Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0041, 1945-12-03.
Date3 December, 1945
translation numbereconomic-0200
call numberDS801 .S81
Persistent Identifier
ECONOMIC SERIES: 41
ITEM 1 The Rich and Commodities - Mainichi Shimbun - 26 Nov 45. Translator: T. Unayama.
Full Translation:
Now, because of the abolishment of price limitations for fresh provisions and the
tacit permission for black market prices on
commodities, nearly all articles except the staple food can be obtained by money.
If we depend only on the normal distribution, we are short of bean-paste (MISO),
soya beans and the like, but we not only can
get them but also (ajinomoto) a sort of seasoning substance at the black markets which
are now being opened in the daytime.
Shoes, shoe polish, silk cloth (meisen) and underwear are beyond the reach of the
mere poor. "Sake" (or rice wine) and to
accoes, which many people find difficult to serve, are easily obtained by some people.
Even staple food is within easy reach of the rich. Those who have much money have
also much time and influence. They can,
therefore, secure railway tickets without standing in the long queue of buyers and
can go out to distant places. On the part
of the farmers, some boldly sell the rice, which they have harvested lately, to purchasers
who solicit them, taking advantage
of the delay in the allotment of rice which is to be offered for sale to the Government.
Some town and village officials and
members of the farmers! associations are now deeply concerned with this state of affairs,
because there will remain but a
small amount of rice in the farmers! hands when the allotment is decided.
However, the rich, for the most part, look unworried as they are well provided with
staple food for all next year. It is
needless to repeat the great danger which lies in the present situation, in which
the rich not only have more than enough to
eat but also can live surrounded by luxury. If the means to remove the causes for
this situation is not put into effect soon,
it will be too late to do any good.
The conversion of the notes of The Bank of Japan and the enforcement of the property
tax will be put into effect some day, but
before then some other means must be used.
ITEM 2 Finance Minister explains war profit and property taxes - Nippon Sangyo Keizai - 27 Nov 45. Translator: R. Aoki.
Summary:
On the morning of the epoch-making directive of Supreme Headquarters' on the war
profits tax and property tax, Finance
Minister SHIBUSAWA
ECONOMIC SERIES: 41 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
in answer to newspaper reporters, clarified several points concerning that directive.
In order to levy new taxes successfully, a reorganization of the entire tax system
is necessary. Therefore the Finance
Minister is considering a revision of the present tax laws along the line that excise
taxes chiefly will be increased. For the
appraisal and levying of the war profit and property taxes a special committee composed
of civilians will be formed. In the
case of corporations it is easier to trace back the record than in that of private
persons. Consequently two different sets of
regulations for corporations and individuals shall be set.
Concerning exemption from the war profit wax, the Finance Minister thought that it
would involve the question of changing
price levels and demarcation of profits and salaries. These problems are not easily
solved. The taxes shall be levied during
next fiscal year (TN April 1946 to March 1947). For tax-payers who fall into a certain
category such as the war victims,
installment payments shall be allowed.
The preparation of the new yen note is under way. It will be issued when the time
for the levy of the property tax has been
designated. The financial authorities are studying methods to detect the total amount
of bank deposits of one tax payer. A
deposit without a responsible owner shall be confiscated or, if it was made willfully
for the purpose of evading the property
tax, the owner when found shall be punished.
The Finance Minister stated that at first the war profit tax will be levied and the
property tax will be imposed on what
remains of the property. The frozen accounts which arose out of the government compensation
to munition industries or for
wartimes insurances benefits shall be treated just as present frozen accounts. However,
together with the present frozen
accounts which were deposited at commercial banks, from now on all frozen accounts
shall be concentrated at the Bank of
JAPAN.
As to the relationship between the government compensation and profit dividents to
the shareholders of munition companies, the
Finance Minister thought that since the war profits are levied to the fullest extent
and since the compensation allowed is
only to companies for which such compensation is necessary, there will be no profit
left for the stockholders. The amount of
the government compensation to munition industries is estimated at 30,200,000,000
yen. While the loan of the Bank of JAPAN to
city banks is reported at 25,000,000,000 yen. Concerning the balance of 5,200,000,000
yen, the Finance Minister said that the
of by banks shall be ordered to buy the government bonds held by the Bank of JAPAN.
He further added that, the war insurance
compensation included in the [illegible]al amount of government compensation will be reduced considerably,
he said.
In reply to the question of whether compensation to munition industries may be considered
justified when pensions to war
veterans are canceled, the Finance inister said that the question is justified but
that compensation may facilitate recovery
of manufacturing industries, and without immediate increase of production the nation
will collapse undo inflation, The
Government is considering a system of social security to replace present discriminatory
pension systems. Concerning this
social insurance, Mr. SHIBUSAWA asserted it would be executed
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ECONOMIC SERIES: 41 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
within the limit of present annual expenditures for pensions, that is, 600,000,000
yen.
Finally, the Finance Minister praised the epoch-making directive since it was based
upon a grand, kindhearted spirit to
reconstruct the crambling national finance of JAPAN.
ITEM 3 Establishing Japan Sea-Aquatic Products Company (Ura Nippon Suisan) - Nippon Sangyo Keizai - 27 Nov 45. Translator: S. Iwata.
Full Translation:
The MAIZURU city authorities contemplete the establishment of the Japan Sea-Aquatic
Products Company, taking advantage of the
Naval port of MAIZURU. It's standing up to date is as follows:
Capital; - 10,000,000 yen.
Projectors: - presidents and vice-presidents of municipal assembly and chambers of
commerce and industry in MAIZURU, KYOTO,
OSAKA, KOBE. The price of a share: - 50 yen (not exceeding 200 shares for a man.)
The shares will be offered for sale in
KYOTO, OSAKA, KOBE, and MAIZURU.
ITEM 4 Minister NATSUMURA Talked Hopefully about Import of Staple Foods - Nippon Sangyo Keizai - 27 Nov 45. Translator: H. Shindo.
Extracts:
The Supreme Headquarters, permitting import of staple foods on 24 November, has thrown
a hopeful light on our forthcoming food
crisis. The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, MATSUMURA spoke on 26 November and
was questioned by the reporter in an
interview. The keynote of whet he said were:
"We are deeply grateful that staple foods have been permitted to be imported, and
this gives us hope in dealing with the food
problem. But, if producers and consumers spare their efforts and take advantage of
the charitably Allied support, we shall not
overcome the food crisis. You know, our import plan is based on the idea of 2 go 3
seki (330 gr.) per person a day because we
estimated a harvest of 48,000,000 koku of rice this year. But harvest may be unavoidably
reduced by 200,000,000 metric tons
awing to occasional storms. More effort for getting the food to the consumer and additional
regulations for production are
needed for a solution to the food problem.
The question and answer discussion fallows:
Question, "Is there any certainty that we can pay for foods we import?"
Answer, "A plan is being rushed to completion."
Question, "Have you made a survey of food conditions the world over?"
Answer, "KOREA excepted no study has yet been made."
Question, "Do you intend to increase the scurrent fixed quantity of food for ration?"
Answer, "Depending on the quantity to be imported, I am willing to change the amount
to 2 go 3 seki (330 gr.)."
Question, "Are any preparations for glutinous rice being made for the coming new
year?"
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ECONOMIC SERIES: 4l (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
Answer, "I hope to ration it for established civilian customs (new year, glutinous
rice cakes will he eater)"
ITEM 5 The Direct Management of Coal Mines by Government Railway - Nippon Sangyo Keizai - 27 Nov 45. Translator: K. Sato.
Extracts:
The Imperial Government Railway has decided recently to take over the direct management
of the SHIMEN Coal Mine, located at
SHIMAN Mura KASUGA-Gun, FUKUOKA Prefecture, formerly belonging to THE Fourth Naval
Fuel Depot, permission to do this had been
requested MacARTHUR's Headquarters through the Central Liaison Office, with a view
to securing a superior quality of coal for
railway purposes. The actual work will be started shortly under the name of SHINMEN
Mine of The MOJI Railway Bureau.
The mine is situated 60 kilometers southeast of HAKATA-Shi. The annual production
is 500,000 metric tons and, its quality
being 6,600 calories, which is best fitted for railway purposes, will be used in some
part of the SANYO and TOKAIDO Lines. The
work will begin on 1 December and the present number of 3,000 coal miners will be
increased to 10,000 at the earliest possible
date.
According to a statement by TANAKA, chief of The Coal Section, MOJI Railway Bureau,
the Government Railway has been planning
the running of coal mines but has met with the opposition of the Commerce and Industry
Ministry. The production of the SHIMEN
Mine is only 10 per cent of the entire amount of coal used by the railway which belongs
to the MOJI Railway Bureau, and, owing
to its superior quality, will he used in SANYO and TOKAIDO Lines also.
ITEM 6 Establishment of Social Insurance System - Nippon Sangyo Keizai - 27 Nov 45. Translators S. Kinoshita.
Summary:
At the Cabinet meeting on the 26th, discussions were held on the abolition on the
pension system. The Government has decided
to institute a comprehensive social insurance system based on the existing Welfare
Annuity Insurance Law. To study this
project, the Government has decided to establish within the Welfare Ministry a Commission
consisting of civilian experts and
government officials. The Government is speeding up the drafting of the bill so that
it may be submitted at the present Diet
session. In case the bill is not completed in time, the Government will put the measure
into effect by emergency
ordinance.
So is also revealed that according to the new system, payment will be decreased by
about 70 per cent for ex-servicement and by
about 50 to 60 per cent for civil officials. Consequently the total amount is estimated
at about 700,000,000 yen a year.
Extracts of the existing Pension Law and the welfare Annuity Insurance Law are as
follows:
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ECONOMIC SERIES: 41 (Continued)
ITEM 6 (Continued)
Pension Law. | Insurance Law. |
I Ordinary Retirement
1. Ordinary Pension | 1. Old Age Annuity |
a) Service year | a) Years of service and age |
Civil officials 17 and up | Working men - 20 years at work aged more than 55 |
Military officer 113 and up | Miners - 15 years at work aged more than 50 |
Noncommissioned 12 and up officer | |
b) Amount (annual1y) | b) Amount (annually) |
Equivalent to four months salary. | Equivalent to ages of four months or more. |
2. Lump Sum Grant | 2. Retirement Allowance |
a) Service year | a) Years insured |
Three years. | Three years at the shortest. |
b) Amount | b) Amount |
Salary multiplied by number of years of service. | 70 to 660 days average wage. |
II Retirement due to Injuries
1. To be paid only for injuries sustained while on official duties. | 1. Injury Annuity to be paid to those insured more than three years regardless of whether injury is in live of duty or not. |
2. Amount differs according to rank and degree of injury. | 2. Amount |
Five to eight months wages in case of live of duty injury, Four months wages for non-live of duty injury. |
III Death Benefits
1. Allowance to Surviving Family | 1. Annuity to Surviving Family |
a. To be paid to the families of those eligible for ordinary pension. Annually more than two months' salary. | a. To be paid to the families of those insured more than 20 years. |
b. In case of decease as result of official duties, [illegible]the amount differs according to rank. For instance about 10 months pay for a private, about five months for a general. | b. Amount (annual) |
In case of non-live of duty decease, two months' average wages. In case of live of duty decease five months average wages. | |
2. Lump Sum Allowance | 2. Lump Sum Allowance |
a. To be paid against non-live of duty death of those in service for more than three years. | a. To be paid against non-live of duty death of those insured more than three years. |
b. Amount | b. Amount |
Months' salary times service years. | 90 to 660 days' average wage. |
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ECONOMIC SERIES: 41 (Continued)
ITEM 6 (Continued)
IV Bearer of Expenditures.
Civil officials. | 2 per cent Working men. of Salary. | 10 per cent of Wages. |
Officer. | 1 per cent Miners. of Salary. | 15 per cent of Wages. |
Non-officer. | 0 | Half of the above insurance premiums are borne by employer. |
DISTRIBUTION "X"
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