Japanese Industry

Manawatu Times, Volume 59, Issue 269, 16 November 1934, Page 6

Japanese Industry

That Japan is not competing unfairly with her Western industrial competitors is in sum the verdict of a remarkable report issued by the International Labour Office, written by M. Fernand Maurette, the distinguished French economist, one of the Assistant Directors of the International Labour Office, on industrial conditions in Japan. M. Maurette was sent on an official mission to Japan by the Director of the International Labour Office primarily to study on the spot social conditions in the country. In the course of his visit he inspected industrial undertakings representing at least 16 of the chief branches of industry, including spinning and weaving in the silk and wool trades, iron foundries, glassworks, and match, porcelain and pottery factories.

As regards hours of work, the length of which has always been the most serious charge formulated by Japan’s competitors, M. Maurette’s general conclusion is that the great majority of Japanese industries already enjoy more favourable conditions than those provided for in the relevant Article (No. .9) of the Washington Convention on hours of work. Under the terms of Article 9 of this Convention, Japan was granted exceptional conditions in respect to certain industries.

As regards the other main charge, that Japanese workers are sweated in order to allow Japanese industries to compete successfully with foreign competitors (the question of “social dumping”), M. Maurette points out with conclusive figures that the general standard of living in Japan is very Iow r , for the simple reason that Japan is a very poor country. In a society where the salary of the Prime Minister is about £6OO a year, and where the average higher-grade civil servant receives from £250 to £3OO a year, it is clear that a low standard of life must be general.

Workers’ and employers’ representatives combined in assuring M. Maurette that the cry “social dumping” raised of late years against Japan in certain quarters is not borne out by the facts. Eminent economists and sociologists took the same view. But by far the best refutation of the charges is contained in the figures given by M. Maurette, who in his conclusion commits himself to the definite assertion that social dumping, defined as the operation of promoting the export of national products by decreasing their cost of production as the result of depreciating conditions of labour, does not exist in Japan.

Two men were injured when a premature explosion occurred at the Halswell quarries yesterday morning (says a Christchurch telegram). One, John Quill, the quarry foreman, was struck by falling rock and admitted to hospital with severe injuries to the face and chest. Has condition is serious. The other man, G. Edwards, was struck on the leg by flying Tock. He was also sent to hospital. The accident happened at 11 o’clock, when the men were preparing a charge. Mr Quill was standing on a pile of loose stone and was loading the shot in He was stamping a shot in when it exploded and the vibration brought down six tons of rock, most of which fell about him. Mr Edwards was struck by flying rock and Mr Quill was halfburied under the rock. Mr Quill is a middle-aged widower with a grown-up family. Both are experienced quarrymen.

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While proceeding to school on a horse behind her sister on Wednesday, Ava Cornfoot, the youngest daughter of Mr and Mrs J. A. Cornfoot, of Great-

ford road, Bulls, was thrown heavily when the animal shied at a passing motor-car. The little girl was in great pain when picked up, and on being taken to a doctor was found to have sustained a nasty fracture near the elbow. She was later taken to the Palmerston North Public Hospital.

Although normally rather early for work of this nature, haymaking is proceeding apace in and around Bulls. The spell of fine weather, while not such a boon to the pastures, has enabled the haycrops to be taken in without delay, and by the end of the month there should >be few farmers with hay uncut. The absence of high winds has also been a favourable factor. On some farms which usually have a cut taken off unwanted paddocks, the grass has been left standing in, order to safeguard the lower sole from the possibility of scorching by drought.