Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0057, 1945-12-08.

Full Translation:

At the plenary session of the Budget Committee, the Finance Ministry authorities revealed the amount of gold and silver collected by the Government during the war and how it was used.

According to the announcement, the total amount of silver collected through the Silver Collection Campaign, enforced since October 1944, is 277,380 metric tons, of which only 38,938 metric tons were used for munitions. Silver coins were collected successively from 1941 to May 1945 and amounted to 986,600 metric tons in total weight or 130,703,000 yen in total face value. Of these 986,600 metric tons of silver coins, 659,500 metric tons were used for munitions. No gold was collected until October 1944 when the Government resumed collection along with silver. The total amount of gold collected was 1,057 metric tons, all of which remains unused.

Full Translation:

The AMAGASAKI Precision Instruments Company (AMAGASAKI SEIKO KABU-SHIKI-GAISHA), a former munitions company, has successfully completed its conversion to the manufacture of civilian goods. The company has begun to produce electric heaters, electric fans, electric agricultural implements, mills, electric clocks, silk looms, printing and press machines, dial gauges, calculators, micrometers, etc. As early as 8 October 1945, two months after the war ended, the Company sent into the market an electric heater, one of its products. Since its president, SUGIYAMA, an engineer who had obtained many patents for electrical agricultural implements, foresaw that the war would end and that munition production would be suspended, he tried, even during the war, to arrange for eventual peacetime production.

In June of this year the Company absorbed the MIYAZAKI Electric Instruments Company (MIYAZAKI DENKI KABUSHIKI-GAISHA), capitalized at 15,000,000 yen, which had been producing a superior quality of wire instruments, and the equipment absorbed was evacuated to MIKUNI in FUKUI-Ken. The MIKUNI factory will produce silk looms and electric instruments. Conditions permitting, the factory will resume the production of "habutai" (one of the silk textiles).

The AMAGASAKI factory of the Company was about 50 per cent destroyed by air raids on 15 June. On 25 June, as soon as one of its barracks had been completed, the factory was again shipping products. The

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ITEM 2 (Continued)

reason for the company's production speed was that abundant materials in stock were saved.

Let us reflect upon the record of the Company. The Company seems to have decided to postpone its settlement of accounts along with other companies of the same industry. It is not so swollen with war profits that it has to worry about them. The Company, under the good management of its engineer president, SUGIYAMA, will be able to produce superior goods.

Full Translation:

Mackerel-pike has been steadily abundant since the first catch in CHOSHI Port in CHIBA-Ken on 3 December 1945. The price of these fish has been settled at one yen ninety sen each, far below the highest price of 4 yen set up at the first catch. Mackerel was sold not only in the prefecture itself but also shipped to TOKYO. The catch of yellow tail pike was also so abundant that they were sold at about 10 yen each.

Full Translation:

The SAITAMA-Ken Marine Products Control Union (SAITAMA-KEN-SUISAN-BUTSU-TOSEI-KUMIAI) has planned to establish an electrified salt works at HARANO-Machi of FUKUSHIMA Prefecture in order to produce sixty tons of salt monthly.

The salt produced is to be shipped by air to the fish process works of the HOKKAIDO Union for use in salting fish. The processed fish will be shipped to SAITAMA Prefecture. A substantial quantity of the salted herring will be distributed among the people of the SAITAMA-Ken next April.

Full Translation:

The Government has announced a considerable rise in the purchase price of rice in order to promote the success of the quota movement, but this project is being strongly opposed by a group of farmers in GIFU Prefecture, whose leader ITO, Seiichi, is a member of the Quota Committee of GIFU Prefecture. The farmers held a mass meeting at ONCHIMURA on 5 December and decided to spread propaganda throughout the whole prefecture. The movement is arousing keen interest in every quarter because the leader is a member of the Quota Committee.

(SAITAMA's Quota Distribution of Rice Not Successful.)

The quota distribution of rice crop in SAITAMA seems slow and inactive, and according, to a survey made 5 December by the Prevention of Crime Section of the same prefecture there are 119 out of 307 cities, towns and villages which have completed the quota distribution of

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ITEM 5 (Continued)

rice. There is quite a difference between the figures of this year and those of last year. This is partly due to the resignation of many peasant leaders who are unable to bear the stigma of being responsible for JAPAN's defeat. As a result, the business of the village offices was brought to a standstill, partly because of the delay in forwarding orders to the villagers on the part of the CHIHOJIMUSHO Local Office, and partly because of the indolence of the village and town leaders in handling this business.

At KAGEMORI-Mura, CHICHIBU-Gun, the head of the Agricultural Corporation, and the manager of the Agricultural Corporation of OKANO-Machi, the same district, resigned. At HACHIGATA-Mura and ORIGATA-Mura, OSATO-Gun, there was evidence of neglect of business in not opening the meetings necessary for the decision of important matters. Concerning SHIKI-Machi, KITA ADACHI-Gun, and the other aforementioned 20 villages, the blame is placed with the Local Office in delaying the forwarding of the orders.

Summary:

At the plenary session of the Diet on 6 December, important discussions developed about the Land Reform Bill. At first, Mr. MURAYASU of the Liberal Party argued that Article 27, Section Two of the Constitution provides for the government's right of expropriation, but this right is understood to be confined to certain limited matters. However, wholesale application of this right, such as under the present bill, may constitute unconstitutionality and, as such, will threaten the legal order of the Nation. He asked whether or not the bill will apply to newly reclaimed lands.

To this the State Minister MATSUMOTO and the Agricultural Minister MATSUMURA replied that the right of expropriation does not necessarily apply to such a limited extent. The very existence of the Land Expropriation Law, the Agricultural Land Adjustment Law, the City Planning Law and so forth exemplifies this point. Moreover, under the present bill, wholesale application of the law is not anticipated. It is expected that the larger part of land redistribution will be effected through mutual agreement of the parties concerned. The newly reclaimed land will come under this bill also, but some practical steps will be taken so that the spirit of reclamation may not be curtailed unnecessarily.

Then Mr. HIRANO of the Social-Democratic Party argued that it seems unreasonable to present such an important bill in the form of a revision to the rather minor Agricultural Land Adjustment Law, instead of giving it the status of an independent law. Mr. HIRANO also discussed the fact that by having raised the land limitation under this bill from three cho to five, the land applicable under this bill has been reduced from 2,500,000 cho to 1,500,000 cho, and furthermore, about 1,000,000 tenants have lost their chance to become land owners. Therefore, Mr. HIRANO maintains that the authorities must give precise information as to the reason for this change in the draft.

The Agricultural Minister replied that the Agricultural Land Adjustment Laws applicable to both the owner and the tiller of the land and and is suitable for the present purpose. The reason for the decision

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to increase the minimum to five cho, instead of three, is that the Government anticipated that this would more effectively establish rural society. Too great an increase in small farms would not necessarily be welcomed.

Finally, Mr. IKEMOTO of the Liberal Party asked why such an important bill was presented to an Extraordinary Session, and, also, whether or not the Government is truly determined to have this bill pass through the present session. The Agricultural Minister answered that the Government felt an urgent need for this law and is fully determined to carry out the plan within five years. Finally, he argued that JAPAN can import food only by Allied consent after having exhausted all means available toward increasing her food supply. He also pointed out that the rice monopoly has not yet been considered by the present Cabinet and that control of staple foods will continue in the future.

Full Translation:

The Government Railway has been endeavoring to increase the production of food since the beginning of this year by establishing farms cultivated by railway workers in their spare time and farms for training in the areas under the jurisdiction of every bureau. Recently, headquarters has been set up to increase food production, and a branch office is to be established in every bureau. The main purpose of this project is to manage stock farming, marine products, salt manufacture and other many-sided industries involving the production of edibles. Stress is especially laid upon the cultivation of undeveloped fields, and on solving the food problem of the officials engaged in railway work.

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