LABOUR IN JAPAN

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 226, 21 June 1935, Page 6

LABOUR IN JAPAN

Dr. Kagawa Surveys Growth of Movement FUTURE OF UNIONISM Introduced by Mr. W. Nash, M.P., president of the New Zealand Labour Party, who said he bad had probably a closer association with the Labour and Socialist movements in Japan than auy other single man, the Rev. Dr Toyohiko Kagawa yesterday addressed a meeting at the Trades Hall, Wellington, outlining in brief the history of the Japanese Labour movement. Dr. Kagawa conveyed the best wishes of the Labour movement in Japan to Labour in New Zealand. They had three antis in Japan. They were anti-capitalist, anti-militarist and anti Fascist. Before the Russo-Japanese war the movement was a very small one. A few Americans had come in and Socialist leagues were formed, but they were suppressed. Many friends of his as recently as 25 years ago had been imprisoned for advocating the formation of a Labour movement. The first Labour movement was started 24 years ago in a Unitarian church and disguised as a friendly society. The movement progressed after the European war, and the first thing it worked for was a nine-hour day. Before it got this there had been a big general strike in the West of Japan in 1919, and in one week 108 large factories had conceded a nine-hour day. It had since become the standard. In 1916 they had obtained factory laws which had forced employers to end child labour under 12 years. Five years ago the minimum age hud been raised to 14. When the depression set in employers had attempted to get below the standard wages by employing temporary workers, and again there had been big strikes. One of the weapons used was the hunger-strike by girls working in woollen factories five years ago. The Government had stepped in and the victory went to the girls. Dr. Kagawa said the future of trade unionism in Japan was very bright. During the earthquake period the Communists had gained some power in the West of Japan, and now had most wonderful underground organisations. To-day most of the Japanese unions were for the Amsterdam unions and the general current of opinion was in favour of the London internationale. The Labour movement had never changed its position from that of idealistic realism.