Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0095, 1945-12-28.

Full translation:

Now that JAPAN is a defeated nation, her many small shipbuilding yards are compelled to close up or reduce their output, but there is an ever-prospering shipbuilding yard where wooden vessels are built. The NAIKAI Dockyard at ABOSHI-Machi, NISHIHARIMA-Gun, which has seven elevating rails and fourteen slips, is called the most excellent in all JAPAN, in its equipment and constructive capacity. Between 150 and 200 tons of motor boats (KIHANSEN), were damaged in the war or by storm and are under repair. This Dockyard has already repaired 60 vessels and is now busily engaged in the reconstruction of maritime JAPAN. At present, emphasis is put on repairs rather than on the construction of new boats. In order to supplement the great loss of ships, motor-sailing boats must be built before repairing other ships. Under these circumstances, speedy construction factories which manufacture internal combustion machines is now being undertaken. Activity exceeding even that of wartime is to be seen in this Dockyard, regardless of defeat in the war. The building materials are available since local pines are used. However bent timber for keels and zelkova trees are hard to get. If these are easily secured, it is possible to complete a boat per day. Recently, a plan was proposed to build new ships, buying trucks from the prefectural Government and seeking the necessary materials directly from SHISHIDO-Gun, the place where timber is produced.

Summary:

The scarcity of coal has created a considerable stir in the country. Forced conscription to coal mines has given rise to a storm of protest from the young people in the rural districts of KOCHI Prefecture. The interested young people in four villages of AGAWA-Gun held a meeting at AKIYAMA on 11 December and voiced grave objection to forced conscription. They declared that coal miners should be recruited from among idle ex-servicemen, discharged special policemen and jobless urban idlers rather than the rural young men who are doing their best to maintain food production. They passed a resolution strongly objecting to forced conscription. The resolution, exposing coercion, fraud and immorality, practiced in the past by despotic militarists and [illegible]look-headed bureaucrats, declares that it is high time for the rural young people to free themselves from all unfair conscription. It is said that the resolution will be translated into English and presented to Supreme Headquarters.

ECONOMIC SERIES: 95 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

The KOCHI Labor Registry Office (KOCHI KINRO SHO) succeeded in dispatching 76 volunteer coal miners including 26 ex-servicemen. In addition, they obtained 80 coal mining applicants for short terms. These 80 miners started on 13 December for the MI-IKE, TAGAWA, KAMIYAMADA and FUTASE Mines.

Full translation:

It is estimated that there are great deposits of calcium in the AKASAKA calcium mine. Favorable rumors prevail that great deposits of calcium will soon pour into farm villages in the form of fertilizer, which can be made in quantity from calcium by electric power. The AKASAKA mine is located in AKASAKA-Cho, FUWA-Gun, GIFU-Ken and its deposits are estimated at some 100,000,000 metric tons. AKASAKA calcium has, until now, under gone a process by which calcium is converted into calcium-oxide, used for the production of fertilizer. But this process is unsatisfactory as it takes a whole day to produce calcium-oxide. Hence, the MINO Calcium Industry Association (MINO SEKKAI KOGYO KUMIAI) has decided to use electric power with the assistance of the OHUBU Electricity Distribution Company branch (CHUBU HAIDEN KAISHA). Therefore, both kinds of calcium-scorching kilns, the rotary and the lateral (YOKO SHIKI) types, and all other continuous-process ovens will be operated by electric power or heat.

The work to electrify the equipment will be started soon after the new year under the direction of Engineer KAWAHARA of the Communication Board. When the work is completed, the time required for the processing can be reduced from a whole day to one hour, yielding 30 metric tons of calcium-oxide. Fuel oil and coal, therefore, will not be necessary. This should be good news to farm villages suffering from fertilizer shortages. It serves to kill two birds with one stone.

Full translation:

The Tsuki City Agricultural Association (NOGYO KAI), as previously reported, held a conference on 13 December at the city agricultural laboratory to discuss means of increasing cocoon production.

It was decided to advance the annual production of cocoon from 300,000 kan to 500,000 kan. In the near future, two large cocoon-processing factories will be established in MIYAZAKI-Ken. One of them will be established at the site of the NIPPON Raw Silk (SANSHI) Building at TSUKI City, and another at OYODO in MIYAZAKI City. The former factory will be equipped with 680 reeling basins, and the latter with 300 reeling basins.

In co-operation with the present movement to expand mulberry fields, the raw silk industry in this prefecture ought to show a remarkable increase in silk production.

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ECONOMIC SERIES: 95 (Continued)

Summary:

It is understood that the authorities of the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry are now planning to place basic foods under state management in order to forestall possible widespread hunger. They also wish to deliver to consumers the rice which has been tied up.

According to the estimates of various regions, the actual rice crop of this year is feared to be as low as 40,000,000 koku, the worst crop on record. It seems impossible to reach the latest Government rice crop estimate of 42,967,000 koku. Meanwhile, the Government has changed the amount for distribution from 30,000,000 koku to 26,591,000 koku. This is based on the latest rice crop estimate of 42,967,000 koku.

However, the actual amount which has been delivered by the beginning of December is 2,939,000 koku, only 11 per cent of the total amount for distribution. The reason for such a tardy rice crop delivery is that the present delivery system is dependent on the farmers, who are not exerting every effort to deliver the crop. At present, even under the 2.1 go of rice per day per person rationing system, close to 4,000,000 koku of rice are required for the monthly demand. Therefore, even with the amount for distribution totaling 26,590,000 koku of rice, plus 2,500,000 koku of rice being carried over from the previous year and 400 million kan of sweet potatoes, it is impossible to feed the people for more than six months.

There is but little hope for the proposed utilization of unused food items, owing to faulty manufacturing facilities. In a situation like this, the Government will most likely take adequate action before long to tide over the present food crisis, and the system of rice monopoly, and forced delivery are now under study.

Full translation:

A good deal of vegetables and fish appear on the markets as a result of the abolition of the official price, but the prices are very high, and sometimes are above black market prices. The TOKYO Municipal authorities have, accordingly decided to reduce the profit from 25 December, with the permission of Supreme Headquarters. (It will be 26 December in the case of vegetables, as the 25th is a holiday.)

The present profit is 5 per cent to wholesalers, and 30 per cent to retailors. This is paid by the consumers. A 10-yen commodity becomes a 13.5-yen commodity on the market. The revision is so that producers will make 5 per cent profit, retailers, 20 per cent instead of 30 percent, and thus the consumers' burden will be lessened by 15 per cent. To inform the citizen of this fact, all prices at each market will be broadcast from 1330m on the home broadcast hour every day, and they will also be posted in the retailers' shops. Whenever a citizen sees a dealer sell vegetables and fish at unusually high prices, ho may notify the Metropolitan Police Ward Offices or inform the Economic Bureau of the Municipal Office. Then such shopkeepers will be deprived of their trade or will be expelled from the Union. As those commodities are likely to be sold at unusually high prices at street stalls, an inspection party composed of the officials of the foregoing three organizations will control it strictly and will deprive a dishonest dealer of his license.

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ECONOMIC SERIES: 95 (Continued)

ITEM 6 (Continued)

In order to facilitate the shipment of fish, a Dealers' Consulting Committee (TORIHIKI-KYOTEI-IINKAI) will be set up in the central market to fix the prices of popular fish. Producers who offer fish for sale at the fixed prices will be supplied in return with oil, cotton string and Manila hemp.

Full translation:

With the dissolution of the Silk Yarn Manufacturing Company (SANSHI SEIZO KAISHA) officials, in order to re-open their silk mills and silk worm processing works (SANSHU SEIZOSHO), have decided to separate the two and make them independent.

Members of the reorganization staff are on a trip to KYUSHU, KANWAI and TOHOKU to make preliminary arrangements.

Full translation:

As a consequence of the reduction of government control over the lumber industry, forestry associations (SHINRIN KUMIAI) in various districts will manage their own lumbering, wood processing, and business dealings. Now, one forestry association can produce 30 koku of lumber at a daily expenditure of 15 horsepower.

If the 5,000 lumber associations of the Nation were to have their own mills, the effect on lumber mills in the cities would be extremely harmful. Since they have scarcely any labor problems and can handle lumbering, wood processing, and business deals by direct management, they can secure enough business to get along. We can safely say that this tendency is evidence of an advance from single beginnings toward the co-operative principle.

DISTRIBUTION "X"

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