Show t tho ilie thrifty japanese Jap anceo what is the reason that japan has no ti poverty 0 verty problem one reason la is probably to be found in tho the land system which has given to every worker a holding and encouraged him to supply his wants by his own labor there is too in japan a curious absence of ostentatious luxury the habits of living are in all classes much the same and the rich do not outshine the poor by carriages palaces and jewelry tho the rich spend their money on curios which if these are costly is limited and tho the most popular agitation is against the big european bouses houses which ministers build for themselves wealthie We W balth althis is thus not absorbed and is more ready for investment in remunerative labor the last reason which occurs to the mind of a traveler with comparatively few opportunities tuni ties for forming opinions is the equality of manners in all classes rich nich and poor are idika courteous it is not possible to distinguish employer from laborer by their behavior all are clean all are easy all arp rest restrained raineL the governor lets Us his child go to the ca common school and sit nest next to the child of the casual laborer certain that his child will pick up no bad manners and get no contamination in thought or in person this equality enables rich and poor to meet as friends and gifts can pass without degradation tho rich nobles in the country just as the university men with whom wo we met in tokio are thus able to give to those whom they know to be in need and friendship becomes the channel of charity thesues the question is will this survive the introduction of the industrial system it is possible that some of it may and that japan may teach the west how to deal with the poor fortnightly review |