Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0052, 1945-12-06.

Extracts:

In relation to the farm land problem, release of military reservation is drawing the general public's attention. At the conference held on 29 Nov. 1945, KANAGAWA Prefectural authorities decided to release 1,900 chobu (760 acres) of military reservation which is scattered over the Prefecture.

Military reservation will be sold en bloc to local agricultural associations which will transfer it by lots to individual peasants on demand in conformity with the peasant-proprieorship principle. The prefectural authorities plan a wholesale disposition and will not accept direct request of private buyers. Conditions of sale will be decided by the consultation of the Prefectural Governor and the Chief Secretary of Financial Bureau.

From the total of 1,900 chobu (760 acres) in the reservation, 450 chobu (180 acres) have been reclaimed for barley or wheat fields. The remaining 1,450 chobu (580 acres) will be ready for planting by the end of March 1946.

Full Translation:

Statement by the Ministry of Agriculture; "The need of fertilizer is obstructing production. Bad weather may contribute to this year's poor rice crop, but one of the principle reasons is the lack of fertility. Almost all fertilizer factories suffered damages from the war, and it is evident that they can't all be repaired at one time this year. Because of this, we could barely distribute about 1 kan of fertilizer per tanbu for the cultivation of wheat this autumn. Of course, this is insufficient, so we are trying to scrape together and deliver to each farm anything available for fertilizing, except ammonium sulphate and nitrous lime.

Fertilizer factories are scheduled to return to their usual production of 740,000-750,000 tons by December and January of next year, and 2,000,000 tons the year after next. Accordingly, fertilizer production will be back to normal by the time, wheat is ready for cultivation next autumn although there will not yet be sufficient quantity in time for cultivation of rice."

Mr. TANAKA (interpreter), "Do you intend to increase the distribution of staple foods?"

ECONOMIC SERIES: 52 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

The Minister, "This is the most important point, indeed. The distribution of 3 go will cause a deficit of 22,000,000 koku. It may give temporary satisfaction, but the deficit very deficulty exists, and purchasing will become more intense than at present. We have applied to the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces for import permission in order to secure enough food to distribute 2 go and 3 shaku. But until this is realized, our initial policy should be to ensure the distribution of 2 go mid 1 shaku and at the same time to increase the delivery of subsidiary foods by the farmer. For this purpose, we have just recently abolished price control on fresh foods."

Summary:

The Agricultural Land Reform Bill was approved at the Cabinet meeting at 4 December and was immediately filed with the House of Representatives. The bill is expected to be laid before the House plenary session 5 December 1945. The House is expected to discuss the bill for two days. It will then be placed in a committee for substantial deliberation.

Salient points of the Agricultural Land Reform Bill are:

Article 2. In the present bill agricultural land means land for cultivation. Tenant fees mean the charges for the lease of land for cultivation and charges for permanent tenant rights for cultivation. When land, buildings, and other equipment are leased together with agricultural land, and the lease charge of the land, buildings, and other equipment cannot be distinguished from that of the arable land lease contract, the tenant fees include all.

Article 4. When a tenant farmer intends to acquire land necessary for landed farming, which is controlled by the ordinances and orders of a metropolis(To), district(Do), urban prefectural(Fu), and rural prefectural(Ken) government, city, town or village offices, and city, town or village agricultural associations, and when he finds it necessary to acquire land other than that mentioned above for the use and profit necessary for development, he may, with the permission of the prefectural governor concerned, enter into negotiations regarding its acquisition with the landowner or the person who has the rights to be land. 18 the farmer intends to ask for tie permission of the prefectural governor, he is requested to consult the city, town or village association at the place where the land in question is located. If the results of the consultation are not satisfactory to the intended buyer, the local association is required to ask for the decision of the metropolitan, district, urban prefectural or rural prefecture agricultural association. The association thus asked must announce the matter publically. The landowner or the person who has the rights to the land may present his written ipinion to tie metropolitan, district, urban prefectural or rural prefectural Agricultural Land Commission within two weeks following the public announcement. Deliberations should then be opened by the commission after a lapse of due time and be finished in two weeks after the day of the opening of the deliberations. If the commission does not finish deliberations within the stated period, the prefectural governor will decide. The decision, however, should not exceed the original limits.

- 2 -

ECONOMIC SERIES: 52 (Continued)

ITEM 3 (Continued)

The following items should he decided in connection with land acquisition or the establishment or acquisition of the right to its use and profit.: (1) The area of land to be acquired, and details concerning the establishment or purchacer of the right to the use and profit of land; (2) prices and the method and period of their payment; (3) The period of delivery of equipment and decision on the term of validity of the right to the use and profit of land, which should be reported in a document.

No decision should be made on purchace, already mentioned, on the following kinds of land: (a) Farm-land operated by the proprietor, (b) Farm land not exceeding a limit fixed by Imperial ordinance, which is owned by a farmer, in a city, town or village where he lives or at a neighboring locality; (c) Land which the owner intends to keep with in the limit of ordinance; (d) Farm land involved in the town planning regulations of a city and located in the sphere fixed by the prefectural governor; (e) Land, the owner of which is recognized by the city, town, or village agricultural association as the cultivator, although it is not yet officially listed as an owner operated farm; (f) Other land officially fixed as farmland.

When the prefectural governor is notified by an agricultural commission that negotiations are opened or when he makes his decision, the matter should be announced publicly, and a copy of his decision sent to the applicant or the landowner involved in the decision to the person who has the rights to the land. When the above-mentioned public announcement is made, it is officially recognized that the negotiations are amicably concluded between the parties concerned. When the whole payment for the acquisition of the right of ownership of land, buildings and other objects is completed, the official registration can be made by the parties concerned. A default of the payment or deposi[illegible]a failure to money with the Government by the date fixed in the contract shall make the contract become null and void.

The person who objects to the decision may petition the competent minister, and any person who who believe that [illegible]is right is jeopardized by an illegal decision may file a suit with the Court of Administrative Litigation.

Matters already filed with an ordinary court of law shall not be accepted by the Court of Administrative Litigation. The person who is dissatisfied with prices fixed in the decision may file a suit with an ordinary court of law, but if the suit is filed three months after the day of receipt of the document of decision, it snail not be accepted.

Article 5. The establishment of the right of ownership of farm land, the right of its lease, surface and other rights, and the transfer of these rights shall not be valid unless permission has been granted by the prefect ural governor, city mayor, town mayor and village head.

Article 6. Article 5 shall not apply to the following cases: 1) Cases in which a group intends to acquire the right to engage in agriculture; 2) Cases in which farm land is acquired or ordered to be acquired for independent farming; 3) Cases in which the above rights are to be acquired for cultivation; 4) Cases in which one of the parties concerned in the acquisition of the rights is in the metropolitan, district, urban prefectural or rural prefectural government or the Agricultural Development Corporation; 5) Cases in which the farm land is expropriated in accordance with the Land Expropriation Law or other laws and ordinances; 6) Cases in which the light of acquisition is made on orders.

- 3 -

ECONOMIC SERIES: 52 (Continued)

ITEM 3 (Continued)

The farm land price cannot exceed the lease rates provided in the tax law plus whatever increases have been added by the competent minister, and the parties concerned should not enter into contract to pay or receive such excessive money. An exception, however, is made in the case of farm land prices fixed by the buyer and seller and permitted by the prefectural governor. The same exception is extended to pric[illegible]es fixed by order. When an exceptional price is fixed by the competent minister, the matter shall be made public.

In cane a written petition is filed by the city, town or village commission with the prefectural governor asking for his decision of exceptional prices fixed by seller and buyer of the land and when his decision is deemed necessary, the governor will fix such prices after getting the opinion of members of the agricultural commission. The prices thus decided shall be made public.

Full Translation:

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry estimates the total stock of coal at land in November at 2,735,000 metric tons, of which about 1,370,000 metric tons will be shipped by rail. An increase in coal consumption is anticipated in conjunction with a decrease in production.

Coal stocks at the end of november were 1,982,000 metric tons in coal mine stock piles, and 753,000 metric tons in port stock piles. Of these stocks 830,000 metric tons at coal lines and 540,000 metric tons at ports can be shipped. The amount of stored coal in districts is as follows (unit metric tons):

TYPE OF STORAGE PLACE

DISTRIBUTION "X"

- 4 -