Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0171, 1946-01-16.

Summary:

The military stores which were handed over for public use to the Home Ministry by Allied authorities were temporarily taken charge of by the ministry and then distributed to the public according to usefulness thought various responsible officials. In actual fact, however, public opinion was that the distribution of food, clothes, and daily necessities, not to mention machinery and other special goods, seemed unfair. Since the beginning of last November, the distribution of military stores to the public has been carried out continuously. The officials in charge, however, on account of various difficulties, first distributed perishable foods on the spot. Daily necessities and clothes were chiefly distributed to the poor, the war sufferers, and repatriates.

Certain distribution offices, in spite of strict surveillance and numerous warnings by the Ministry, disposed of the stores unjustly. The spokesman of the Investigation Section of the Superintendent Bureau (KANRIKYOKU CHOSABU) explained as follows:

"It is unfortunate that some distribution offices acted unjustly. From now on, the authorities will have to tighten up on the disposal of stores. On the other hand, if there is a surplus, it will be distributed to the public. Heretofore, because of various difficulties brought on by transport restrictions, the authorities were obliged to distribute the stores on the spot. By March or April this distribution will be completed. We are disturbed at hearing of recent raids made upon storehouses."

Full Translation:

The NIPPON Railway Association (NIPPON TETSUDO KYOKAI) has set up the War Damaged Railway Rehabilitation Committee (SENSAI FUKKO IINKAI) to repair war damages to railways.

Traincars and automobiles owned by private railway companies were damaged at the following rate:

30 per cent in TOKYO Area 30 per cent in NAGOYA 29 per cent in OSAKA 52 per cent in HIROSHIMA

Air raid damaged vehicles totaled 2,242. Many transformer substations, car sheds, and garages also were laid waste.

ECONOMIC SERIES: 171 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

The NIPPON Railway Association, therefore, has preserved various groups, co-ordinating technical skills necessary for public works and in various fields, such as electicity, vehicles repair, materials, and engineering. These groups will he used for technical guidance end research. Materials required for repairs will be given priority.

Full Translation:

Representatives of the Government Tramcar Central Labor Union (SHODEN CHUO RODO KUMIAI), which is composed of employees working in thirteen traffic sections of the TOKYO Railway Board (TOKYO TETSUDO KYOKU), called on the Department of Transportation on l4 January and submitted to the authorities their demands for five reforms, including prompt payment of 1,500 yen per family as a fund for tiding over this winter, and other claims. Answering this, Mr. TAXI, chief of the TOKYO Railway Board, asked them to have patience stating the railway intended to settle the matter through the Committee for Improvement of Allowances (KYUYO KAIZEN IINKAJ).

The Government formed War Industry Accounting Investigation Committee (GUNJU KEIRI CHOSA IINKAI) at the cabinet meeting on 4 January. The committee will start work as soon as its members are selected.

The function of the committee is to calculate losses by war industries due to contracts with the Government during the war and to form a concrete indemnity policy. The committee will have its central office in TOKYO with branches in all the prefectures. The Commerce and Industry Minister will hold the post of chairman in the central office. In prefectural committees, chiefs of the prefectural Commerce and Industry Bureaus (CHIHO SHOKO KYOKU) or Finance Bureaus (CHIHO ZAIMU KYOKU) will be appointed prefectural chairmen or vice-chairmen.

The central office will be located in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Prefectural committee will be set up in are as controlled by each prefectural Commerce and Industry Bureau. Sixty members will be selected from civilian experts to form the central committee. The prefectural committees will be directed by the Minister of Commerce and Industry.

The committee has two sections. One is the special section (TOKU-BETSU IIN), which will study extraordinary affairs; and the other is the Specialists Section (SEMMON IIN), which will inquire into specialized affairs. When necessary, a sub-committee will be formed. Business may be divided up and managed by this subcommittee.

It may take a long period of time for the actual payment of indemnities to materialize. The committee must first set up a concrete indemnity policy which must be approved in the Diet. This indemnity policy will be put into practice at the same time as the new taxes.

Summary:

After three weeks struggle for a wage increase, shorter working hours, and labors' participation in management, the mine workers' strike at

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ECONOMIC SSERIES: 171 (Continued)

ITEM 5 (Continued)

BIBEI Mine of the MITSUI Mining Company (MITSUI KOZAN KAI SHA), HOKKAI-Do, was finally settled on 26 December with a victory for the labor union. What has been gained from the disputes? What is left unsolved? The following is information from firsthand sources.

The per cent of men actually at work was 74 on 26 December, the day of settlement, as compared with 73 on 25 December. The coal output on 26 December increased to 674 tons from 457 tons on the previous day. After a short holiday of only three days during the New Year period, the workers resumed operations on 3 January. The attendance was 79 per cent on 5 January. Coal output since the beginning of the new year has averaged about 600 tons per day, with a peak of 650 in one day. This fact clearly reflects the increasing willingness on labor's part to help the critical coal situation.

The agreement between the Company and labor provides for the establishment of deliberating councils for every branch of production by either party as well as for the right of collective bargaining. As a result, vigorous discussions ere being held by representative of both parties concerning measures for increasing production efficiency. Of course, there are many workers intoxicated with increased wages and shorter working hours, but unconvinced of their responsibility for increased production. The labor union leaders are doing their best with the realization that the coal crisis cannot be overcome unless the unions ploy their full part in production. It is premature, however, to believe that everything has been solved. Considerable improvement in needed to increase production to last year's record daily output of 2,500 tons.

Mr. MOCHINAGA, governor of HOKKAIDO, promised that increased food ration for mine workers will be given, effective January, of 6 go daily for the laborers and 3 go per capita for his family. But this promise has not been fulfilled. Moreover, 40 to 60 per cent of the present ration of 5 go of rice is given in substitute foods. In this connection, a joint petition by the company and the Union will be filed to Governor MOCHINAGA in the near future.

At present, about 2,500 laborers' are working at this mine, of which about 1,000 are underground workers. The labor supply has been increasing, and a reinforcement corps of 650 men is expected to arrive shortly. The mines' officials are now busy obtaining living quarters for 350 of the reinforcement corps which arrived from SAPPORO a few days ago. The Company is accused by all newcomers of unsatisfactory accommodation. Under the circumstances, the Company is forced to request the expected reinforcement corps to postpone their arrival.

Mining equipment, wireropes and other necessary materials which were worn out during the war have not been completely repaired or supplemented, consequently production is greatly affected. Replenishment of the supply, of explosives is most urgently needed for increased production.

Full Translation:

The new bill concerning the three taxes, is scheduled to be submitted to the first extraordinary session of this year according to an order by SCAP. If the next extraordinary session, however, is opened in April, the enactment of this bill would be behind schedule. Taking into consideration the present currency situation, the Government is

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ECONOMIC SERIES: 171 (Continued)

ITEM 6 (Continued)

urged to take any steps for the new tax laws. Therefore, the time for the investigation of property and cash will be decided on and enforced by means of a urgent Imperial ordinance before the bills passage through the coming extraordinary session.

Full Translation:

The Finance Ministry believes that the Special Diet will be converged during April, which is the beginning of the next fiscal year. The Government is making an investigation in regards to the issuance of an urgent ordinance concerning the abolition of the special account of the emergency military expenditures. This special account was transferred from the former Military and Navy Ministries to the Finance Ministry last December, but it was decided to abolish it by the end of this fiscal year. For the abolition of this special account, the issuance of a law concerning its abolition is necessary. As the Special Diet will not be opened until next April, it is rather difficult to abolish this special account at the end of March prior to the Special Diet Session. It is unanimously agreed that this account should be abolished; therefore, an ordinance authorizing its abolition, based upon articles eight and 70 of the constitution, is to be promulgated March. Concerning this matter a consultation was held on 14 January between the Finance Ministry and The First and the Second Demobilization Ministries.

Full Translation:

In order to regulate the internal supply of food in YAMANASKI-Ken, the Prefectural Office has decided to take the lead in enforcing the Food Control System (SHOKURYO KANRI-SEI). Consequently, compulsory measures will be taken when rationed rice is not produced by a fixed date, or when rice is transferred or bartered independently by a farmer.

Full Translation:

The use of trucks and buses has been severly limited by the shortage of accessories and lack of repair facilities. Recently, for the first time since the end of the war, new motor vehicles have appeared in the market, and the Communications Ministry has made an allocation to every part of the Country. The new motor vehicles are trucks and buses, manufactured in the third quarter of 1945. They are at wartime design, and are NISSAN, TOYODA and TSUZU. Two hundred vehicles, 50 buses and 150 trucks, have been allotted to TOKYO. Among them and 28 vehicles for general use, and the TOKYO Motor Car Equipment Company will distribute them according to individual needs.

DISTRIBUTION: "X"

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