Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0268, 1946-02-06.
Date6 February, 1946
translation numbereconomic-1169
call numberDS801 .S81
Persistent Identifier
ECONOMIC SERIES: 268
ITEM 1 Single Coal Miners' Union To Be Organized In HOKKAIDO - Mainichi Shimbun - 5 Feb 46. Translator: S. Kinoshita.
Full Translation:
The second general meeting of the Federation of Coal Miners' Unions (TANKO RODO KUMIAI
REMMEI) of HOKKAIDO was held on 3
February at the BIBEI Mine, HOKKAIDO. More than one hundred persons, representing
43 unions attended the meeting. Discussions
were held on measures to counter the activities of the Federation of Coal Mining Industries
in HOKKAIDO (HOKKAIDO SEKITAN
KOGYO REMMEI);reorganization of the existing unions into one single union; measures
for expansion of the organization;
representatives to be despatched to the All-JAPAN Miners' Representatives Meeting
(ZENKOKU DAIHYOSHA KAI); a supporting Strike
of the BIBEI coal miners; and measures to cope with the food situation.
A plan to reorganize, the existing federation into a single union called the HOKKAIDO
Coal Miners' Union (HOKKAIDO TANKO RODO
KUMIAI) was passed at the meeting. As for measures against the activities of the Federation
of Coal Mining Industries in
HOKKAIDO (HOKKAIDO SEKITAN KOGIO REMMEI), the meeting decided on a concrete plan for
labor's participation in the management
of production.
ITEM 2 Labor Unionism in JAPAN - Last Installment of Interview With Mr. SUEHIRO, Gentaro. - Yomiuri Hochi - 5 Feb 46. Translator: Mitsunashi.
Summary:
Mr. SUEHIRO, Gentaro made an interpretation on article III paragraph I of the Labor
Union Law which qualifies members of labor
unions.
"In case some persons who are representatives of an employer join a labor union,
one can not discriminate against them in
actuality, but, as a legal matter, it is not so difficult as supposed to determine
those who are representatives of an
employer, though how this is done can not be given by rule. It is a matter of common
sense.
To speak plainly, the person who gives a feeling of uneasiness to ordinary members
when they are making a free speech, must be
refused entrance to a union. As the preservation of freedom of speech is essential
to the rights of unions, any person who
represents an employer should be reported to the Labor Committee, which has the right
to dissolve such a labor union, by
applying article VI, paragraph II of the Labor Union Law.
In a union of the employees of the post offices a postmaster may be included, but
in a union which is organized by the
employees of one post office, he must be excluded. Even high ranking persons, when
they enter a labor union, are nothing more
than common members and do not deserve to become part of the staff because of their
high rank on the job. A labor union in
which these persons can utilize their high positions is not a true labor union.
ECONOMIC SERIES: 268 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
All administration pertaining to a labor union is free from control by the police;
and the police can not interfere with any
labor affair. The disbandment of the Secret Service Police (TOKU-KO) gives the Government
the disadvantage that they can not
gather news pertaining to labor disputes; However a new office attached to the Labor
Committee will serve in this function in
the future. Moreover, the Government or the Labor Committee can employ labor officials
or other personnel to examine labor
disputes if desired. If a labor officials who is sent out on a mission by labor union
betrays his union, he may be expelled
from the union; but if a labor union itself becomes a Government organ, the matter
must be brought to the Labor
Committee."
Finnally, Mr. SUEHIRO feels quite keenly that the Communist Party, as well as the
Social Democratic Party, must be more
enthusiastic in fostering labor unions. The leaders of the Social Democratic Party
especially, seem to be absorbed in matters
of election, and neglect their duties of developing labor unions. Should there exsist
a leader who dreams of nothing but
becoming a minister, he should be expelled outright from the union.
ITEM 3 Farmers Union Demands New Food Policy - Asahi Shimbun - 5 Feb 46, Translator: R. Aoki.
Extracts:
Representatives of the NIPPON Farmers' Union (NIPPON NOMIN KUMIAI) on 4 February
called on the Minister of Agriculture and
Forestry SOEJIMA and handed him the demands of the Union pertaining to food and other
related problems. The Union criticized
the government policies on food as mostly academic and insisted that they must be
more concrete. The demands of the Union
consists of the following five items.
- 1.Open the crown forests and pastures to the farmers.
- 2.Open the unused forests and waste lands.
- 3.Government subsidy for reclamation of inferior lands.
- 4.Solution of the fuel question.
- 5.Disbandment or democratic reorganization of the government fostered lumber companies and forestry associations.
Meanwhile the date for the inauguration of the NIPPON Farmers' Union has been fixed
at 9 February. In conjunction with this
ceremony, the NIPPON Communists' Party issued a statement recommending that the Union
must be broad enough to embrace all
those who want to join it, irrespective of their political affiliation, and that the
Union must develope into a single union
in the future.
ITEM 4; Use of Cotton Exported From America - Yomiuri Hochi - 5 Feb 46, Translator: R. Aoki.
Full Translation:
Exports of 200,000 tons of raw cotton to JAPAN have been directed by the American
authorities. Approximately half of the above
quantity will be reexported directly in order to meet the cost of importation. So
that, we cannot expect to consume all of
this cotton ourselves.
Nevertheless, this is a surprise to all Japanese who have been accustomed to do with
scanty supplies of textile products ever
since the war began. During this long period, cotton was not only supplied to us in
very, small quantities from CHINA, but it
was used mostly for military purposes. Furthermore, the new importation is important
to us when we consider it as the priming
for the recovery of industrial activities, for the textile industry is one of the
industrial mainstays of JAPAN.
- 2 -
ECONOMIC SERIES: 268 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
But exactly how will this first importation of cotton affect the clothing of the
war suffering people? Mr. ARIMOTO, director
and chief of the Planning Board of the NIPPON Fiber Society (NIPPON SENIKYOKAI) answered
this question as follows:
"Inasmuch as we must manufacture export piece goods out of the cotton to pay the
cost of the imports, the portion which we can
consume will not be very great. Moreover, an additional portion must be turned to
the manufacture of industrial cloths such as
cog belts, sails, covers for vehicles, and so forth. Nevertheless, when we consider
that the normal demand for cotton for
domestic consumption before the war had been 300,000 tons a year, Importation of 250,000
tons means something. Not only that,
but whatever we can manage to manufacture and distribute out of the cotton is an absolute
"plus" for the public, because the
distribution plan for this year has been formulated without taking into considerating
the American cotton.
"It will be about April before the cotton actually reaches textile mills. Since raw
cotton is so valuable at present we must
take the utmost care in order that we do not waste it in manufacturing the types of
goods not urgently wanted. We consider
underwear and working clothes as two of the most badly, needed cotton articles. But
before we make the final plan, we must
consult the public more thoroughly. We must also consult the public as to whether
they want finished products such as uniforms
and other ready-made clothes, or material, piece goods, and sewing thread.
"Anyway, the manufacturing will take three or four months, so that it will be after
this Summer before the products will reach
the consumers. Our Fiber Society is composed of textile experts and is in an excellent
position to administer the allocation
of this valuable material to the most conscientious and efficient manufacturers. The
manufacturers will process the material
thus allocated most economically, and with a feeling of appreciation."
DISTRIBUTION: "X"
- 3 -
ERRATA:
No. 1125 POLITICAL SERIES: 257 Should read ECONOMIC SERIES: 257 dtd. 4 Feb 46.
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