Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0070, 1945-12-14.

Full Translation:

The Government has limited the amount of coal for operation of railways and many factories, and has attempted to overcome the shortage of labor and accelerate the restoration of submerged coal mines. In spite of labor recreatment assistance by various railways and other coal consuming factories, however, the total number of workers was only 7,897 men on 19 November, and 19,025 men at the end of November. The authorities, however, expect a total of 40,000 men by the end of December as against the required member of 60,000 men. Accordingly, the yield of coal dropped to the bottom in November, but it will rise after December.

The amount of coal products fell from 545,400 metric tons in October to 519,800 metric tons in November, as can be seen from the following table:

The Commerce and Industry Ministry, in attempting to increase production, is endeavoring to supply explosives food and Work clothes.

The chart that follows indicates the amounts of coal the authorities hope to see produced in the various mining regions in the next few months:

ECONOMIC SERIES: 70 (Continued)

Summary:

A report by a journalist who visited the UBE coal field in CHUGOKU district is summarized as follows: The OKINOYAMA Coal Pit: regarding the repatriation of special laborers, 2,000 Koreans have already been shipped home successfully despite the typhoon which recently affected the CHUGOKU District. Statistics indicate that Japanese labor is being badly affected by the present shortage of food, prices on the black market and other difficulties. The number of Japanese laborers has decreased to 2,100 men (including 1,000 actual coal diggers) from the former 6,700 (including 4,000 actual diggers) during war time. Absentecism of mining laborers increased greatly immediately after the war. However, attendance gradually improved in November, and at the beginning of December it rose to 75 per cent, which was the figure during the war.

Activities for recruiting labor have already been started by the coal mine authorities, but they are meeting various difficulties. The Government's policy of increasing food distribution and raising wages for laborers in coal mines, is generally being met by miners with delight, but co-operation by Government with labor-management and .mine leaders is very necessary in the present crisis. Ferther-more, the materials for the rebuilding of employees' residences, which were burned down by three air raids, are most necessary. Bedding, working clothes, rubber-soled TABI (Ed.Note: Socks) and food are also necessities.

The output of coal in the OKINOYAMA Coal Pits was 10,000 to 80,000 tons per month during the war, and fell off to 5,000 tons in September, 12,000 tons in October, but rose to 13,000 tons in November. It will takes at least two months to recover to prewar conditions.

The HIGASHIMISOME Coal Pit: This coal pit was entirely damaged by the concentrated B-29 raids of 1 July, 1945, and its reconstruction is progressing very well now. Its damages is estimated at over 10,000,000 YEN. On account of the 1 July raid, coal production in that coal pit has dropped to 150 tons per month against a figure of 2,000 tons in wartime. The transportation of 1,800 Korean laborers was completed recently. The number of Japanese laborers is at present, 2,000 compared with 5,300 during the war. However, their attendance rate has risen to 80 per cent during the Government's new policy. An increase in rice distribution to six go, for coal workers is very welcome to them, but from the viewpoint of their livelihood, more than three go of rice distribution for all of a laborer's family should also be necessary. Under the present shortage of food, the increase in coal production is entirely linked up with food supplies. That was stated by mine authorities.

Statistics (in unit tons) on coal production of the UBE Coal mine are as follows:

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ECONOMIC SERIES: 70 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

Full Translation:

At the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives on 10 December 1945, KATAYAMA, Kazuo, Progressive Party, asked a question regarding compensation for goods to be used as reparations. Finance Minister SHIBUSAMA, Keizo, answered: "I am intending to settle this question with due consideration for our financial responsibilities. However, thus for we haven't received any formal notice from the Allied Forces concerning the problem of reparation".

Summary:

At a Cabinet meeting 10 December the Government drafted a bill providing for funds for the anticipatated setting up of the Trade Bureau (BOEKI CHO). The bill was submitted to the plenary session of the Lower House the same day. The key points of the bill read as follows:

• 1.In order to settle trade accounts by the Government, 50,000,000 yen shall be earmarked by the Finance Ministry;
• 2.This fund shall be appropriated from the surplus of the special account for trade exchange (KAWASE KOEKI CHOSEI TOKUBETSU KANJO) which was started in the fiscal year of 1944;
• 3.Fund, if insufficient, shall be supplemented by the national revenue;
• 4.The fund shall be used for foreign exchange, imports, and other purposes directed by Imperial Ordinance;
• 5.Its business shall be managed by the Bank of JAPAN, under the direction of the Finance Ministry.

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ECONOMIC SERIES: 70 (Continued)

ITEM 4 (Continued)

The Trade Bureau uses the fund to pay for goods to be purchased in the homeland for export. This export will be sold to Allied Headquarters for imports at the prevaiting rates. Consequently the rate of exchange between yen and foreign money will be kept stable.

The fund will be managed in such a manner as to avoid losses. However, if losses do occur, they will be covered by other funds such as The Special Account for Food Control (SHOKURYO KANRI TOKUBETSU KAIKEI) or salt monopoly profits.

Summary:

That we would instantly be relieved of the coal shortage, if miners could be sent on a large seal to the coal mines, is the conclusion reached by a NIPPON SANGYO reporter who, has been making an investigation trip into the TAKAMATSU coal mines of the JAPAN COAL MINING CO. (NIPPON TANKO) and MIIKE mines of MITSUI. He asserted that difficulties concerning food or wages are secondary questions compared to the man power shortage.

In the TAKAMATSU coal mines of the JAPAN COAL MINING CO., the member of mine workers has decreased to 22 per cent of those working the mine at the end of the war, Nearly 8,000 miners gave up their jobs for one reason or another, while the company has been able to hire only 1,250, by the end of last month, in an attempt to fill up the gap. The situation at present is such that all miners who weren't likely to remain have already left, and though there are still quite a number of miners desiring to quit, newcomers are outnumbering those leaving. The company has been striving to recruit as many men as possible, sending them to NIIGATA, ISIKAWA, TOYAMA, KANTO, SHI-KOKU and KYUSHU, and thereby has succeeded in acquiring a daily average of 20 workers. Six hundred workers are expected to arrive in December, mainly from TOKYO districts. A majority of newcomers are war suffers, repatriotes or unemployed from cities. Having no definite future in their home towns and alonning to settle down with a new occupation.

The resent output of coal has increased, for which it was 65,000 metric tons in fine, 57,000 in July, 24,000 in August, 6,900 in September, 6,300 in October and 7,700 in November, in December 11,000 tons are expected. If we compare per capita coal output, including clerks and other actual non-mining personnel, with that of mining workers, we discover that the company has too many workers of the former category. Per capita coal output, including office personnel, was 12.7 metric tons in June, 10.1 in July, 4.1 in August, 2.5 in September and 2.4 in October. The mine workers daily averages are: 16 in June, 1.38 in July, 1.65 in September and 1.92 in October.

The 600 workers coming to the mines in December will make a total of 4,400 workers. In addition, farm villages will supply reasonal mine workers, and 30 per cent of those who resigned will return to be re-employed because of the housing shortage outside the mining districts

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ECONOMIC SERIES: 70 (Continued)

ITEM 5 (Continued)

The increase of wages and food rations effected by the company sence 1 December, has improved the workers' attendance. The increase in wages is 5 yen for those who engage in actual mining, 2,50 yen for those who assist the miners and 2 yen for those who work above the ground.

MIIKE mines: The coal output of the mine from July to November of this near follows:

The downward trend is attributed to disturbances caused by Chinese and to the gigantic exodus of 8,500 mine workers, resulting in only 7,000 workers remaining at the end of November. The current number of workers includes those recently employed which number 1,400. Now that the foreign workers are gone, the recovery of normal conditions is being sought. The company aims at a production of 88,750 metric tons of coal in December as compared with 49,000 tons mined in November, by adding 340 underground workers and by improving the attendance ratio of workers to 67 per cent, composed to 58 per cent the previous month. At the sametime there should be an increase in the monthly per capita output (including all employees), from 480 metric tons of the previous month to 680 tons. However, there is little likelihood of attaining the desired result because of the poor percentage of actual laboring days by listed workers, decrease in able workers and exhaustion of more remunerative mines. The company was hard hit by the exodus of skilled workers which, until quite recently, averaged 40 daily. Most of those who left intend to buy land with the retirement allowance and settle down peacefully as farmers.

In addition to increased food rations, the company fixed new wages as follows: 20 yen a day for actual miners, 14 to 15 yen for miner's assistants, and 6 to 8 yen for above-the-ground workers. The company authorities are waiting to see if these higher wages will stop their operations in a free market. Some workers are reported to be complaining yet of the shortage of real income. While they admit 20 yen a day is rather high compared; with what workers receive in other mines, they are reported to have said that their working days in a month are usually not more than 20. This means that their monthly income is 400 yen. This, they insist, is insufficient to maintain the lowest standard of living, because of current high costs. Besides, during the wartime, miners were entitled to a bonus and necessaries of life plus special rations at low cost. How they have to buy commodities at the free market price. The ration of necessaries by the company still continues, but is distributed at higher price There are some workers who insist that even 20 yen a day is practically a wage cut.

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ECONOMIC SERIES: 70 (Continued)

Full Translation:

The Commerce and Industry Minister, OGASWARA, and The Chief of Petroleum Section of The Commerce and Industry Ministry, NAKASHIMA made the following uply to the interpellation of viscount NOMURA, Masuzo of The Petroleum Business Law Committee in The House of Peers: "The necessary quantity of petroleum during the coming year is estimated at about 1,000,000 kilo-liters. Considering that the present productive power is 1,200,000 kilo-liter, the government is now applying for permission to import 653,000 kilo-liters and 115,000 kilo-liters for the remainder of this year (T.N. these figures are quoted exactly as they appear in the original article) l4,000 kilo-liters of lubricants, 3,179 kilo-liters of light oil, 11,000 kilo-liters of full oil, are to arrive in Japan as permitted. As the artificial petroleum industry, its production cost is much higher than that of natural petroleum. Three factories are to be converted for the production of fertilizers, because of the great demand for fertilizers to alleviate the food production crisis. The amount of ammonium sulphate produced at the UBE plants and the TAKIGAWA plants is estimated at some 50,000 metric tons. The problem of the price of artificial oil is under investigation as is medium price between artificial and natural petroleum. Of the five plants which escaped damage The MIIKE plants, The Nippon Petroleum Company Ltd, The WAKAMATSU plants, and the Nippon Industry Co. Ltd., are to continue the artificial production of petroleum and The UBE plants, The Imperial Oil Co. Ltd., TAKIGAWA plants, Nippon Petroleum Co. Ltd., use to made ammonium sulphate; The Tomemoe plants, the Nippon Petroleum Co. Ltd., are to make fertilizers from the human waste product system.

DISTRIBUTION "X"

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