Show POOH PAY FOR GENIUS Six Dollars a Month the Hest l Nor ci Writer Can do in Japan A leading Japanese newspaper as quoted by the Japan Mail of Yokohama discussed the current rates of remunera tion In that for remuner tat country artists and writers I appears that even in the feudal days when the patronage of the noUtt was often magnificent genius whether literary or artistic earned but a poor reward Great romance writers got from 6 to 57 a rmance and an immortal painter Hko Hokusailed led Sin first to frt list a hand to mouth existence Things nave not materially Improved at Thinss materialy Imprve pros ent time The highest monthly emoluments earned br wrier of fiction emolument about 60 and only two or three get this much Moreover this Is not reached until the prime of life has been rch passed > and long years of hardship and indigence have been endured Next to these rare kings of their craft come writers rae their prime who earn from J5 to 30 a month but even these number only four or live while the condition of those who devote themselves to ephemeral literature ephemerl lterature is even worse The Highest sum paid to a contributor of serials to 3 newspaper or periodical Is 225 for each Installment In a daily paper and 4 to instlment single Installment in a perodical This rate however is earned only by one famous writer and the figure BO down as low as fifteen cents to twentylive cents 11 chapter which is the price for an ob scure writer on a local paper a With painters matters are said to be even worse There are in the Japinese capital three of four artists In Japanee such calibre that they would make their mark even In drect competition with for comptton wih eign painters but so littles does the public pUblc appreciate their efforts that they are hardly able to earn enough to exist Pictures of merit fall to find purchasers or they fail to brIng little to the painter the greater part of the price going into the pocket of the middleman Thus through the condition of the literary class bar somewhat Improved since feudal times painters were never before In feuii evil plight Years must pass before Japanese Jap-anese artists in oil ca find a market abroad and they cannot hope to find Cnnot hop t fnd one at home until the conditions of Japanese life are radically changed for the Japanese ese picture the scroll Is perfectly suited to the style of habitation while the oil ilvNlt painting I Is wholly Incongruous with the interior decortion and furniture of Japanese Japan-ese residences The eople seem to attach atth value only t the masterpieces of bygone eras and to be persuadjd that the modern artist produces nothing worth moer The experts in other arts seem to be more fortunate The best carvers and workers In lacquer find In art schools and museums emoulments greater than any they had in former days and the foreign market affords them almost unlimited un-limited opportunities After all however one of the strongest points of the Japar ese artists Is his willingness to work for remuneration that would be utterly despised de-spised by Europeans or Americans of corresponding skill So soon as he begins to Insist f higher rates of reward the I conditions of competition will become less favorable for him Boston Herald i |