Manawatu Evening Standard. MONDAY, JULY 20, 1936. JAPAN’S TEXTILES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 196, 20 July 1936, Page 6

Manawatu Evening Standard. MONDAY, JULY 20, 1936. JAPAN’S TEXTILES.

Japan's principal exports .are textiles—rayon, cotton, silk and wool fabrics. Silk (from the silkworm) is a natural industry in Japan. Japan produces tlie raw material and tlie manufactured article. According to the survey of Japanese trade and industry by the Metsubishi Economic liesearch Bureau, the predominance of Japan in the international silk trade is astonishingly marked. In 1934 Japanese production of raw silk represented 82.3 percent. of the world output, 'lire advance which has taken place in Japan (from 51.9 per cent, in 1922 to 82.3 per cent, in 1934) has not been due to the domestic demand but to increased foreign consumption. So far as Japan is concerned the silk industry is still largely a handicraft. In its present form, the industry embraces agriculture, manufacture and commerce. There are seven branches —the growing of mulberry trees, the hatching of eggs, the production of cocoons, the sale of cocoons, reeling, the sale of raw silk, and export. Households engaged in cocoon raising in 1935 numbered 1,900,000. Operatives engaged in the silk reeling industry in 1934 numbered 302,510, of whom 335,000 were women. The chief market for raw silk is the United States of America. In 1934 export shipments of silk from Japan to the United States were 84.4 per cent, of the total. In these circumstances, a wider distribution of raw silk markets appears, however, to many in Japan as imperative, as dependence upon the American market has in the past been responsible for the lack of stability in raw silk prices. These facts furnish the reason for Japan not carrying- into effect her threats to institute retaliatory measures against the United States for increasing the duty on cotton textiles imported. The United States could take, measures against the import of raw silk to the great detriment of a large portion of the rural population of Japan. Japan considers that she has got Australia in much the same position with regard to wool as the United States has got Japan with regard to raw silk. Japan, however, is mistaken in this. Japan is finding considerable difficulty in placing her enormous production of rayon (artificial silk) in the markets of the world. Of a total world production of 525.7 million pounds r in 1932, Japan produced 69.6 millions, the United States 134.3 millions, and Great Britain 69.9 millions. In 1935 of a total world production of 950 million pounds, Japan produced 224 millions, the United States 258 millions, and Great Britain 88.9 millions. The rapidly increasing production in Japan lias at length outrun the present demand, particularly in view of the trade - banders erected in foreign countries. The cotton industry of Japan is much more important than the l-ayon industry, the total value of production in 1934 being- 874,720,000 yen (£63,780,000), while that of-

rayon was 257,662,000 yen (£18,780,000). Of the cotton 492,357,000 yen (£35,890,000) worth was exported in 1934; of the rayon 113,467,000 yen (£B,276,000). It is saul that the expansion of the cotton export, similarly as in the case of rayon, would have been much greater but for the restriction on Japanese goods enforced in various countries.