Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0130, 1946-01-06.
Date6 January, 1946
translation numbereconomic-0634
call numberDS801 .S81
Persistent Identifier
ECONOMIC SERIES: 130
ITEM 1 Government to Increase Production of Hydro-electricity - Yomiuri Shimbun - 3 Dec 45. Translator: S. Kitagewa.
Extracts:
The Japanese Government, in an attempt to develop hydro-electricity and to unify
electric frequency over the country, is
commissioning an agency to draw up a plan covering all aspects of the matter.
At present, there are in JAPAN hydro-electric plants with a capacity of 5,800,000
kilowatts which, during 1944, actually
supplied 28,505,000,000 kilowatt hours of electricity; while coal-power stations,
with a. 3,000,000 kilowatt capacity,
four-fifths of which have been destroyed, actually supplied 3,735,000,000 kilowatt
hours. The Commerce and Industry Ministry
has been planning to construct 80 dams all over the country to make up for the 50
per cent cut in coal-power stations
requested by Ambassador PAULEY. The Ministry announced that it has investigated 11
proposed sites, and when the first plan has
materilized, about 755 million kilowatt hours of additional electricity will be supplied,
representing 755,000 metric tons of
coal. The total number of workers to be employed will be 14,290,000. Thirty thousand
metric tons of iron and 1,290,000 metric
tons of cement will be required.
The yearly output of cement is only 3,000,000 metric tons, and since much more is
needed for the reconstruction work of the
country this is a bottleneck in the power plant construction program.
The Ministry intends to form a committee early in January, consisting of members
of the electric industry, electric machine
producers, and experts, to handle the problems. The river FUJI is the demarcation
line of frequency, 50 cycles being
predominant north east of the river and 6o cycles in the south-west areas, with some
rather complicated exceptions. There are
60-cycle areas however, in the eastern part of HAGANO-Ken, the HITACHI factory districts
of IBARAGI-Ken, and TOMAKOMAI in
HOKKAIDO. The eastern part of KYUSHU is supplied with electricity of 60 cycles. Unity
of frequency, with 60 cycles strongly
favored, is reported to be the desire of most citizens.
ITEM 2 Toward Liberation - Labor Dispute At Hokkaido Coal Mines. 40,000 already joined Labor Union, Fixing of Minimum wages Urged - Yomiuri Hochi - 3 Jan 46. Translator: H Sato.
Summary:
In the coal mines of HOKKAIDO production has been greatly lowered since the end of
war. This is due to the negative attitude
of capitalists and, the food condition which is going from bad to worse every day.
The time has come for the formation of a
labor union among the mine laborers to increase their wages and working hours, to
obtain food, et cetera.
Although there had been same outrageous conduct by the laborers at the
ECONOMIC SERIES: 130 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
beginning, such as the forcible taking over of a rationing office or the searching
of the managers' houses, they later
changed. Realizing that capitalists lack the ability to improve coal production, the
Laborers awoke to the importance of coal
production under present circumstances and formed labor unions which are striving
both to improve the lot of the miners and to
increase coal production
There are now 22 labor unions in HOKKAIDO, and the members already amount to 40,000,
or 80 per cent of all coal mine laborers
in HOKKAIDO. As a united organization the Federation of HOKKAIDO Coal Mine Laborers'
Unions (HOKKAIDO; TANKO RODOKUMIAI
RENGOKAl) was born. At its annual meeting the Federation declared that it was opposed
to the inactivity of the mine owners and
the oppression of the bureaucrats, and made the following demands: (1) Increase of
wages by 20 per cent, with a minimum wage
of 15 yen per day; (2) Establishing of a seven-hour work day; (3) Immediate transfer
of establishments and reserve funds of
the Wartime Industrial Association (SANGYO HOKOKUKAI) to the labor unions; (4) Establishment
of a minimum wage law; (5)
Complete equipment for prevention of mine disasters; (6) Independent consumers' co-operative
society; (7) Securing of such
necessaries of life as food, clothing and shelter.
One of the outstanding mine disputes was the case of a MITSUI MIBAI Mine Labor Dispute.
Strife arose with the company's
refusal of minimum wages of 15 yen per day and five yen allowance on 2 December. A
strike started that very day. The company
formed the League of HOKKAIDO Coal Mining Industry (HOKKAIDO SEKITAN KOGYO REMIEL),
with representatives of four mining
companies in HOKKAIDO, to oppose the union. But because of the current shortage of
coal, the strike was called off on 13
December and the production under the management of labor union began.
This strike was brought to an end by the arbitration plan of the Government to pay
18 yen per day to pit workers, 10 yen to
the workers outside the pit, and an allowance of 20 yen per month for family support.
This was accepted by both sides and
formally signed on 26 December.
Preliminary negotiations are now underway between the league of the HOKKAIDO Coal
Mining Industry and the Federation of
HOKKAIDO Coal Mine Laborers' Union concerning the minimum wages for all mine workers.
In order to secure a livelihood, minimum
wages of 27 yen per day to the pit workers and 15 yen per day to the workers outside
the pit is now strongly recommended by
the unions. Conferences are now being held as to the minimum wage system. This question
will probably cause much trouble in
the future. Actually, the Government policy fixing 12 yen for pit workers and 6.80
yen to the workers outside the pit is not
widely carried out. Moreover, in the worst case, four yen is being paid where work
is done by contract. This will disappoint
the newly-arriving laborers who come to the mines trusting the Government. It will
be necessary to adopt better pay to attract
them.
At any rate, the problem of wages has always been a focus of labor dispute. And this
has its origin in the food condition.
Hence it follows that every effort should be made to secure food and free the workers
from worry about supporting their
families.
Labor Union's Participation in Enterprise
The Committee system so far adopted, consisting of those appointed despotically by
the capitalists, must be changed into
committees consisting entirely of representatives elected among the laborers. Labor
must take part in the management of the
enterprise and improve it into real democratic form, so that dull productivity, resulting
from capitalistic operation for
profits, may be overcome and full productive activities may be brought about.
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ITEM 3 Restoration of Transportation Plans for Motor Transport and Shipping - Nippon Sangyo Keizai - 4 Jan 46. Translator; K. Yasuo.
Summary:
With the reconstruction of JAPAN under way, the restoration of transport facilities
is urgently needed for the delivery of
consumer goods and reconstruction materials. Automobiles, as a part of the transport
facilities should he repaired and made
available for immediate service.
The automobile transport capacity restoration plan devised by Government authorities
is as follows: According to a new vehicle
supply program, 28,106 trucks, 14,000 buses, and 8,530 cars for individual use are
expected to be supplied throughout this
year. There is also a plan to replace 13,500 trucks, 5,000 buses, and 5,000 cars with
new ears by the end of this year. Thus,
more than 170,000 motor-driven vehicles, both new and replaced, will he made available
for traffic service by the end of
1946.
On the other hand, 165,500 tens of steel, 43,600 tons of special steel, 50,900 tons
pig iron, 36,200 tons of raw rubber,
171,000 kilo-liters of gasoline, and 51,500 kilo-litres of lubricating oil are required
to put the above-mentioned plan into
effect.
The only way to carry out the plan, since there is now hope .for imports of automobiles,
is to develope our own motor car
industry and produce vehicles in large numbers, after obtaining the approval of Allied
Headquarters.
At the same time, there is an urgent need for immediate removal of existing red-tape
so that production, distribution, and
repair of automobiles can be more effectively pursued. The future design of automobiles
is expected, to be based on that of
the jeep, with consideration for economy of materials and fuel, end its larger traffic
capacity. Service stations for these
cars are expected to be equipped to handle repairs.
As for the present shipping situation, there has been ease to one-sixth of the total
pre-war shipping space. Only wartime
standard ships are available since luxury ships were completely lost during the war.
There is a temporary surplus of shipping
space due to the critical shortage of coal, as well as a decrease in flow of goods
owing to stagnant production. This has
resulted in a considerable deficit to the Shipping Management Association (UNEIKAI).
Such being the case, unless steps are
taken either to increase the freight two or three hundred per cent, or to institute
Government subsidies as a guarantee to the
Association, there will be no further development of the shipping industry.
DISTRIBUTION "X"
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