Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0188, 1946-01-21.
Date21 January, 1946
translation numbereconomic-0865
call numberDS801 .S81
Persistent Identifier
ECONOMIC SERIES: 188
ITEM 1 Black Market Will Be Reorganized and Controlled by the JAPAN VOLUNTARY CHAIN MARKET - Asahi Shimbun - 19 Jan 46. Translator: Y. Kurata.
Full Translation:
It is reported that Mr. MATSUMOTO, Satoru, Member of the House of Peers, has just
decided to establish the JAPAN Voluntary
Chair Market (NIPPON DOSHIRENSA SHOTEN [illegible]) to replace the present black markets. This decision was
reached after several discussions with eight prominent heads of black markets. The
organization intends to buy up supplies,
set up suitable prices, prevent illegal transactions, and establish reciprocal relief
associations.
Mr. MATSUMOTO's plans in this respect are as follow: "The voluntary chain market
made its first appearance among retailers in
AMERICA, who organized their association to carry out buying in common, advertising
and retailing in order to cope with the
department and chain stores. I think it is high time to adopt such a system in JAPAN
in view of the current black market
situation.
The JAPAN Voluntary Chain, with its single headquarters, will have branches in every
district, which will be divided into
various groups with the bosses of present black markets as their heads. Goods, will
be collected by the headquarters and
distributed to each group. The headquarters will rent pre-fabricated buildings as
shops and the rent will be capitalized by
the headquarters. The heads of the groups will take a fixed amount of interest from
marketers and make them pay a fixed
contribution to the Association. These contributions will be spent for the welfare
of Association members. Although we cannot
expect immediate effects from the set-up of this new market system, we have no doubt
that the flow of goods will be naturally
encouraged by the system. As for the price of goods, moderate and common prices are
expected to be fixed by the Price Revision
Council (KAKAKU SATEI-IINKAI).
Meanwhile, in TOKYO various steps are being taken by the Association to remove extravagant
black market prices and dealing in
unsatisfactory goods. It also intends to give priority to ex-servicemen and air raid
sufferers in joining the Association,
thereby reorganizing black markets into fair markets in a democratic way.
In addition, the Association is proposing to the Government that open-air, or black
marketers hitherto exempted from taxation,
be taxed in accordance with the following categories: to include all eating-houses,
commodity dealers, and other dealers whose
income is smaller than that of the commodity dealers.
With this fair market movement, all food dealers will be prohibited from selling
major foods such as rice, wheat and foods
made of the two.
ECONOMIC SERIES: 188 (Continued)
ITEM 2 Snails' Face in Ship-Building: Two Examples Explained - Nippon Sangyo-Keizai - 19 Jan 46. Translator: K. Shindo.
Summary:
Approval had been granted by SCAP for completion of new ships under construction,
or for repairs, after the war's end.
Actually, however, ship construction has been going at a snail's pace. Only seven
vessels, or 21,390 tons, have been built
since the termination of the war. The current situation permits no sabotage on the
part of capitalists.
What is the situation in the ship yards? The answer will be given by two examples,
the YOKOHAMA Dock of the MITSUBISHI and the
TSURUMI Shipyard of the NIPPON Tube and Pipe (NIPPON KOKAN). The TSURUMI shipyard
was permitted to build two cargo vessels and
three coastal defense ships. One coastal-defense ship was delivered, as expected,
and one cargo vessel was constructed a month
later than expected. The rest of the ships will be launched successively by the end
of April.
The YOKOHAMA dock was allowed two cargo vessels, one passenger-cargo ship and one
tanker. The expected program has been
changed and all the ships now under construction will be delivered by the end of September.
The equipment of both shipyards
needed no extension on the first program. As for required materials, both of them
have a considerable amount in stock, except
for secondary material, such as oxygen, carbide and coal. But these materials cannot
seriously hamper shipbuilding.
Then, why has the snail's pace been maintained? Because of the capitalists inadequate
program for recruiting labor.
Let us take the case of the YOKOHAMA dock. The first plan aimed at the recruitment
of 2,500 laborers. The crowds of unemployed
were anticipated as the labor source. Such laborers, if hired, are required to live
away from the yard, because dormitories,
owned by the dock, are not adequate, due to air raids and a number of them being requestioned
by the occupational forces for
lodgings.
This recruitment program failed because of the unwillingness of laborers to work
and also because they were affected by the
better conditions given them by the occupation forces. The dock was forced to seek
labor in provincial districts. The required
modification of this first recruitment program has necessitated better and larger
accomodations for laborers. The fact that
the recruitment program intends to rely upon 600 laborers explains clearly that the
facilities for accommodating labor at the
dock are limited.
In the case of the TSURUMI shipyard, the laborers recruited are also required to
live out. In spite of every available means,
the number of laborers obtained has decreased gradually to the point that labor must,
in the same way, be found in the
provinces. Since 5,000 laborers are sought, larger accomodations must be quickly prepared.
Mr. KOMAKI, chief of the administration department, explained that, "Every possible
advertisement and means was tried in vain.
Hiring could not keep up with the dismissal of negligent laborers and the flocking
of laborers to work for the occupation
forces. Recalling laborers from farms had to be postponed due to the busy farming
season and scarcity of housing for dock
workers. Work for the occupation forces is hampering the recruitment programs of both
shipyards considerably.
The occupation forces certainly offer better employment conditions than the shipyards
but there should be no competition
between the two, since laborers sought by the former are required to live out, and
shipyard workers also receive an extra go
of staple food which workers for the occupation, forces do not. The laborers' attendance
at work, though it fell to around 40
per cent soon after the war's end, rose to 75 Per cent at the end of last year, and
to 69 per cent on 5 January, in the
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ECONOMIC SERIES: 188 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
case of the YOKOHAMA dock. It must be reported, in this connection, that the laborers
of both shipyards have labor
unions.
ITEM 3 Federation of Economic Bodies Wants Firm Policies To Control Inflation, Stabilize Economy - Mainichi Shimbun - 19 Jan 46. Translator: S. Iwata.
Summary:
A rapid increase in production has become important in the reconstruction of JAPAN
since the decreased production has spread
uneasiness among the people. The Federation of Economic Bodies (KEIZAI DANTAI RENGOKAIO)
has established a Business Resumption
Planning Committee (KIGYO SAIKAI TAISAKU IINKAI), which is to meet twice a week. This
committee will investigate various
problems dealing with the resumption of business and solution to business problems.
After the initial meeting of the committee, problems of business were laid down as
follows: 1. Inflation causes instability in
wages, difficulty in estimating costs of production and manufacture. Resumption of
production is hampered by these problems.
2. The half-hearted measures of the Government on goods, prices and wages are affecting
business men. 3. After the present
supply of raw material has been exhausted a shortage will exist. 4. Businessmen are
uneasy about the monetary situation.
The Government must work out such price policies that a solution of the present situation
and a workable plan for production
can be formulated. That is, one different from the wartime plan for material resources.
In that way, industrialists will be
able to establish their businesses in a way differing from the past.
ITEM 4 Dissolution of the ZAIBATSU Is Retarded - Asahi Shimbun - 20 Jan 46. Translator: T. Mitsuhashi.
Summary:
At this time when more than two months have elapsed since Allied Headquarters issued
a directive to dissolve the ZAIBATSU,
nothing noticeable has been done to speed dissolution except the creation of the upper
machinery of the Adjustment Committee
(SEIRI-IINKAI) and its chairman.
The difficulties in handling such a task, may be one reason for the delay, but the
tedency of prolonging the dissolution by
the ZAIBATSU itself may be the main cause. The Government is also at fault for its
attitude of defense of the ZAIBATSU. Such
an attitude can be seen in the Foreign Minister's speech that the so-called ZAIBATSU
did not play a major roll in wartime as
much as the newly risen ZAIBATSU. This is, of course, a wrong view.
The indication of this attitude also can be seen in the appointment of Mr. NAKANE,
Sadajiro, former president of the SANWA
Bank, as chairman of the Adjustment Committee. Although one may call him a private
citizen, he has been a leader in financial
circles for many years, and cannot be anything but a protector of the old regime.
The current situation which JAPAN faces, requires an urgent and complete dissolution
of the ZAIBATSU in order to create the
new economy of JAPAN. The longer the dissolution is prolonged, the longer the rehabilitation
of the Japanese economy will be
retarded. Under the circumstances, it is our earnest wish that the dissolution of
the ZAIBATSU should be completed at an early
date.
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ECONOMIC SERIES: 188 (Continued)
ITEM 5 Employees of JAPAN Steel Pipe Take Over Production Administration - Nippon Sangyo Keizai - 20 Jan 46. Translator: R. Shibata.
Full Translation:
Dissatisfied with the company's reply, the Employees Union (JUGYOIN KUMIAI) of the
TSURUMI Iron Factory of the JAPAN Steel
Pipe Company (NIPPON KOKAN) has started to take over the administration of all the
phases of production in order to realize
their objectives.
The company handed a letter to the representatives of the union on 19 January. It
states that the company regarded the
practice of procution by the workers as an illegal action. In addition, the company
will submit the case to the court for
arbitration. However, the union, too, holds a firm attitude.
ITEM 6 Postal Savings Lost Vigor - Nippon Sangyo Keizai Shimbun - 20 Jan 46. Translator: H. Shindo.
Full Translation:
Recent postal savings have shown remarkably slow increases. This fact attracts public
attention because it reflects upon
trends in currency. Postal savings have, so far, continued their increase with the
lapse of time as compared with a similar
period in previous years.
They increased 1,854 million yen in October 1945 and 1,168 million yen in the same
month in 1944; 997 million yen in November
1945 and 686 million yen in the same month 1944. There is a decrease of 286 million
yen between December 1945 and 1944
respectively.
Considering January, for instance, we notice a decrease of 383 million yen between
the 221 million yen on l6 January this year
and 604 million yen on the same day last year.
It is mainly because inflation has advanced and consequently national living has
increased in cost that postal savings have
deminished. The explanation is not adequate. Postal savings in urban areas often lose
vigor gradually from about November
every year, while those in provincial farming districts would increase. On the whole
it was well balanced.
The decline in postal savings may be caused by the fact that evasion of the property
taxes is also occurring in provincial
farming districts.
DISTRIBUTION "X"
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