commodity The law of supply states that the higher the price of a commodity, the great- er will be the quantity supplied in the market. The law is based on the

scarcity' problem in the economy, implying that the producers. are utillizing the limited resources. produce in order to satisfy people's wants. The decision of an entrepreneur depends on the cost and benefit analysis in the production process. III. Change in supply

A change in": quantity supplied means that the change of the quantity in a firm or in the market in respect of a range. of price changes.

A change in supply means that a greater or smaller amount of goods and services is supplied in a firm ér in a market without any changes in the price of the product.

A change in supply involve a shift -in.

the supply curve.

Bif the curve neves

towards the left

(from SS to S,

then there is an increase in supply, as shown in Fig. A.

Pric

Quantity

• Supplied Quantity Supplied for a commodity.

If the curve moves backwards from SS to S2S2, it is said.

that there is a decrease in supply, as shown in Fig.

Price.

Quantity ・Supplied

Factors affecting change in supply

The chief factors affecting supply are the price of the commodity and the condition of supply. They can be summerizedi

·al fəllows:

The price of the commodity

The profitability in

a company is affected by the price of the commodity in the narket. An entrepren- our must take the profit ratio inte consideration. He must consider whether

there is normal profit during the operation. In other words, he vill attempt to operate at the best level possible. The rise of the price will lead to good prospect of profitability. The

entrepreneur will expand the production scale so as to improve productivity.

2. The cost of productioR

The whole business. depends so much on the control and calcula- tion of the production cost in the firm. The rise of the wages, rent, interest and ather costs of produc... tion vill generallyes reduce the supply of a commodity coming on to the market. A fall in his costs will have

he opposite effect, 3. The technique of

production

The development in new method of produc- tien and the invention of new technology can help to promote the production efficiency. The introduction of

new machinery may make: the extension of output possible. Effects of taxation

Taxation ef commodities can directly influence, the price of the commodity It will certainly raise the price of the commodity and the cost of production. Theres fore, the imposition of taxation will generally result in the decrease of supply. 5. Natural influences and

political influences

Political disturb ance may discrupt either the actual output itself or the distribution system. For example, war, strikes, fire and civil unrest hinder the normal activities of production.