Japanese Matches.

Manawatu Herald, 5 August 1897, Page 3

Japanese Matches.

The ffirumdal.: News says : — " Foreign matches, In future, instead of being supplied to us"from Sweden, will apparently comß all the way from Japan. The competition of the Orientals has already, it is said, destroyed the European-match trade in India, China and Hong Kong, and will soon assert itself «in the United States. After supplying their home market the Japanese are able to send 2,500,000,000 boxes to the rest of the world, Asia, of course, taking most of this surplus output. Osaka, where an American syndicate has purchased one of the numerous factories engaged in the manufacture, produced last year 100, 000,000 dozen boxes of matches, giving employment to 8629 men and 9711 women, besides thousands of ohildren, who earn a few sen per day in the work. The sticks are cut by maohinery, sifted into little boxes by women, and put in frames by the pioayunes. The sulphur and para ffln are put on in hand presses, and the smeared point 3 are then dried in the sun. The boxes and labels are made by little girls, who are extremely dexterous in the work. When it is mentioned that these little experts get from id to 2£d for twelve hours' work, or an averagt, perhaps, of about 6d a week, ail hope of Europeans matching the Japanese in this line must be given up- 1 '