THE STRIKE EPIDEMIC

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 41, 12 November 1919, Page 8

THE STRIKE EPIDEMIC

BIG WAVE IN JAPAN

I HIGH COST OF LIVING AGAIN JSpecial Correspondent of the New York g? "Evening Post.'') Tokio, August I' 4. Since tho first signs of an epidemic of strikes in Japan came into existence a few weeks ago, the country has been swept by a veritable whirlwind of strikes, and while many of these have been successful, resulting in the granting of substantial increases in the wages of the workmen, this has had an effect of increasing 'the general volume of trouble. The success-js met by somo labourers have inflamed the imaginations of others and some of the demands now being made are utterly unreasonable, while somo of the strikes border on the grotesque. Among the latter may he mentioned, for instance, strikes by tho geishas in some lo'calitics.Vven these butterfly ladies being aroused by the success of their hard-working fellow-beings. In another place the undertakers' coolie 3 struck, with the Tesult that the burial of the dead became a. job for amateurs, ai this work could naturally not bo post*poned. In one prefecture the- public women walked out, and in still another tho beggars have organised a union, though just how they are going to enforce thoir demands seems not quite clear. One of tho most spectacular strikes was that of tho newspaper compositors 'in Tokio. They demanded an increase 'of wages whereby the minimum weekly wage should he 70 yen (35d015.), as well as an eight-hour day. As a consequence, the fourteen large Japanese papers in Tokio formed a combination, the owners promising each other that they would not give in, and binding themselves to pay a fine of 100,000 yen, and to allow the other papers to seal their plants, in case any one paper should depart from tho agreement and deal separately with tho strikers. The compositors got wand of this, and anticipated the lockout proposed by their omployers by walking out in a body, with the result that for four day* not a siDglo Japanese newspaper was printed in Tokio, with, tho exception of an obscure Mheet of very small circulation, which it could not increase, as it had no great stock of I paper and was allowed to obtain no more, i The strike finally ended by the composi- ! tors coining to time, on the employers'' • terms, which made tho minimum wage i linirty-five yen and tho maximum sixty- ; five yon. While this is a far cry from i the demands of tife strikers, it is pointj ed out that it is an increase of forty per | cent, on the maximum and of ten per ; cent, on the minimum. ! The strike was observed with somo ! degreo of glee on the part of the Gov- : ernment officials, who pointed out that ! the papers had been having much to say 1 about the necessity of increasing wages j in various industries, and that they were now getting a taste of their own medicine. The publishers responded by pointing out that tlhe high cost of living-, which is the main cause for all these strikes, has its main causo in the failure of the Government to take adequate measures to reduce the cost of rice and its obstinacy in refusing to contract the currency, the inflation of winch it is generally conceded is the main root of the evil. As a consequence the attacks on tho Government have become more and moro virulent. The Government has tried in several ways to moot the situation, mainly by allowing free trans, portation of rice on the Govornmeni railways and by inducing _ shipowners to make substantial reductions in tihe freight charges.by water. It has also caused tho establishment of various markets in which imported rice is being sold at cost price, but all theso measures have had no great effect, as the farmers continuo to hold on to their great accumulated stocks, which, if they were released, would be sufficient to ctear the entire situation very materially. The Government wishes, however, to stand in with tho farmers, and, being a "business Government," it does not wish to offend tftio big interests,- so the inflation of currency is godng on merrily as boforo. The Government has also added to its troubles by raising the cost of tobacco, which is a Government monopoly, und as tho Japanese aro great smokers this has caused a great outcry. A report that the Government will raise tho price of car transportation has also added fuel to the fire. In the meantime the strikes are increasing. The employees of the groat Asano Iron Works, near Tokio, have struck, and as violence was feared, they are being guarded by special, dotaohments of police. The Japan Electric Company's men have a/.so struck, and the company refuses to meet their de. mauds, saying that during tho past fow years wages have 'been increased to tho tune of 270 per cent. Tho Government printers, 3700 strong, have asked for a 50 per cent, rise, and 'the printers of Yokohama, 5000 in number, have organised j and aro demanding a similar increase. The Tokio post office clerks tried to hold a meeting in Hibiya Park, but were dispersed by the police. These are but a few instances of the numerous strikes which are increasing every day, with apparently no solution in sight, except that jrliich tho Government refuses to con"sidcr.