Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0208, 1946-01-25.

Summary:

NIIGATA-Ken is one of the foremost strongholds of landlords in the Nation. Among 5,600,000 farmers in JAPAN only l60,000 farmers own more than 5 cho. Out of these 160,000 landlords, NIIGATA holds more than 3,000.

As the result of formal application of the Land Reform Law, a majority of the landlords will lose their present economic position as well as the accompanying social dignity. In some cases the big landlords have retained an air of feudal dignity. What such landlords will do after losing their land will be interesting to watch.

At present many landlords are leaders in rural affairs, but all leaders are not landlords. In fact the recent tendency is to have leaders of the non-landlord class. Yet some landlords may remain as leaders, but some others may soon be removed at once. Such landlords who lose their former position must content themselves with the thought that their retirement will open a new road for the mass of the farmers.

The significance of land re-distribution lies in the stabilization of the life of the liberated farmers. Once this stabilization is attained, the present master-protege relationship between the landlords and tenants will be lost just as the landlord-tenant relationship has been lost. Nevertheless, the ultimate goal of the land reform must lie in the general uplifting of the cultural standard of rural JAPAN. Without this the mere dividing up of farms may mean the introduction of mass politics rather than the progress of democracy.

"Land hunger" is a universal psychology. The tenants wanted land for assurance. Thus, the affirmation of tenant rights will lighten the land-hunger psychology. Furthermore, the national emergency of the war pressed the tenants for production of rice for the Country. Yet, statistics reveal that per tan production of rice on tenant farms is short, amounting to an average of three "to" to four "to", compared with that of the farms cultivated by the owners. This means that the abolition of tenant farming will save 3,000,000 koku of rice a year. All in all, the land reform seems to be a great landmark in the progress of rural JAPAN.

Summary:

The Government decided on an ordinance for the application of the revised Agrarian Adjustment Law (NOCHI CHOSEI HO) at the Cabinet meeting held on 22 January. Following SCAP approval on 23 January, the ordinance will be promulgated on 25 or 26 January. The items decided on in article

ECONOMIC SERIES: 208 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

15 will be put into force on 1 April 1946, and other articles on 1 February 1946.

The principal points revised in the new ordinance are as follows: Limitation of the area of lands to be held by landowners (article 4); increase of organizations for purchasing lands in case cultivation is made on unutilized lands (article 6); application of the provisions in the Extraordinary Agrarian Administration Ordinance (RINJINOCHI KANRIREI) and the Agrarian Price Management Regulations (NOCHI KAKAKU KANRI REI) with regard to the price of lands (article 13); revision of the rate of conversion to be applied for payment of tenant fees in money instead of in kinds (article 15); qualification of electors of the agrarian committeemen to owners of more than 1 tan of land (article 18); permission to the agrarian committee in towns and villages to hire clerks (article 33).

The first election of the members of the agrarian committee in cities, towns, and villages is scheduled to be held at the beginning of March. The election of the members of the agrarian committee in prefectures will take place as soon as chiefs of the above committees are decided on.

Full Translation:

According to the order of MacARTHUR's Headquarters regarding the abolishment of the discrimination of workers by nationality, the Government decided to reform the Welfare Annuity Law and the Crew Insurance Law at the Cabinet Council on 22 January 1946 in order to make various insurance laws apply to Chinese, Korean and Formosan workers in JAPAN. An Imperial ordinance regarding the above proglem will be issued.

Summary:

It is a current tendency that the management of production is carried on by labor unions when a strike is going on. The case of the BIBAI Mine in which the Company tried to prevent the labor union from occupying various parts of it by applying various mining industry regulations is a notable one. The question has arisen as to whether such an action by a labor union is legal or not.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has consulted the Justice Ministry about the matter, and has announced that the management of production by a labor union at the coal mine is not illegal so far as safety measures in the mine had been preserved in accordance with the various mining industry regulations. In the case of coal mining, it is natural that someone must manage the production when it is stopped by a strike. If no violent action has been committed, there will be no law to apply to it.

The Justice Ministry has revealed its view as follows: There may be cases in which carfare or electric light charges will be collected by labor union, although this is really the duty of the management of a company. Whether it means a usurpation by a labor union must be determined carefully according to its amount and other circumstances. In all cases inclusive of the dispute at mines, such a matter must be settled not by sticking to the existing law, but by considering the actual conditions at each instance as well as the social idea.

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ECONOMIC SERIES: 208 (Continued)

Full Translation:

The index number of the wholesale prices of commodities in TOKYO last December was 794.2, taking October 1898 as a base with 100, according to an investigation by the Statistics Bureau of the Bank of JAPAN. The figure shows a rise by 43.3 per cent and 79.9 per cent, in comparison with the preceding month and the corresponding month of the previous year, respectively.

Of the total 110 commodities, 11 showed a rise, and 99 maintained stability. The conspicuous soaring of the prices of metals is attriubted to the rise in the controlled prices of iron, steel, non-ferrous metals, and light metals, produced by the abolition of the Governmental subsidy. The rise in the price of fuel is also due to the revision of the control prices.

The prices of perishable foods and the black market prices are omitted from the list. The rates of rice, in comparison with the previous month, and the corresponding month of the preceding year, are as follows:

DISTRIBUTION "X"

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