The Elbert County tribune. [volume], October 04, 1912, Image 6

About The Elbert County tribune. [volume] (Elbert, Elbert County, Colo.) 18??-1920

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JAPANESE
HOME
LIFE
j HE duties and functions of
the many departments of
life in Japan are clearly
defined and the general ac
quiescence in such defini
tions In a mark of orderly
Instinct rather than servil
ity that It is ever ready to
recognize its own inferior-
I ity. That the duties of
women have been clearly,
indicated, that they show
I— ■■ 11
no disposition to overßtep the boun
daries assigned to tme, is simply a
manifestation of the spirit that per
vades all classes. It is hardly a ques
tion of highar or lower, superior or
inferior; it is a matter of duty— of
"bushido."
Certainly the Japanese woman is
not regarded as a handmaid. She has
never been without her honorable
position In the body politic, nor has
the value of her peculiar duties ever
been slighted. The duties of bushido
are considered to be binding upon the
woman as upon the man, and inas
much as bushido means loyalty, so
the woman must be loyal to her hus
band, as the man must be to the
emperor and to the country. It is
only those who are led by a false in
dependence to revolt against all ideas
of service who will criticise a ready
acceptance by the women of Japan
of a domestic sphere which is as im
portant in its way as the larger serv
i Ice to the empire.
But the Samurai woman was not .
confined wholly to the household. She
was even taught the use of arms,
that she might help her father or
her hqsband if the need should arise,
and also that she might defend her
own honor. Japanese history has
many examples of women who be
came governors, who led military ex
peditions and who were famous In
literature, art, education and relig
ion. Indeed, the path to public honor
has always been open to the Japanese
woman, but it could be attained only
by public service. There was only
one standard of human value, and that
was adhesion to the national interest.
The woman who performed her whole
duty to the home was as worthy of
veneratiop as the man who performed
his whole duty to the army and to
the country.
There have been distinct feminine
periods in the history of Japan. Such
a period followed closely upon the in
troduction of Buddhism, which, with
its incitements to charity, did much
to stimulate what may be called a
feminist movement. Such literary
stars as Muraeaki Shiklleu and Sei
Bhonagan not only were the most fa
mous authors of their time, but their
works are still classics. The educa
tion of women was zealously fostered,
and we hear of meetings at which
women competed with one another in
poetry, music and art. Works of
charity became honorable duties, and
we .heart much of the Empress Komei,
who distinguished herself by personal
service to lepers.
But the feminism movement in Japan
has attained its main successes- since
the restoration and the fall of the
Bhfegunate. Many Japanese women
have visited foreign countries, re
ceived a foreign education and re
turned to their own country to play
the part of propagandists. The popu
lar education of girls has made great
strides, and even the extension of po
litical suffrage to women finds its ad
vocates not only among women them
selves, but among politicians and
leaders of thought. But progress in
this direction Is likely io be slow. A
society that has lately emerged from
feudalism and that is accustomed to
assign fixed duties to its various
grades Is not usually tolerant of in
novations or efforts to enlarge the
boundaries of particular classes. Bud
dlsro, moreover, Is likely to play some
part in retarding the political advance
of women, and in confining her activ
WASHING
ities to the household, to practical
charities and to religion.
Among the public institutions now
managed by women may be mention
ed the Nurse association, the Red
Cross society, the ‘Patriotic associa
tion, Fukuden —Kwal and Jkel —a
hospital. Women are also interested
in many productive industries and in
art activities. There are also now
women doctors, and the department of
communications employs women of
ficials. Physical culture for women is
also being adopted with energy and
this is a fitting sequel to the Samurai
Injunction that required women to
regulate their emotions and suppress
all those weaknesses that their west
ern sisters usually attribute to nerves.
The Woman's university of Japan
may be taken as an expression of
Japanese ideas upon the question of
education for women. It was found
ed by Mr. Maruse. who began his
work thirty-six years ago, and who
has been unresting in its advance
ment. The object of the university Is
to educate women to fulfill their du
ties toward the state and society and
to become an influence in the life of
the nation. The university contains
52 buildings, including a library of
11,500 volumes, n chemical laboratory
and a lecture hall.
The curriculum begins with a
kindergarten and there are depart
ments for household science, litera
ture, English and education, the first
of these Including mathematics,
physics, chemistry and physiology.
The university has 865 regular mem
bers. 141 associate members, 37 ad
visory members. 151 junior members
and 11 honorary members. The fol
lowing exhortation given to the stu
dents by Mr. Maruse leaves nothing
to be desired for its amplitude and
intent; “The students are enjoined
to learn, ineffaceably Impressed upon
their minds, that they are to make it
their chief aim and duty to cultivate
and develop to the fullest extent all
their faculties as well as their wom
anly virtues, and to remain faithful
to the university, never forgetting to
be and do good, study and to learn.”
Much, of course, remains to be done
for the advancement of women of
Japan, but much has already been
done. Japan has at least broken away
from the ancient traditions of the east
and has set her foot on the path that
leads to the entire emancipation of
women.
In 1878 Japan had a debt of $88,886,-
" cZ’Ai'K r ;Yt? Me SOOSV''
_• ' • - ■ • . •••
c'A’/cyaviAar
931. Thirty years later the debt had
risen to $1,120,000,000. This immense
increase was due mainly to the Chi
nese and Russian war, and a continu
ing expenditure on a large scale is
necessitated by the national defense.
In the year 1908 the army and navy
cost $144,189,183. Between April 1,
1895, and March 1, 1909, the army cost
$376,085,088 and-the navy $313,443,440
The national defense has cost a total
of $689,423,523 within fourteen years
and this without counting the cost of
the Russian war. Corea, Formosa and
Manchuria have demanded heavy
expenditures. A merchant marine has
been established, many extensive pub
lic works undertaken, Including rail
ways, telegraphs and telephones, and
all these thlngß have been dene by a
country that contains ' only 26,000
square miles of arable soft.
Under such conditions it is easy to
believe that taxation is the question
of the day in Japan and has been so
for many years. Since the outbreak
of the Russian war the land tax has
ranged from 3 per cent, to 17.5 per
cent. The tax on liquors ranges from
$5 per 40 gallons up to per
40 gallons, according to the percent
age of alcohol.
Then comes the income tax, k wbich
is arranged upon a sort of graduated
scale. Before the war the tax paid
by "Juridlcat" persons was 2per
cent., but after the war an additional
tax was levied equal to 80 per cent,
up to 400 per cent, of the ordinary
rate. An income tax of 2 per cent,
was also levied on public loan funds
and company debentures. All other
persons not already assessed as above
pay a rate In proportion to their in
come. Before the v/ar those with an
income of 300 yen ($150) per annum
paid' 1 per cent., and this increased
according. to the Income up to 5V6
per cent. Now the lowest income pays
10 per cent, and the highest 20.35 per
cent. There are various exceptions,
such as army and navy officers while
engaged in war, widows, orphans, pen
sioners, etc. There is also a tax on
textiles, an excise duty on sugar, and
a substantial revenue from the post
office. The customs tariff also is re
sponsible for a substantial income
amounting to about $22,000,000 a year.
Mention should also be made of the
state monopolies of tobacco, salt and
camphor, worth about $25,000,000 a
year.
Adachl Kinnosuki describes the will
ingness of the Japanese people to be
taxed and their uncomplaining vre
sponße to demands that are necessi
tated by the good of the country. His
statement is so remarkable that It is
worthy of quotation. He .says:
"In 1895 we went to war with China.
Our government wanted money, and
wanted it badly. It let our people know
about its needs in terms of war loans.
To the first call the people answered
by putting up $26,000,000. The govern
ment wanted more, and on the second
call it succeeded In getting from the
people $16,000,000 —in all $40,000,000.
The people gave this amount very
willingly. That fact was very plain
on the very face of it. It was widely
advertised also. The thing that was
not so well known, especially outside
of the country, however, was that this
was all that the people could do at
the time —and a little mote. Nine
TOKAIDO ROAD
years later came the Russian war.
Odco more the government talked to
the people in the unpleasant language
of government loans. The people of
Japan, however, apparently enjoyed
this bitter talk. Indeed they became
enthusiastic about it. Five times the
government talked to the people and
five times the people replied by giving
up altogether $300,000,000. In addition
to this amount we raised about $600,-
000,000 from foreign loans. As in the
time of the Chinese war, the willing
ness of the people, their enthusiasm,
their appreciation of the honor of
emptying their pocketbooks for the
state was the same. Ours is the Spar
tan ideal—no consideration for the in
dividual, everything for the state.
What was not exactly the same was
that our people had a very much hard
er time in putting up the $40,000,000
at the time of the Chinese war than in
surrendering $300,000,000 at the time
of the Russian war."
The Japanese government is now
carrying out a scheme for paying off
the principal of the national debt.
Prime Minister Katoura decided that
the country must raise at least $25,-
if this can be maintained Japan will
have paid her war debts in less than
thirty years.
But she will not find*the task an
easy one. She will have to call again
upon a patriotism that has never Jail
ed her, but that cannot perform the
impossible. It may be doubted if the
taxes can be pushed any higher than
they are now and even the most will
ing taxpayers cannot pay when they
do not possess. The annual taxation
now amounts to almost 16 yen ($8)
and this is a very large sum indeed
when we remember that the average
earnings are very small. In 1904 an
estimate was made of the monthly ex
penses of the average Japanese family
of four, and it is probably fairly cor
rect at the present time. It is as fol
lows:
Ten
House rent 0.76
Rice 8.25
Fuel and light 0.41
j Vegetables 0.60
i Fish 0.60
! Soy and mist 0.23
I Tobacco 0.25
[ Bath 0.20
Pin money 0.60
Hair cutting, etc 0.18
Sundries 2.37
The monthly income of this same
family was estimated at 8.22 yen,
leaving a deficit of 1.16 yen. Wages
may have increased somewhat since
the war, but there can be no doubt
that the cost of living also has in
creased. An official report since the
war gives the following as the mean
wages of workmen in Japan:
Yen per day (1 Yen equal to 60 cents gold)
Yen
Bricklayers 0.80
Printers 0.63
Silversmiths 0.45
Masons 0.60
Carpenters 0.70
Bhoemakers 0.66
Blacksmiths 0.45
Weavers 0.38
Monthly wages in Tokyo are approx
imately as follows:
Yen
Sake distillers 7.00
Men servants 3.32
Maid servants 2.92
Silkworm breeders 9.00
Raw silk weavers 6.65
Farm laborers 3.38
Millard says in his "Far Eastert
Question" that several persons whom
he has questioned estimate the av
erage earnings of the average Jap
anese family of four in the lower
classes at 160 yen ($80) annually, as
suming that the children are old
enough to work. None placed the fig
ure higher than 200 yen annual in
come. Out of this amount the average
Japanese pays 40 per cent, in' taxes.
That is a very high proportion, hut
the fiscal authorities seem to have no
doubt that It can be maintained, and
probably even raised.
It seems impossible to economize
except by a reduction of the expend
iture for armaments, and there seems
to be little chance for that. Arma
ments on their present scale are con
sidered to be absolutely necessary to
the preservation of the national life,
and as a Japanese writer recently re
marked: “Of what use Is it to econo
mize the nation’s finances at the cost
of national destruction?"
In 1907 there were 2,236 banks In
Japan, with a total capitalization ol
579,628,220 yen and which showed a
balance in deposits of 1,830,693,270
yen. Their earnings in 1906 were 208,-
445,599 yen and they paid dividends at
the rate of 9.6 per cent.
Superfluous Question.
"Is your wife superstitious?”
"My dear sir, my wife is a woman.”
BACKACHE A SIGNAL
jfc. OF DISTRESS
wflKftw Pain In the back Is
the kidney's signal
of distress. If this
// in timely vrarninglaig*
-A \// r \ nored.tbere Is graro
yJk .% A- V danger of dropsy,
f I J gravel, nric polson
ln** ° r dl *”
ft When’you have
j A in reason to suspect
/ § IV your kidneys, uss
/ u Trtl a special kidney
"fttor sji medicine.
*T*ll* r » ■ Doan’s Kidney
llorr" jfl Jf Pills relieve weak,
jxrl congested kidneys—
irJl a cure backache—
ll \ m regulate the urine.
m I Good proof in the
Al m following state
ll (#-CONVINCING
sje» TESTIMONY
Georgs L. Cotter, Elm St., Damsrls
cotts. Me., ssys: "Two years ago I suf
fered from kidney trouble. My back was
oftsn so lame that I could hardly get
home from business. Nothing helped me
until I used Doan’s Kidney Pills. They
entirely removed the pains and I have
never had any further trouble."
Got Doan’s at Any Drug Storo, 50c a Bon
DOAN'S K i? l " L S Y
FOSTER-MILBURN CO.. Buffalo. Now York
Precaution.
Chimmie —Hey, Maggie, hold dis
bag o’ peanuts fer me fer a minute —
here comes a poor relation o’ mine! —
Life.
Like Mushrooms.
As they emerged from the subway
station they were confronted by a
giant skyscraper rising into the blue.
“What building is that?" she asked,
not being an habitue of the downtown
district. "I don’t know,” he replied.
She looked at him in surprise, this
quarter of New York being his daily
locale. ‘‘No/’ he Insisted wearily. "I
don’t know. It wasn't there yester
day.”—New York Press.
Nothing More to Live For.
Without question, the Scots curler
of whom Lord Lyveden tells Ini Fry’s
Magazine, placed the proper valde on
his sport.
During a recent curling-match In
Switzerland, the skip of one of the
teams, who happened to be a Scots
man. was so delighted with the accu
rate shot of one of his team, that he
was heard to address him in the fol
lowing manner: “Lie down and dee,
mon; lie down and dee. Ye’ll never
lay a finer stane nor that if ye live to
be a hundred.”
Potteries' Prospering.
The output of the pottery industries
of the United States had a value of
$34,518,560 in 1911, according to the
United States geological survey chart
of clay products production, by states,
compiled by Jefferson Middletown.
The pottery collection for 1911 was
greater than for 1910, when the out
put was valued at $33,784,678, the In
crease being $733,882. Of- the total
production, Ohio was first, with an
output valued at $14,776,265; New Jer
sey second, with $8,401,941; West Vir
ginia third, with $2,880,202; New York
fourth, with $2,178,364; Pennsylvania
fifth, with $2,156,817, and Indiana
sixth, with $1,004,737. The output of
no other state had a value in excess
of a million dollars.
Thoroughly Up-to-Date.
“Halloa!" Jellison cried, as he en
countered his acquaintance, Barwood,
In the street. "Thought you were get
ting married today. Postponed?”
“Altogether,” said Barwood, firmly.
“Not even engaged now, then?” pur
sued Jellison.
“No. The lady I was to have mar
ried was too modern—too up-to-date
for me.”
“Up-to-date!” The excuse astonish
ed Jellison. “How on earth— ’’
“Wrote her last Monday, saying I
was coming to see her on Wednesday.
| You see, although we’d been engaged
for some time, I never formall) pro
posed, and she seemed to want It. So
I went on Wednesday— Jußt to satisfy
her whim, as I thought. Got there
and found she had sold the rights of
| photographing me at the moment of
proposing to a cinemetagraph com
pany.
| “That settled it!“-Tit-Bits.
HARD TO SEE.
Even When the Facts About Coffee
are Plain.
It is curious how people will refuse
to believe what one can clearly see.
Tell the average man or woman that
the slow but cumulative poisonous
effect of caffeine —the alkaloid in tea
and coffee —tends to weaken the heart,
upset the nervous system and cause
indigestion, and they may laugh at
you if they don't know the facts.
Prove It by science or by practical
demonstration in the recovery of cof
fee drinkers from the above condi
tions, and a large per cent of the hu
man family will shrug their Bhoulders,
take Borne drugs and—keep on drink
ing coffee or tea.
“Coffee never agreed with me nor
with several members of our house
hold,** writes a lady. “It enervates,
depresses and creates a feeling of
languor and heaviness. It was only
by leaving off coffee and using Postum
that we discovered the cause and way
out of these ills.
**The only reason, I am sure, why
Postum is not used altogether to the
exclusion of ordinary coffee Is, many
persons do not know and do not seem
willing to learn the facts and how to
prepare this nutritious beverage*.
There’s only one way—according to
directions —boll It fully 15 minutes.
Then it is delicious.” Name given by
Postum Co., Battle Creek, Mich. Read
the little book, “The Road to Well-
Yille, H In pkgs. “There’s a reason.”
Ever mid (ht above loiterT A mow
appear* from time to time. They
Co sr«■ at■ e, tree, and fall of hnmaa
term*. A dr.
Always Ahead of Him.
Miss Cnte (an amateur palmist)—-
This line in your hand, Mr. Dubb, In
dicates that you have a brilliant future
before you.
Dubb—ls that so?
Miss Cute —Yes; but this other line
indicates that you are too slow ever
to overtake iL
Their Natural Element.
Wife —How imprudent you are!
You’ve only just finished dinner, and
now you propose to bathe!
Husband—That’s all right, my dear,
I ate nothing but fish.
Lucky.
"This is the third time you have
been here for food,” said the woman r
at the kitchen door, to the tramp.
“Are you always out of work?”
“Yes’m,” replied the itinerant. "I
guess I was born under a lucky star.”
Ready to Oblige.
Little Janies, while at a neighbor’s,
was given a piece of bread apd butter,
and politely said, "thank you!”
“That’s right, Jameß,” said the lady
“I like to hear little boys say “thank
you.’"
“Well, rejoined James, “if you want
to hear me say it again, you might
put some jam on iL”
The Poor Creature.
There was a meeting of the new
teachers and the old. It was a sort of
love feast, reception, or whatever you
call IL Anyhow, all the teachers got
together and pretended that they
didn’t have a care In the world. After
the eats were eat, the symposiarch
proposed a toast: Long IJve Our
Teachers!”
It was drunk enthusiastically. One
of the new teachers wa3 called on to
respond. He modestly accepted. His
answer was: “What on?”
The Mean Thing.
Mrs. Exe —My husband has some
thing laid aside for a rainy day.
Mrs. Wye—l know It—my nus
band’s umbrella.
The Author at Her Busiest.
Mr. Wright—ls your husband busy
now?
Mrs. Penman—Oh, very busy.
Mr. Wright—What is he doing?
Mrs. Penman—He’s at work on a
story.
Mr. Wright—Writing a story, is be?
Mrs. Penman—Oh, no; he wrote it a
month ago. He’s trying to sell it now.
Protected.
The late Thomas B. Rzsd, when a
lad, was requested to bail out a small
boat that had been leaking badly, and
was almost full of water.
“I can’t do. it,” replied Tom, “It’s
unconstitutional.”
“What do you mean?” Inquired th©
owner of the boat.
“The constitution of the United
State* says,” replied the future states
man, “that ‘excessive bail shall not b©
required’ of any man.”
Dingbats.
A woman would be in despair if na
ture had formed her as fashion makes
her appear.—Mile, de Lespinasse.
The clown knows very well that th©
women are not In love with him, but
with Hamlet, the fellow in the black
cloak and plumed hat. —Oliver Wen
dell Holmes.
Do you not know that I am a wo- ft
man? When I think I must speak.—
Williani Shakespeare.
Woman sends forth her sympathies
on adventure. She embarks her whole
soul in the traffic of affection, and if
shipwrecked, her case is hopeless.—
Washington Irving. >
He that hath wife and children hath
given hostages to fortune; for they
are impediments to great enterprises,
either of virtue or mischief.—Francis
Bacon.
God! She is like a milk white lamt>
that bleats for man’s protection.—
John Keats.
We love handsome womr from in
clination, homely women from interest
and virtuous women from reason.—
Arsene Houssaye.
Pert Paragraphs.
Only a great mind can feel charity
for those who don’t appreciate its
worth.'
A woman's objection to tobacco
smoke depends less on the brand of
tobacco than on the brand of man.
The greatest foe to contentment that
a man can have is an ambitious wife.
We are all willing to battle for th©
right. The trouble is that right seems
to be all things to all people.
Some people are like some books—
the best thing about them is the bind
ing.
The only drawback to owning books
is that some idiot is sure to insist on
boring you about them.
Some people never tell all they
know because they prefer to choose
subjects upon which they can talk
longer.
Every woman expects to have gray
hair, but stoutness is the last indig
nity of a malitious fate.
When we ask for bread we have a
sneaking hope that somebody will
have a streak of generosity and give
us cake. 4
FOR SALE CHEAP { ®«Teral thousand feet of 4)
Inch rlvetted steel pipe. Havens. 1022 Wazee street.
Deuver.
We pay highest cash prices for old .
copper, brass and lead scrap. WrVf*» 9
us what you hhve. ' *
The BLACK-HORNER BRASS MFG. CO.
leas Bloke St., Denver, Colo.
°Jump mid tvll TropvGar^,,
Ammunition and Animal Balia at rock
At yTtPHEKS & Co. £
DENVER A RIO GRANDE-WESTERN
PACIFIC
“Th® Royal Gorge-Feather River
_ , . Caflon Route”
Taken together form the most beauti
ful line of continuous travel Denver
Salt Lake, City. San Francisco. '
The marvelous scenic attractions of
the Rockies the Great Salt Beds of
Utah and the wonders of the Sierra*
can be seen from the car windows,
without extra expense for side trhAa
SUPERB DINING CAR SERVIC™'
For Illustrated descriptlvo matter
write Frank A. Wadlelgh, General
Passenger Agent. Denver & Rio Grand*
Railroad, Denver, Colo.