Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0135, 1946-01-07.

Summary:

With the aim of constructing temporary shelters for war victims, 70,000 koku of lumber, consisting chiefly of thin boards, and half the projected amount of lumber amounting to 80,000 koku, have already arrived in TOKYO from AKITA-Ken, one of the greater lumber production centers in JAPAN. Despite the deep snowfall, farmers in this area, taking advantage of their leisure season, are now making strenuous efforts to convert forests into lumber. Lumber cut down there averages about two in diameter and 70 feet in height (the biggest size is about four feet in diameter and 100 feet high). It is being transported, either by sliding on a snow surface or by loading on sledges, to relay factories, and then finally to the mouth of NOSHIRO River on large rafts. There the NOSHIRO Lumber Manufacturing Plant (NOSHIRO SEIZAI KOJO) is in full operation with a great annual productive capacity of 20,000,000 koku. From this plant, the lumber is sent directly to TOKYO by freight train.

There are two great bottlenecks in lumber production, however. First is the food situation, the supply of which is insufficient for the lumbermen. This results either in their long-term absence to hunt food, or in their becoming black market operators in order to cope with the present higher prices. Second is the recent drastic cut in railway transportation on account of the coal shortage.

In addition to these, there is still a severe shortage of parts and material for lumber equipment such as ball-bearings, ropes, belts, and sawa. Therefore, we must, above all, break these bottlenecks as soon as possible so as to promote the work of rebuilding.

Mr. AIZAWA, President of the Provincial Lumber Company (CHIHO SEIZAI KAISHA), said that, under present conditions, what is needed is to abolish lumber control immediately and, at the same time, establish free enterprise in the lumber industry. Such steps certainly bid fair to the increased production of lumber, while setting up the self-governing co-operative prices in every area.

Opinion is gaining ground in this area that, to break the stalemate on lumber, there is no alternate but to rely upon the Government's power.

Full translation:

Last year, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, MATSUMURA promised a bright outlook for the food situation. He said, "The production of fertilizer is expected to be 600,000 tons in 1945 and 2,000,000 tons in 1946. It appears, therefore, that the climax of the food crisis will be

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next spring, the period between harvest seasons. Thereafter, the situation will improve. In 1947, the rice crop will return to normalcy, if the weather is favorable."

But what is the situation, present and future, regarding the production of fertilizer? The production in 1945 was: Ammonium sulphate - 252,000 tons Nitrate of lime - 76,000 tons Total nitrogenious fertilizer - 328,000 tons Superphosphate of lime ————————————- 12,000 tons High-power metamorphosed lime (KODO KASEI) —- 1,000 tons Special metamorphosed lime (TOKU[illegible]HUKASEI) —- 45,000 tons Thomas phosphate ——————————————— 11,000 tons Total of phosphate fertilizer —————— 55,000(sic) tons

The production in 1946 is scheduled to be: Ammonium sulphate ————— 600,000 tons Lime nitrate ———————- 160,000 tons Total ———————————- 760,000 tons Superphosphate of lime ——- 600,000 tons

The present principal plants for ammonium sulphate production are:

Besides these plants, the Naval and Military Fuel Arsenals in YOKKAICHI, TOKUYAMA and IWAKUNI are now being converted for the production of ammonium sulphate. The conversion is expected to take about one and a half years, After the completion, it in estimated that their yearly productive capacity will be about 200,000 teas. The actual production of the above factories is now generally below their productive capacity. Above all, the equipment of the fertilizer factories is old, many of them have suffered great damage from the war, and the scanty coal supply is troubling them.

Therefore, the first requisite for fertilizer production is to supply these fertilizer factories with basic materials, such as coal and coke, as far as the coal situation permits, and at the same time to make efforts to restore war-damages factories by preferential distribution of repairing materials.

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But more important than these counter-measures will be the settlement of the financial difficulties with which the fertilizer factories are confronted at present. The financiers are extremely cautious of lending money because of the poor prospects of fertilizer production due to the reparations problem. On account of this, it is an actual fact that fertilizer industrialists are troubled by the lack of funds with which to restore their factories, despite their present need for funds of at least four billion yen.

Therefore, the Government decided at the Cabinet meeting at the end of last year to take measures to make financiers accomodate fertilizer producers with the necessary funds. It was decided that, hereafter, finance will be dealt with through the Industrial Bank of JAPAN.

We say here again that the Minister's promise to increase the distribution of fertilizer to farmers depends upon the smooth procurement of funds, securing of materials for repair and a full supply of coal and coke.

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