ELECTRICITY IN JAPAN.

Taihape Daily Times, 15 April 1919, Page 7

ELECTRICITY IN JAPAN.

RAPID DEVELOPMENT. o In the manufacture of electrical mashinery Japan ! s pre-war share of the Far Eastern trade was practically nog ligible, German, British, and American firms monopolising the whole. But. since the war Japan has found an extensive market ,tfor electric lamps, cables, and minor fittings. In addition Japan has lately turned her attention to the manufacture of electrical machinery of all sorts, from dynamos, motors, to telephones, and as the list of loans to China for which electrical enterprises are security shows, intends to keep the market open after the war. Among the more important of these leans is the telegraph loan for £2,000,000, by which Japan acquires the right to finance and build with the Japanese material and technical advice various undefined extensions. It is further specified that Japanese financiers are to have the first option £300,000, the whole of Chinas telegraphic communications will be in Japanese hands. Japan’s export trade to China in electrical supplies has increased from about £50,000 in lit 12 | to £150,000 in 1915. and in the same year other countries were supplied to the extent of of further £50,000. and 1 these figures arc on the increase. For the same two years, 1912 and 1915, imports of electrical golods (fell (from £1,074,000 to £518,000. In 1910 electrical supplies to the value of £3.000.000 were manufactured. As an indication of the development of electricity, it man bo mentioned that there are now 1321 miles of electric tramway in Japan, 50 electro-chemical works 1 , whose output is valued at £5,(500,000 annually, and 687 power companies. The telephones and telegraphs, including wireless, are Government property, and there were 6000 telegraph stations, and about 4200 telephone exchanges, when it is considered that the history of applied electricity in the country began in 1871 with the introduction of the telegraph, that electric lighting was first introduced in ISS6, and the first telephones in 1891, some idea is I given of the progress made.