Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0146, 1946-01-10.

Extracts:

The 67 dairy farms in IWATE-Ken imported 6,000 bays of fodder, mostly mixed fodder (HAIGO SHIRYO), every year from MANCHURIA. Since the surrender, however, they have been unable to continue the imports and have had to fall back on their stocks which will only last until February 1946. Of course, the mixed fodder can not be manufactured and supplied in JAPAN, and so the dairy farms will be driven out of business.

Counter-measures are under consideration in various districts of IWATE-Ken. The dairy farmers at MORIOKA decided to engage in farming and in manufacturing butter at the KANBUGAHARA Parade Ground, which was disposed of by the Government. Most of the dairy farms at HANAMAKI-Cho will also engage in farming. The dairy farmers giving up business will cause uneasiness in IWATE-Ken and other prefectures.

Summary:

The development of the precision instrument industry in SWITZERLAND without many natural resources except hydroelectric power suggests the future course of Japanese industry. Eighty per cent of the area of JAPAN is mountainous and there is ample rainfall. Therefore, it may be said that the future progress of national economy is closely connected with the skillful and intensive utilization of hydroelectric power resources. Here we will consider such electrification of JAPAN's industry with special reference to the rural districts.

The subject of electrification of the rural districts may be divided into two major branches: one, the industrialization of the rural districts, and the other, the electrification of agriculture.

The industrialization of rural districts may mean the decentralization of industry. The workdays of farmers in JAPAN were said to average 240 days a year. Therefore, a full third of a year's labor power will be recruited from the farmers for their mutual benefit. Such decentralization of industry will be facilitated only through wise use of electric power.

As to the electrification of agriculture, it is true that Japanese agriculture is conducted on a small sale. But its intensiveness leaves great scope for electrification. Here we will enumerate the possible fields of electrification of agriculture in JAPAN as follows:

• I.Use of Electric Power

•   ECONOMIC SERIES: 146 (Continued) ITEM 2 (Continued)
• A.For irrigation of the fields.
• B.For threshing.
• C.For polishing rice and other grains.
• D.For toasting in tea manufacture.
• E.For ventilation and fanning of silk worm rooms and cattle stables.
• F.For straw works.
• II.Electric Lights.
• A.For increasing crops.
• B.For chicken and silk farming.
• C.For insect lamps.
• III.Electric Heat.
• A.For cocoon spinning.
• B.For artificial incubation.
• C.For vegetable nursing.
• D.For silk farming.

Full Translation:

A movement for the combination of labor unions and of farmers' organizations has become conspicuously active recently. In KANAGAWA-Ken, the following 21 labor unions have been combined: the IKEGAI Automobile Company (IKEGAI JIDOSHA); the TSURUMI Factory of the TOKYO SHIBAURA Electric Company (TOKYO SHIBAURA D[illegible]NKI); the TSURUMI Ship Building Company (TSURUMIZOSEM); the FUJISAWA Factory of the NIPPON Steel Manufacturing Company (NIPPON SEIKO); the ODAWARA Factory of the Cabinet Printing Bureau (NAIKAKU INSATSUKYOKU); the ASANO Dock, etc.

They held their first meeting on 25 December last year, selecting as their representative Mr. KATAYAMA, Jiro, who belongs to the labor union of the IKEGAI Automobile Company. The union was named the KANAGAWA-Ken Factory Workers Union Conference (KANAGAWA CHIHC [illegible]OJO JUGYOIN KUMIAI KONDAN KAI). The second meeting will be held on the 15th. All the factories under its control are divided into three regions: the TSURUMI, KAWASAKI, SHONAN and the ODAWARA districts. An ordinary meeting will be held once a month in each region. At the meeting, they will take up the problem of food administration by the labor unions together with demands for a minimum wage and an eight hour day.

In TOKYO also, a conference was organized by representatives of 10,000 members of labor unions in the following companies: the ISHII Iron Works Company (ISHII TETEKKO); the NIPPON Special Steel Manufacturing Company (NIPPON TOKUSHUKO); the NIPPON Machine Manufacturing Company (NIPPON S[illegible]IKI); the OKI Electric Company (OKI DENKI); the NIPPON ELECTRIC Company (NIPPON DENKI); the KEISEI Railway Company (KEISEI DENSHA); the TOKYO Machine Manufacturing Company of the MITSUBISHI Heavy Industry Company (MITSUBISHI JUKO TOKYOKIKI); the Electric Industry Company (DENGYOSHA); the NIPPON Crane Manufacturing Company (NIPPON KIJUKI); etc.

- 2 -

ECONOMIC SERIES: 146 (Continued)

ITEM 3 (Continued)

Their first meeting was held on the 6th. As in the case of KANAGAWA-Ken, they decided to make the labor union the main body for food administration. Namely, it was decided that they, the factory workers, would take charge of the production of fertilizer and agricultural tools, under their own administration, if need be, and offer the manufactured good to farmers' organizations, receiving, in return for this, food from the farmers. They would then take over food administration.

A labor union conference for the whole KANTO district will shortly be held in response to the request of the above representatives. The first meeting of the representatives of factories in the KANTO district will be held on the 27th. It is reported that, in the near future, an All-JAPAN Coal Miners' Labor Union Conference will be formed by representatives from the regions of HOKKAIDO, KYUSHU, JOBAN and YAMAGUCHI.

Meanwhile, the formation of the NIPPON Farmers' Association (NIPPON NOMIN KU[illegible]IAI), which was to have been made last year, was postponed to after the general election, as its preliminary committee had rejected the ex-leading members of the National Agricultural Associations (ZENKOKU NOGY[illegible]KAI). Irrespective of this, farmers' organizations such as farmers' unions, tenant farmers' associations and farmers' committees are being formed in each district. There is also a movement to open an All-JAPAN Farmers' Meeting representing all the farmers' organizations.

These laborers' and peasants' movements will develop as a widespread organization of the people, not tinged with the political colors of the Communist Party or the Social Democratic Party. It can be seen that if these popular movements succeed, a widespread peoples' party will be formed on the basis of the close connection among the labor unions, farmers' organizations and civilian food administration committees being set up in each district.

Full Translation:

According to investigations by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, foreign trade from September to the end of December 1945 is outlined as follows:

• I. Exports:
• A.Coal to KOREA, 109,000 metric tons.
• B.Coal to HONGKONG, 24,000 metric tons.
• C.Silkworm egss to KOREA, 150,000 sheets (1,500,000 grams).
• D.Pitch to KOREA, 2,305 metric tons.
• E.Pit props to NORTH CHINA, 8,331 koku (4,100 metric tons).
• II. Imports:
• A.Salt from EOREA, 850 metric tons.
• B.Tapioca from the PHILIPPINES, 70 metric tons.
• C.Fuel oil from AMERICA, 10,000 metric tons.

Besides the above, some quantity of machine oil and kerosene oil was

- 3 -

ECONOMIC SERIES: 146 (Continued)

ITEM 4 (Continued)

bought from the UNITED STATES Army. Moreover, the shipment of about 26,000 metric tons for the KAIHATSU Mines in NORTH CHINA is scheduled for every month beginning last December. Arrangements have already been completed for January's shipment. The import of salt as a collateral is also expected.

DISTRIBUTION "X"

- 4 -