Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0148, 1946-01-12.

Summary:

HOKOROKU District

NIIGATA Ken:

The shortage of coal has greatly affected the metal implements industry in SANJO and TSUBAME. Agricultural implements which have slowly reached the market recently, have disappeared again, and more than a 30 per cent rise in price is reported. Most affected is railway transportation. The NIIGATA Railway Bureau is doing its host to alleviate difficulties by using lumbar-burning locomotives and gasoline cars.

NAGANO Ken:

Decline of production due to the coal shortage is apparent in all industries in the prefecture. At present, there is no prospect of obtaining an additional coal supply for February and after. Since the middle of October, coal has not been supplied for gas. Should an additional supply not be obtainable by the end of January, gas supply will be entirely stopped.

In order to secure 85,000 bales of raw silk as collateral for food importation, preferential distribution of coal is scheduled for the silk spinning industry. Allocated for this industry during December were 170 metric tons of coal. But, actual supply is running far behind the demand. If the present state remains, unimproved, it is unlikely that the industry will be able to keep up operations in January and February 1946. In such a case the raw silk output will decline by about 40,000 kan or 2,700 bales in these two months.

ISHIKAWA Ken:

As of 27 December, there is only a 150 metric tons reserve in the entire prefecture, enough to meet only one day's requirements. Shipments of coal from other prefectures were 500 metric tons during November and 320 metric tons in December as compared to the scheduled tonnage of 2,390 tons for November and 592 tons for December. The coal situation in the essential factories of the prefecture as of 27 December is outlined as follows:

ECONOMIC SERIES: 148 (Continued)

ITEM 1 (Continued)

SHIZUOKA Ken:

Aside from the railway consumption which accounts for 80 per cent of total consumption in SHIZUOKA Ken, the total monthly requirement in the prefecture is estimated at between 10,000 and 15,000 metric tons. Since November, the monthly supply was in the neighborhood, of 2,000 metric tons, most of which was allocated for the use of the Occupation Forces. Consequently, the industries have become inactive due to coal shortage.

The paper industry tops the list of industrial coal consumers, having heretofore consumed about 30,000 metric tons monthly. But at present, coal is hardly obtainable and almost all paper-manufacturers have stopped operations with the exception of a few factories which are operating by means of electric heaters.

Further, tea production, the top-ranking industry of the prefecture, has also been greatly affected.

Daily consumption requirements for the railways are 150 metric tons for NUMAZU Division, 80 metric tons for SHIZUOKA Division, and 250 metric tons for the HAMAMATSU Division, but the actual supply available at present is about 70 per cent of the above figure.

Moreover, due to the coal shortage, reconversion of war industries is being greatly hindered. Utilization of electricity is highly recommended, but scarcity of material makes it almost impossible to realize in the near future.

YAMANASHI Ken:

The monthly total consumption requirement of coal is estimated at about 3,010 metric tons, including 2,500 metric tons for the spinning industry, 500 metric tons for the food processing industry and, 10 metric tons for the Occupation Forces. If substitute fuels are used as much as possible, at least l,200 to l,300 metric tons of coal are needed for the silk spinning industry and the food processing industry every month. Allocated for these industries is only a total 100 metric tons per month, and actual deliveries during October and November were only between 20 and 30 metric tons.

KANSAI, CHUGOKU and SHIKOKU Districts.

OSAKA:

During the war, an average of about l,800 metric tons of coal were consumed daily in OSAKA City, 500 metric tons in KOBE City, and 300 metric tons in KYOTO City. After the war ended, the supply declined sharply. The OSAKA Gas Company (OSAKA GASU KAISHA) whose coal reserve is almost entirely exhausted, limited daily coal consumption to 400 metric tons. Consequently, the

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ECONOMIC SERIES: 148 (Continued)

ITEM 1 (Continued)

gas supply is barely enough to meet the needs of the Occupation Forces. The maintenance of gas supplying industry depends entirely upon Government measures for the improvement of the coal situation, and their thorough execution.

HYOGO Ken:

Gas supply has been stopped due to coal shortage. No coal is obtainable even for the NIPPON Iron Foundry (NIPPON SEISTETSU KAISHA). Only several minor foundries are getting supplies barely enough to maintain their furnaces. All of the other industries have stooped operations. Despatching of reinforcement corps for coal mining is being prepared for by those concerned.

OKAYAMA Ken:

The fireproof-tile industry, the top-ranking industry in the prefecture, may become unable to continue operations due to the coal shortage. The actual supply for the entire prefecture, during December was 5,200 metric tons as compared to the monthly consumption need of 15,000 metric tons. Monthly, about 3,800 metric tons are needed by about 50 salt manufacturers in the prefecture. Measures are being taken to meet their demand, as well as possible. But the actual supply is running far behind the demand. For instance, the NOZAKI Salt Manufacturing Company ([illegible]HOZAKI [illegible]SEIEN) [illegible]supplied during December with only 350 metric tons whereas the demand is for 900 metric tons. The AJINO Salt Manufacturing Company (AJINO SEIEN) has obtained only 92 metric tons to meet a demand of 500 metric tons for the same month.

SHIKOKU:

Industries in EHIME, KAGAWA, KOCHI, and TOKUSHIMA have become entirely or almost entirely inactive due to the coal shortage. Frequent difficulties in getting electric supplies inconvenience food processing production.

Summary:

The Metropolitan authorities have established the Metropolitan Powdered Food Association (TOKY FUNSH KU KY KAI) under the sponsorship of the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry for the purpose of alleviating the present food difficulties. This association is an entirely different organization from the Central Powdered Food Association (CHU FUNSH KU KY KAI). It has been mobilizing all the available resources within the Metropolis and will distribute bread sufficient for no meal in three days t the TOKYO citizens from the middle of January at the latest. It is planning to produce 53,500,000 portions of bread monthly. Figuring the population of TOKYO at 4,000,000, 40 MOMME of bread, which is the amount for one meal, will be distributed to TOKYO citizens every three days. It has been pointed out already by Allied Headquarters that the flour obtained from hitherto unused materials has not much nourishment, but this new bread contains only 30 per cent of flour taken from these materials, and 70 per cent of it is ordinary flour. One bakery will be built for every 200,000 population, and the bread will reach all parts of TOKYO by next March. The price of one meal’s supply of bread will be 37 sen, and the amount of this distribution will be subtracted from the rice ration. Until full preparations are made, that is until next March, the distribution will be limited to a part of the city only.

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ECONOMIC SERIES: 148 (Continued)

Summary:

The Agriculture and Forestry Ministry, has drafted plans for stimulating the delivery of rice. Rice rations to consumers will be distributed at the rate of 0.74 KOKU a year, or 0.002 KOKU a day per person. If 22,000,000 KOKU out of the 42,000,000 KOKU of the estimated yield are delivered, that will leave 20,000,000 KOKU still held by the farmers. It is estimated that the rice yield in 1946 will decrease by about 1,200,000 KOKU in spite of the increase of about 4,400,000 persons in all farm villages, including demobilized soldiers and discharged workers, but the amount delivered will be the lowest amount possible under the regulations. If the Government were to use force to make the farmers deliver their rice, the farmers would hold back a certain amount of rice and would be dissatisfied with the step of the Government. Considering present conditions, it is expected that the government will have to take control of all foods including the farmers' rice storage, so as to stimulate the supply of rice.

Summary:

The mission of the rubber industry will be no loss important than that of any other industry in meeting civilian demand and producing goods for export, and its reconstruction must be made by all means both by the Government and civilian industrialists. The civilian demand for rubber products was 26,000 metric tons in 1938. and has gradually decreased to 12,000 metric tons in 1944. Calculating from an average of 53,500 metric tons before 1938, about 60,000 metric tons of rubber products must be reduced to meet civilian and foreign demands. Fifty-four thousand metric tons of crude rubber, 575,000 piculn of raw cotter, and 320,000 metric tons of coal are needed to manufacture the required products lanned by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is 51,756 metric tons per annum, including 12,756 metric tons of rubber-sole tabi, rubber booms and shoes and cotton shoes, 14,308 metric tons of tires and tabes, 3,276 metric tons of belts, 3,120 metric tons of rubber plates and others for industrial use, and 3,900 metric tons of rubber [illegible]etc. The estimated sales price of these rubber products is 800 million yen, out of which 200 million yen represents those for expert which equals the amount of crude rubber imported. There may be a great demand for Japanese rubber products in MANCHURIA, CHINA and Southern countries to make [illegible]the loss sustained by the war. Because Japanese goods meet the needs of the peoples there better than the high class goods of the UNITED STATES and GREAT BRITAIN, we may have no competitor there. To reconstruct the rubber industry, the first thing to do is to import crude rubber, reserve the required fibre and promote productive techniques. Moreover, it is deliberated that financial aid as well as technical guidance must be asked of foreign countries in order to promote increased production.

DISTRIBUTION "X"

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