The Labor Movement in Japan (Volume 20)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1918 Excerpt: ... A PERIOD OF SUCCESS. Eighteen months after we had begun the labor movement in Japan our experiences assured us that our prospects were verygood. The Iron Workers' Union organized on December 1, 1897, and B. B. Engineers' and Firemens' Union, organized in March, 1898, were in a flourishing condition, both with a growing membership. The year just closed was the most fruitful one for the labor movement in Japan. Every one connected with the movement had a firm faith in the great future of the working class and all worked with courage and enthusiasm. Two of our leaders settled in Kobe and started a similar movement in that city. One of these was a shoemaker by trade who had been in America for some time. He was a good labor agitator and now worked at Kobe for the movement. At Tokyo labor meetings were held regularly in various parts of the city and its vicinity. To all came increasing audiences. Subscribers to tbe Labor World were increasing steadily, this being the only organ of the working class that gave any information about the new labor movement abroad. It was, in fact, the sole organ of labor propaganda. It attempted to educate the working class in general. Our working class was then very eager for any new knowledge and they were not slow to act on an idea when they got hold of it. Propaganda on the subject of co-operatives for half a year or more in public meetings and in the columns of the Labor World, resulted in many co-operative distributive stores, organized and conducted by members of different unions. In July (1898) the Labor World published a report on eleven co-operative stores. The total paid up shares of these unions amounted to 7,620 yen, an aggregate monthly business of 7,497 yen and a total membership of 1,346. One of the eleven stores sti...