Matthew Crabtree

1. There are many problems that the machines created during Matthew Crabtree’s time. The speed of the machinery must demand the “utmost exertions” of a worker, showing that the machines made it difficult for workers both adults and children to keep up with it. Whenever anyone would fall behind in their work, they would be beaten by their managers. Additionally, these workers just did manual labor that is tedious and repetitive whereas the machines did all the skilled work. These problems were caused by capitalism because of the lack of worker protection. Everyone toils for more than fourteen hours with only an hour lunch break and are constantly beaten severely when out of line. Capitalism encourages competition and so this can create an avaricious company that will sacrifice a worker’s welfare in order to develop a more efficient system and ultimately generate more profit. This non regulation by the government is mostly responsible for the horrible working conditions that workers suffered through because of a capitalistic system.

2. Iwasaki Yataro speaks more like an industrialist than a capitalist. The need to compete against the industrialized West is shown in Yataro’s letter and he wants his steamboat company to succeed amongst other corporations. Yataro does not have the monopoly on his business and he hopes to reduce his competition by improving his company. He names the companies that are specifically his competition and how they are his and Japan’s “worst enemies” even though it is just him they pose a threat to. He constantly appeals to Japan because he represents his company’s triumphs and obstacles as being identical for the nation. He states that the best for the company and nation is the difficult duty to “eliminate unnecessary expenditures” including firing workers. It is shown that he supports government when he plans to repay it for the protection. The difference between the role of a capitalist and an industrialist is in their