JAPAN OF TO-DAY. A Country that is Suffering From the Tyranny of the British.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 207, 18 June 1887, Page 4

JAPAN OF TO-DAY. A Country that is Suffering From the Tyranny of the British.

t&TUL Baba of Jp<s?an, a prominent meJsber <&■ the independent Liberal party in " Engird of the East,-" h-ie been staying for some wcaks past very quiet in Philadelphia. He is a close student of Japanese history, and has a thorough insight into the problems of the nineteenth century civilisation. - He is altogether opposed to the present despotic go\ eminent at home, and. in his c^t spoken denunciation of it has had more than once to pay the penalty within the prison walls. Freedom of speech and. of the press are not as thoroughly guaranteed as in this country. In answer to the reporter's question as to the industrial condition of Japan, Mr Baba said: "We need protection. The present tariff is not worthy of that nation. Manu facLures aie steadily on the decline. Paper made from tree barks and silk fabrics are the most important industries ;. the latter especially so. The peculiar climate of Japan is very well adapted to silk culture. Cotton, however, might bo manufactured ; indeedi it is to a small extent, but the low prices of England kill out the industry. The trade with England amounts now to about 14,000,000 in imports and only L 400,000 in exports. The figures aic pi etty nearly reveised with tho United States" " Why not increase your tariff and develop home manufactures ?" " England and the present home Government conspire to prevent this. You see, in 18D8, when Japan was ignorant. of the ways of the world, England succeeded iv arranging a treaty, by the terms of which, no duty of more than o per cent, was to bs laid on imports. Of course the protection, given is a minimum. The same may bo 'said of our specific duties. However, the trouble did not end there. The treaty of 1858 should have been revised long ago, and would have been had a strong government held the reins ot power in Japan. Ep gland has, of course, steadily opposed any increase in duties, and, in order to keep the peace, the ruling Cabinetcontinues the 5 per cent farce. The people of Japan are unanimous in de mand for a revision, and it i-< understood now that the United States will give every facility for a change in the direction of protection. Our great need is a lot of strong men in the Cabinet who will, institute a vigorous policy of national independence. Tho country is being bound together by railroads now, which will soon, iuii to all corners, and the whole people will unite in a more aggressive policy. Let the ministry take a firm stand and demand a revision of the treaty, with other needed dianges, and if war be necessary, Japan can and will do the fighting that the American colonies were once called on to perform. We have an army and na\y fufticient for emergency. "It is not only in regaul to the tariff that our (Government i-. now culpable. In the treaty of 1858 and others of about the same date extraterritorial jurisdiction was given to foreign governments in regard to their subjects in Japan. The consequence is that to-day an American committing a crime is subject to American law, an Englishman to English law, a German to German law, and so on. Thi c *is all wrong, and we coll upon the home Government to assert its natural rights and to say that 'Japanese law shall be the only law in Japan."' "If your present r-ulers should grant the?e demands and miJco needed changes, would there be satisfaction with the Go vornnicnt ?" ' ' No ! The time has now passed for des 1 pofcic torms. To-day the laws are passed in Japan without any reference of them to the people. The Cabinet originates legisi lation, and it then goe; before a council made up of appointees of the Cabinets, finally becoming law with, the signature of the Mikado. We will hav-aa. representative Parliament. The people must have a word in the making of lawrf. Outside the go verning party there are now three political bodies in Japan— the Progressists, the Radicals, and a third between the two, tho Independent- Liberals, of which I am one. The united pressure of the three is brought to bear tv gain a national assembly, and the Government has alieody promised to grant it in IS9O. It is probable that IS9O will bring this boon, but the question arises, how representative will the body be, and how much power v/ill be given to it V These are vital points," " Have you labour problems of the same meaning and importance as those that op press tho United States?" •' Not yet. There is not sufficient cause Several reasons may be given, but I think the principal one is that Japanese labour is not, in the local market, brought into competition with foreign labour. In this country all tho nationalities of Europe have their representatives, and the tendency of this is to drive down wages through the compcti tion. Not so in Japan. "Foreigners may trade through the few open ports granted by| treaty, such as Yokohama, Magasaki and Osaki, but a European, for instance, can not enter Japan and set up a manufactory there. Even for a travelling trip through tho country he must have a passport from tho Government. This requirement, of course, acts very beneficially for home labour. The fortunate condition of the latter is partly due to the wide distribution of land. Twenty years ago tho feudal system prevailed, the land being held under the Mikado by the daimois'or nobles. The latter in turn rented it to the farmers. Since the civil war of '67, however, the feudal system has been done away with, and the land is now held in fee simple. So the causes which work in the United States to grind down the labourer and make him dissatisfied are not at work in Japan. Life is easy there ; everything is cheap, and tho labourer's lot is not hard. I suppose the average workman supports his family on £2 a month. Add to these advantages a thorough system of education and you will understand our condition. Every one in the empire can read and write ; indeed, this was tho case in ancient times."