Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0032, 1945-11-25.
Date25 November, 1945
translation numbereconomic-0162
call numberDS801 .S81
Persistent Identifier
ECONOMIC SERIES: 32
ITEM 1 Changing Japan as Observed from Rural Districts —- A Round Table Discussion - Asahi Shimbun - 25 November 1945. Translator: R. Aoki.
Extracts:
SHINOYAMA: In TOHOKU Region, it is estimated that four or five koku of rice is being
carried away illicitly by passengers of
every train. Every man tries to escape the fate of the 10,000,000 people who, according
to one State minister, may die during
the winter.
NOZUE: It seems that farmers themselves do not feel happy about selling their products
at black market prices, Moreover, many
buyers are running very low on money. At times the buyer leaves, threatening not to
return until he is starving.
SAWADA: To return to the problem of rice rationing, an agricultural leader in NIIGATA
Prefecture holds that the nation can
sustain the 3 go ration plan by practicing the following rules:
- 1.Farm rental must be paid in money or in foods other than rice.
- 2.Abolish stealing of rice by the Food Corporation and other intermediate agents.
- 3.Farmers should return to eating local products instead of rice, which is now becoming the practice
SHINOYAMA: Farmers generally are more concerned with the amount of rice they can
retain and the acquisition of fertilizers
than they are with the land question.
NOZUE: Farm leaders earnestly welcome the plan of creating land owning farmers. It
is natural that tenants do not expend much
effort in developing land that does not belong to them.
SAWADA: Moreover, the land owners do not resist the Government plan of land reform
at this time. With the prospect of property
taxes and a monetary land-rental system, they feel fortunate in disposing of the land.
The problem of the shortage of
fertilizer is very pressing. This year farmers used only two kan of sulphuric ammonium
and 200 momme of potash; whereas
formerly they used eight kan of sulphuric ammonium and two to three kan of potash
per tan respectively. The priority
established for the fertilizer industry is certainly a fitting measure.
ECONOMIC SERIES: 32 (Continued)
ITEM 1 (Continued)
ENDO: With regard to the question of inflation in the rural districts, the money
that flows into those areas is mostly
absorbed by the Agriculture and Forestry Bank. Moreover, farmers' incomes are not
directly linked with their daily expenses,
and on that account, they are not considered an important source of the national inflation.
It is said that in SHIZUOKA
Prefecture the biggest amount made by any single farmer during the war was 30,000
yen.
ITEM 2 Budget of 55,073,000 Yen Passed at the Regular Session of Assembly of AICHI-KEN - Chubu-Nippon-Shimbun - 25 November 1945. Translator: T. Mitsubashi.
Extracts:
The 1946 budget amounting to 55,073,000 yen as drafted at the AICHI-KEN was approved
at the regular session of the Prefectural
Assembly on 24 November. It is 5,34,000 yen less than last years budget because of
the discontinuance of wartime expenditures.
No important appropriations to provide for the needs of this prefecture are included
in this budget. Appropriations for food,
silk-manufacturing and aids to repatriate servicemen are scheduled for inclusion in
a supplimentary budget after the national
policies have been determined.
Presumably, sweeping changes in future administration of education will be proposed
in a measure by governor MONOBE. He was
formerly Director of School Boards and is well acquainted with the educational needs
of this prefecture.
Included in the new budget are salary increases totalling 225,300 yen for middle
school teachers, 39,000 yen for primary
school teachers, 75,500 yen for adult school teachers and 44,660 yen for lower-grade
policemen. These increases correspond to
raises of ten yen for middle school teachers, two and a half yen for primary and adult
school teacher and five yen for lower
grade policemen all of whose salaries are less than fifty five yen. There are included
also appropriations of 3,240,000 yen
for the making of woodland lanes and 1,362,000 yen for repairing roads and bridges.
The latter two items are intended to
reduce unemployment.
ITEM 3 Abolition of Pension System Tax Program on Wartime Profits - Asahi Shimbun - 26 November 1945. Translator: T. Kitagawa.
Summary:
Overstrained state finances will be relieved to a great extent by the abolition of
the pension system for ex-servicemen. The
Imperial Government has been directed by Supreme Headquarters to terminate by 1 February
1946, the payment of discharged
allowances or service pensions to Japanese veterans except for disability compensation
for those whose capacity for work is
limited. Those who belong to any of the extreme nationalistic parties and those removed
from office, or arrested by the
Supreme Headquarters will naturally be excluded from such pensions.
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ECONOMIC SERIES: 32 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (Continued)
The system has been one of the banes of the state finance, though legally nothing
had been done about it. Pensions and
allowances have reached a staggering figure. In 1941, 672,000 recipients received
271,000,000 yen. This figure soared to
519,000,000 yen for 1,380,000 recipients. In September of this year, for 1,525,000
men, mostly veterans of this war before
1942, 582,000,000 yen is reported to have been appropriated.
A general's pension is from 2,500 yen to 4,350 yen. Privates with three years duty
at the front draw from 150 yen to 168 yen.
The allowance to bereaved families is set at half the pension the soldier would receive
if he were alive. The Pension
Financing Institution (ONKYU KINKO) will be abolished as superfluous.
The Pension System which started in 1868 has abruptly lost its major significance,
relieving us of the heavy burden of
supplying pensions for soldiers. The pension, however, still applies to civil service
employees. They draw a sun equal to one
third of the former income for only 17 years of service. The director of a Ministry
Bureau with an annual salary of 4650 yen
draws a pension of 1,550 yen a year. A Minister whose salary was 6,800 yen a year
draws 2,266 yen.
A movement is underway to take up the problem of the pension system for civil service
employees, and former, civilservice
employees, in addition to the problem of social insurance Property Tax.
MASATAKA, Ota, chairman of the Post war Currency Committee (SENGO TSUKA IINKAI) of
the Finance Ministry has proposed the
initiation of the Property Tax and War Profit Tax, aimed at checking the inflation
and reducing the disparity between the poor
and the rich whose purses are swollen with war profits.
Though there no longer will be any military appropriation, by next year the total
value of bonds issued in JAPAN will be 200
billion yen. Interest alone is estimated at more than 7 billion yen. The revenue from
war profits and the capital levy are
expected to increase from 70 to 80 billion yen, while Supreme Headquarters has estimated
it at 100 billion yen.
The war profit tax is to be levied on assets which have increased during certain
periods. Both individuals and corporations
will be subjected to the burden. The lots between which taxable assets are to be calculated
still remains to be worked out.
There will be no tax exemptions.
But the program contemplated by the committee is a graduated capital levy up to 95
per cent, with exemptions for a fixed
amount of assets. By assets is meant cash, securities and curios, — some of which
are rather hard to evaluate. Other objects
may be concealed, but everything taxable will be traced. Issue of the new yen currency
will solve some of the expected
difficulties.
A reasonable stock of the necessities of life will not be taxed. If, for example,
a stock of rice is to great for normal
consumption, a tax will be imposed.
- 3 -
ECONOMIC SERIES: 32 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (Continued)
The organization of an income investigation committee is desirable before the tax
in individual cases is determined. These two
kinds of taxes will be levied only once and never repeated. The payment may be made
in cash, national bonds, goods, or in any
combination thereof. The taxes will be a great help in the redemption of national
bonds.
ITEM 4 Outline of Bill to Amend Fishing Industry Organization Law Amendment - Nippon Sangyo Keizai - 26 November 1945. Translator: K. Shiyi.
Summary:
Revision of the Fishing Industry Law which was decided upon at the Cabinet meeting
on 24 November will be submitted to the
forth coming Diet session, and contains the following provisions:
The aim of the bill is democratize the fishing industry. Vigorous and autonomous
action on the part of subordinate
organizations must be encouraged. Thus the welfare of maritime producers will be promoted
and, at the same time, food
production will be enhanced.
This can be accomplished by the following measures: 1. Present system of appointing
association officials by the government
should be entirely abolished. Association officials including directors and auditors
should be appointed at a general meeting
of the association; 2. Necessary reforms will be made of functions of officials as
well as on dictatorial powers of
presidents; 3. The existing control by the administrative authorities on the fishing
industry organizations will be abolished
or curtailed. Regulations entitling the administrative authorities to force the establishment
of fishing industry
organizations will be abolished. Rules requiring fishing industry organizations to
accept official directed dictates will be
abolished. Administrative authorities will not be entitled to discharge association
officials unless any illegal act is
commited by them. Government approval of membership subscription, and so forth, will
not be required of associations. 4.
Fishery associations are to handle all matters relative to maritime production such
as fishery rights, and, for the sake of
their members, they are to handle the following matters: a. guidance and encouragement
of fishery, b. autonomous control of
fishery, c. increasing fish production, d. matters respecting fishing implement and
facilities, e. prevention of and relief
for members in case of maritime disaster, f. welfare of members, g. selling of products
h. supply of fishing materials, i.
wage increases for fisherman laborer and, j. deposit of members' savings; 5. The Fishing
Production Association should strive
for the development of fish products and handle the following matters: a. inspection
of members products, materials, and
production facilities; b. supply members with necessary material, c. supply funds
to members and hold deposits of members'
savings; 6. Prefectural fishing industry associations and the central aquatic industry
association aim to develop the aquatic
industry and assure prosperity to their members. They are to handle the following
matters: a. sale of members' products, b.
supply members with necessar materials, and finance or deposit members' savings.
DISTRIBUTION "X"
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