Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0254, 1946-02-04.

Full Translation:

The National Agricultural Association (ZENKOKU NOGYOKA.) held a series of meetings of the permanent officials on 29 January, of its councilors on 30 January, and of all officials on 31 January. They discussed the subject of re-election in accordance with the enforcement of the Revised Agricultural Organizations Law (KAISEI NOGYO DANTAI HO) and decided on the withdrawal of all officials from their posts including the vice-president, Mr. KOHIRA.

The public election of new officials is to occur during the first ten days of April and a small body of officials will remain to handle the business until that time. They are Messrs. KOSHICHI, Tabei, YANAGAWA, Sozaemon, MATSUHARA, Iwozo, and MIYABE, Iohiro, as directors and SATO, Lanji as auditor.

Full Translation:

The transportation capacity of motor trucks for carrying foods, material for repair work, etc., will not be maintained and increased. The authorized monthly production of motor trucks is 1,500; however the actual production per month is about 500. This decrease is principally due to the manufacturer's unwillingness to manufacture motorcars, which is a result of ulterior motives, rather than slacking up of the industries concerned with motorcar production.

The annual production of motorcars in our country has reached 40,000. Annual production of about 20,000 to 25,000 motorcars is possible if war damaged equipment is repaired. It is said that the monthly production of 1,500 is possible if the capitalists apply their zeal and plans properly. The manufacturers point out that the causes of decreas in production are as follows:

• 1.Lack of workers.
• 2.Suspension of production by evacuation of factories.
• 3.Non-standardized parts for assembly.
• 4.Shortage of materials and substitute materials.
• 5.Non-regulated prices.

However the facts are that they are speculating on and planning measure against collection of the war-time profit tax and the property tax, the frequency of labor trouble and the increase of inflation. It seems the

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that the motorcar industry in JAPAN will fall into a critical state of affairs if the capitalists will not do their best by recognizing the good intention of the Allied Forces and by calmly considering the production conditions.

Full Translation:

A conference on the problems of communication and transportation was held on 31 January 1946 by the JAPAN Commerce and Industry Association (NIPPON SHOKU KEIZAI KAI). The members who participated in the conference are as follows: presidents and chief directors from the various prefectural commerce and industry associations of eastern JAPAN, the Minister of Transportation MURAKAMI and the various departmental chiefs concerned representing the government, the president of the JAPAN Transportation Company Limited (NIPPON TSUUN KABUSHIKI KAISHA).

Various opinions were expressed by the trade circles. However the plan for the opening of small transportation channels, which is the greatest problem in establishing the present regulated distributing organization, has been heatedly discussed. It was hoped that the complicated nature of automobile administration, which involves administration by the Ministry of Transportation, regulation by the Home Ministry and manufacturing by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, will be immediately unified in order to relieve the lack of automobiles. Thus the success of proper transportation will be provided for.

Full Translation:

The Revised Farm Land Adjustment Law (KAISEI NOCHI CHOSEI HO) became effective 1 February, and with its actual enforcement cases are increasing in which landlords attempting to evade the law by splitting up their possessions, announce that they will denote the land as a sign of gratitude to someone who had put them under obligation during the war.

In GUMMA Ken, since reports on the right to possess five chobu were appearing in the papers, and on the radio from about December 1945, applicants for permission to make gifts of usable land have increased considerably. There were 35 cases in November, 40 in December and 6o in January. "My son has come home from abroad, "says the majority of applicants," and I would like to have him live as an independent householder with some arable land." Of course, certain cases are justifiable, but most of them, say 90 per cent, have been put forward in order to conceal attempts to evade the law.

In GUMMA-Ken where large landlords are scarce, they would indeed furnish their eldest and next sons with some available arable land, but as to the third or fourth son, they would very often furnish them neither land nor home, but simply let them go into the world on their own. However, during the war most of the third, fourth, etc. sons left their parents of their own accord, as they attained the necessary age to earn a living. In most cases they became workers in factories adjusting themselves to the demands of the time and making the best of the inflation which had arisen as a result of the great war production .

It is remarkable that the applicants above-mentioned include even one who was apparently establishing an independent household with a child

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of four as the family head! To say nothing of the son of a landlord who wishes to express his gratitude for the obligations bestowed on him during the war by a "kinsman official", who is in the Agricultural Association, by giving a gift of land.

Unfortunately, prefectural authorities hitherto knew no method of restricting these people and had been granting them permission to part with their lands. They had not received any instructions from the Agricultural Office until that office became aware of the situation and halted the granting of permission since this year. Thus far about 30 per cent of the applications were permitted. Most applicants are those who possess about 50 chobu.

The Social Democratic Party is blaming the prefectural authorities for lack of energy in administration, asserting that they should cancel all permits granted after the war. A prefectural official in charge of the tenant system said:

“We expect some regulations to be introduced for the enforcement of the foregoing agrarian law and this would handle our present case. Perhaps the law will be accompanied by an imperial ordinance, ministerial order, etc., and such cases will more or less be controlled. Regulations hitherto in existence cannot annul permits granted by Ideal governors. Trade and exchange of arable land had been, in effect, already prohibited before the present law was effective. However, the latter did not provide for the disposal of land as gifts. As for the prefectural authorities, we had no cause to deny requests to give land as gifts when provided with an adequate reason."

The Agricultural Administration Section of the Agriculture Office said, "Transfer or trade of agrarian land is recognized if permission was secured according to the Farm Land Control Order (NOCHI KANRI REI) up to 31 January 1946. It will be punished if not permitted by the General Mobilization Law (SODOIN HO). Even if it simply concerns transfer, when the evasion of the law is intended, it is not permitted by the prefectural authorities. The Revised Farm Land Adjustment Law provides that the right of transfer of ownership without permission is annulled. Cases in which the creation of peasant proprietors or where cultivation of arable land itself is intended are permitted provided that they are authenticated by municipal agrarian land committees. The consent of the tenant farmers themselves makes another indispensable condition that will mean an absolute refusal to any unreasonable and unlawful transfer."

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