The following tables are from “The Labor World” for July 1, 1898. The editor sent a form to be filled out by the laborers themselves, to get accurate statistics of their lives and work. A few samples throw light upon the inner life of Japanese laborers:— No. 1.—House, two rooms; a family,—man (30), wife (23), mother (53), two sisters (14 and 11); occupation, blacksmith. Working days in a month 26 Working hours in a day 12 Daily wages $0.52 Monthly income 13.83 Monthly expenses 13.65 House rent, one month 0.96 Rice 5.76 Fuel and light 1.08 Vegetables. 0.87 Fish 0.96 _Sake_ (rice beer) 0.24 _Soy_ (Japanese sauce) 0.73 Tobacco 0.20 Hair cutting and dressing 0.83 Bath 0.88 Pin money 0.25 Sundries 0.89 No. 55.—House, two rooms, with kitchen; a family,—man (27), wife (25), boy (6), girl (2); business, iron worker. Daily wages $0.25 Overtime income for one month 1.50 Monthly income 8.28 Monthly income 8.28 Monthly expense 9.44 House rent 0.75 Rice 3.25 Fuel and light 0.41 Vegetables 0.60 Fish 0.60 _Soy_ and _miso_ 0.23 Tobacco 0.25 Hair cutting and dressing 0.18 Bath 0.20 Pin money 0.60 Sundries, including interest on debt 2.37 _Increase in Living Expense_ The following interesting comparison between the cost of living in 1889 and 1899 is from “The Miyako”: (Calculated monthly expenditure of a family of six members—a married couple, a parent, two children, and one servant—living with strict economy.) 1889. 1899. _yen._ _yen._ House rent (a house containing the furnished rooms of 6, 4-1/2, and 2 _mats_, respectively 2.50 5.00 Cleaned rice (at the rate of 2 _shō_ per day) 4.50 7.00 1 _to_ 3 _shō_ (8 _shō_ 5 _gō_ per _yen_.) per _yen_.)