Page:Japan by the Japanese (1904).djvu/478

by the Committee specially appointed on the question of steel-works, the iron foundry may not only expect great success in future, but is already producing 150 tons or more of superior rails daily. The favourable prospects, coupled with the immediate demand for enormous quantities of steel, on account of the extension of railway-lines and naval armaments, have induced the Government to accomplish the task by increasing the necessary capital. The machines of all descriptions and other arrangements being set in order, the operation of the Works is coming into a flourishing condition, though it occurred at first that the original estimates of cost of construction were too small to admit of the successful carrying out of the plan. This was misunderstood by the public to be failure of the Works itself. The Committee considered it expedient that it should be run as a private company, on the ground that the Works could thus be released from the restrictive interference put on the management thereof, which they consider as inseparable under an official organization. In so far as the suggestions of the Committee do not affect the welfare of the Works, the Government will take the course it thinks best.

Manufacturing of steel was first tried about twenty-five years ago, and was continued on a very small scale up to 1895. Only shells of 12 centimetres and quick-firing guns of 47 millimetres could be made, all other kinds of guns being supplied by foreign countries. The last Chinese War afforded a good opportunity for extension of the weapons manufacturing works. Especially the naval arsenal in Kure, which had worked hitherto chiefly for repairs, underwent a great extension. New workshops were built and new machines purchased. Then umber of workmen employed rose from 67 in 1895 to 5,400 in 1900. Almost every kind of projectile can be produced there, several hundreds of guns under 8 inches have already been manufactured, and when all parts of the new workshops are completed, those of 12 inches may also be made.

Going one step further, it is now proposed to establish a new steel-foundry in Kure for manufacturing armour-plates.

According to the plan consented to in Parliament, the new workshops will be built in four years from 1903. The total amount of the expense is estimated at 6,340,093 yen, which are added to the continual expense for 1894 to 1903 of 110,344 yen for the extension of the Kure arsenal. The expense will be defrayed from out of the general comptabilité, no new taxation or loan being wanted for it. The items of the new expenses and their annual amounts are as follows: