Expenditures of the Russo-Japanese war / by Gotaro Ogawa.

EFFECTS ON INDUSTRY

215

bearing is realized, because general prices rose somewhat
despite the decrease in money wages. But wages markedly
rose in nearly all kinds of work in I905. This rise was not
only in comparison with the previous year, but also as compared with wages before the outbreak of the war, the only
exception being the wages of mat and fitting makers.
In spite of the shortage of labor, however, the year I905
saw a decided increase in manufactured goods, as will be
explained in the next section. This general increase was the
case not only in comparison with 1904 but with 1903 also.
It is evident that the I,IOo,ooo men requisitioned in the war
caused a hurtful scarcity of labor. How, then, account for
the great increase in production? It may be explained in
this way:
(I) Our population was increasing every year by over half
a million. Each year, therefore, had tens of thousands of
new labor recruits.
(2) As a result of over-population and low wages, all
factories had previously been using labor lavishly. They
therefore had ample room to effect an economy in hands by
means of better organization and more careful use of mechanical power, and the war forced them to resort to this economy.
(3) The war proved a powerful impetus to mechanical
invention as a result of scarcity of labor.
APPLICATIONS FOR PATENTS AND PATENTEES, I90I-I908
Number of applications Patentees, nativ
Year ___Patentees, native
Year for patents, native and foreign
and foreign
1901......................... 2,142 (255)a 474 (I32)a
1902......................... 2,781 (314) 668 (203)
1903......................... 2,923 (330) 720 (304)
1904........ 2,274 (344) 88i (372)
1905........................ 2,340 (557) I,JI5 (539)
I906........................ 3,384 (72I) I,107 (487)
I907......................... 3,979 (779) 1,341 (648)
I908......................... 4,57I (667) 1,431 (582)
a The parentheses enclose the number of foreign applications for patents, and the number of
foreign patentees.