Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0175, 1946-01-18.
Date18 January, 1946
translation numbereconomic-0812
call numberDS801 .S81
Persistent Identifier
ECONOMIC SERIES: 175
ITEM 1 Building Construction Active - Low Interest Loans Available - Provincial Newspaper Huga Nichinichi (Miyazaki) - 11 Jan 46. Translator: T. Mitsuhoshi.
Full Translation:
The House Building Corporation (JUTAKU KENSETSU EIDAN) has started to build 1,100
simple houses: 300 in [illegible]IYAZAKI-Shi, 600 in NOBEOKA-Shi, and 200 in MIYAKONO[illegible]-Shi The ceremony of
breaking ground was held on 9 January in these three cities. The building of 300 houses
is scheduled to be accomplished by the
end of January: 150 houses over the MASUSBIMA-Machi Area in MIYAZAKI-Shi, 100 houses
in NOBEOKA-Shi; and 50 houses in
MIYAKONOJO-Shi. Furthermore, 50 sets of simple houses are provided for those who wish
to build on their own lots.
The building fund can be borrowed at low rates of interest up to a limit of 10,000
yen. Loans from the fund will be granted
only to air raid victims, and public corporations. The term of repayment is ten years;
the interest, 3.6 per cent. Application
should be made to the People's Cash Offices (SHONIN-KINKO) in the three cities.
ITEM 2 Interest Payment Measures Considered - Nippon Sangyo Keizai - 16 Jan 46. Translator: Y. Kurota.
Summary:
The Central Insurance Association, which was refused permission to pay interest amounting
to 7,000,000 yen to the banks by
Allied Headquarters, is now considering effective measures to meet the situation.
The measures under consideration are as follows: To pay the interest through Government
expenditures for the 1946 fiscal year;
to pay the interest by drawing bills, instead of paying in cash; to give compensation
to the banks. Among these three
measures, the second, step is most likely to be put into effect, in view of its simplicity.
ITEM 3 Farmland Law Becomes Effective 20 January - Maincihi Shimbun (Tokyo) - l6 Jan 46. Translator: T. Ukai.
Summary:
The ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, now preparing the orders and regulations
relative to the application of the
Farmlands Adjustment Law (NOCHI CHOSEI HO), arrived at a definite plan on 15 January,
and with the approval of the cabinet
which will meet soon, these governing laws will be put into effect beginning about
20 January.
The Agriculture Office will begin to purchase farmlands on 1 February, and the tenants
rent will be paid in cash beginning on
1 April. Proper formalities for the registration of farmland shall be accompanied
by notes of authentification by the Farmland
Committees (NOCHI I-IIKAI) of municipalities,
ECONOMIC SERIES: 175 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (Continued)
to deal with those landlords who try to evade the law. The order is composed of 51
articles, the important points of which
are:-
- 1.Corporations mentioned in Article III of the Farmland Adjustment Law are construed to mean Industrial Associations (SANGYO KUMIAI), the Agricultural Activities Association (NOJI JIKKO KUMIAI), and the Sericultural Activities Association (YOSAN JIKKO KUMIAI).
- 2.The Farmland Committee aims (a) to aid those who wish to possess land, (b) to circulate necessary funds to those who wish to possess or cultivate land, and (c) to circulate necessary funds for converting liabilities to be borne by peasant proprietors.
- 3.Registration of farmlands, on which rights are created or transferred, shall be accompanied by notes of authentification by the farmland, committee of municipalities. Farmlands bought or sold among landlords cannot be registered unless furnished with notes of authentification by the farmland committee of municipalities.
- 4.In case the tenants rent be paid, other than in cash, that which serves as a basis for the rate of exchange and the rate of exchange itself, are subject to the approval by the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry.
- 5.Members of the Farmland Committee shall be selected by election among those farmers who are possessed of more than one tan of farmland.
ITEM 4 Salt Production at Sakade - Nippon Sangyo Keizai - 16 Jan 46. Translator: R. Aoki.
Summery:
The annual consumption of salt in this country is estimated at 1,500,000 metric tons.
Against this, the present production is
only 800,000 tons, the remainder being allocated for importation from abroad. Of the
800,000 tons of domestic production,
600,000 tons are allocated for specialized salt requirements and the remaining 200,000
tons, for individual consumers. So much
for the planning.
Actual production will meet only 40 per cent of the specialized requirements and
ten per cent of the needs of individual
consumers. Furthermore, the future of the importation plan is not necessarily guaranteed.
In view of the momentous importance
of the salt situation in this country, the editor visited, the SAKADE salt fields,
the largest in the country, along the coast
of the Inland Sea, in order to make a survey of salt production conditions in that
area.
The SAKADE fields have been apportioned 125,000 tons or about 20 per cent of the
total production for specialized salt
requirements in this fiscal, year (April 1945 - March 1946). But actual production
up to the end of December was 32,800 tons,
and the actual total production by March is estimated at 45,000 tons, or only one
third the amount of the original plan. The
production for one year, up to March of last year, was 80,000 tons.
The causes of such poor production this year is attributed to many factors. The shortage
of materials and manpower and the bad
weather of last spring are among them. But the most important factors are said to
be the shortage of coal and food and the
illicit black market sale of salt by the producers.
The boiling process of salt depends on coal, of which, on an average, one ton is
needed for the production of one ton of salt.
The supply of coal amounted, to only 47,000 tons by the end of December. Food for
workers is also a vital factor, and a five
go ration of rice for the coal miners is strongly demanded. Under present conditions
the workers can only work diligently for
a short time after each meal.
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ECONOMIC SERIES: 175 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
The black market is another confusing factor. All salt produced for specialized requirements
is supposed to he delivered to
the Salt Monopoly Bureau and any infraction of this rule is liable to strict penalties.
But since last year, when only the
private manufacture of salt for individual consumption was allowed, such restrictions
became somewhat difficult to enforce. At
any rate, the practice black market sale of salt now exists even among specialized,
producers and will hinder regular delivery
through official channels. It is said that one hyo (35 to 40 kilograms) of salt is
being sold for about 500 yen in lots of
from 100 to 500 hyo in some places. In the OSAKA-KOBE area, it is being sold at 1,200
to 1,300 yen per hyo. Such profiteerirg
practices not only hinder normal delivery but also weaken the spirit of honest labor
among the producers.
Finally, we will look at the types of management of salt industries in SAKADE. There
are three main types; those operated by
corporations, those operated by co-operatives, and those operated by individuals.
As to the corporation fields, there are two
types; namely, the contract system and the direct system. The former means that the
corporation purchases salt water from
contracted salt fields. The co-operatives process only water brought in from the members'
fields. Parts of the private fields
are being operated by tenant producers. It is reported that because of the exorbitant
profits of the black market sale of salt
in recent months, in some cases the tenancy rights of salt fields are being bought
for 100,000 yen.
DISTRIBUTION "X"
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