Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0211, 1946-01-26.

Full Translation:

A Cigarette, "Peace", which has been placed on sale lately, is preventing underground dealings in cigarettes by smokers. The production of cigarettes has so increased, owing to the repair of war damaged machines, that the retail shops will make a. big profit. The following matters are questions and answers of interest to smokers:

Question: will the daily quota of cigarettes increase?

Answer: It is due to the shortage of cigarette manufacturing machines caused by war damage rather than the shortage of tobacco that only four cigarettes or four grams, which is not enough for men, are being distributed at present. We want to distribute about five cigarettes to every man throughout the Country after April 1946. This years' tobacco small yield of 25,000 chobu and the leaf-tobacco storage will result in the supply not meeting the demands of the repaired machines. The production capacity at present of the machines is some 25,000,000,000 cigarettes a year, but at the end of March it will be some 40,000,000,000 cigarettes.

Question: Will free dealing be difficult?

Answer: The tobacco yield decreased to 33,000 chobu in 1946 from 50,000 chobu in 1941, which is equal to ten cigarettes per man per day. The weight of the leaf-tobacco from a tobacco field of one tan decreased to 130 grams in 1945 from 180 grams in 194l owing to the shortage of fertilizers. The retail shop's will be unable to deal in cigarettes freely unless more than 12 cigarettes per man per day can be provided. The leaf-tobacco substitutes are stored in HOKKAIDO, but the "ITADORI," type of grass alone will not be sufficient. It is our opinion that the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the TOBACCO Monopoly Bureau should grow tobaccos as a collateral security in order to import foods.

Question: How will "Peace" tobacco be sold?

Answer: The price of "Peace" contains 4 per cent commission, which will be given to the retail shops. The retail shops dealing in "Peace" are about 15% of all the retail shops in the six greater cities and are the shops which have satisfied the public. In Tokyo, 1000 packets of "Peace" are distributed to a retail shop and are sold for 7,000 yen, of which 70 yen is direct commission to the shop and 210 yen is indirect commission paid to the Tobacco Retail Shop association, which divides it among the retail shops concerned. Since the retail shops are afraid of having 7,000 yen in cash, considering the present state of affairs, the authorities will increase the number of retail shop and will get them to sell the cigarettes twice or three times a week in lots of about 300 packs at once.

ECONOMIC SERIES: 211 (Continued)

ITEM 1 (Continued)

Question: Will "Corona" Cigarettes be sold after the middle of February 1946.

Answer: This cigarette is the best grade of tobaccos in Japan, though it is not aromatized and the price is ten yen for ten cigarettes. It will be sold by the middle of February 1946. Production will be 100,000,000 a month after February 1946.

At the same time, high class cigarettes will be sold in all the cities throughout the Country. The Tobacco Monopoly Bureau will sell cigars at the price of 20 to 30 yen per cigar.

Summary:

Now that high prices are so prevalent that a large number of labor disputes are in full swing in all companies and plants, there is no other way to prevent serious inflation than by lowering commodity prices. Thus, the opinion is now gaining ground among the Ministry of Finance authorities that price ceilings on food should be restored immediately. The central market has just cone to the conclusion that control over fish and other marine products is inevitable in order to make these goods reach every family in an absolutely impartial way.

The Price Handling Department of the Ministry of Finance has its plans for remedying the present crippled economy, stressing the adoption of a system of distributing fuel, fertilizer, and farming tools to farmers and fisherman in exchange for the delivery of their products, thereby promoting the flow of those goods. Nevertheless, control over these goods is thought to be almost inevitable.

Mr. KUDO, Chief of the Price Handling Department in the Ministry, outlining the Government Policy toward the current price situation, asserted that the key to the restoration of the present high level of commodity prices to normalcy lay in the immediate restoration of railway transport. He stated "In the present traffic situation, there is no alternative, in transporting marine and farm products between the producing areas and the markets, but to rely on traffic services hired at black market prices.

"Considerable increase in the cost of these goods is therefore, quite inevitable. We can sea fish sold in the black market at about 30 times its price in producing areas. Yet, I am quite sure that the present high prices of these goods will be considerably reduced, either by restoring normal traffic services or establishing public markets, and at the same time taking advantage of department stores, thereby selling these goods at a fair price, As a result, many black marketeers may lose their jobs, but they can engage in the production of these goods, instead of selling them. On the other hand, we are considering the temporary enforcement of control over marine and farm products."

We concluded, "In view of the great need for these products in the daily life of the people, we must leave no means untried in the stabilizing of prices."

Full Translation:

The labor dispute of the TOKYO SHIBAURA Electric Company (TOKYO SHIBAURA DENKI) has increased in scale and developed into a big co-operative campaign. Employees at two of the plants, and four laboratories in HORIKAWA-Cho in the KAWASAKI area, as well as two plants, one in TSURAMI one in ADACHI (all these plants and laboratories are under the same management), have entered into dispute.

- 2 -

ECONOMIC SERIES: 211 (Continued)

ITEM 3 (Continued)

Encouraged "by the presence of members of the KANAGAWA-Ken Plant Workers' Deputy Council (KANAGAWA-ken KOJO DAIHYO KYOGIKAI), the TOKYO SHIBAURA Labor Unions in the TOKYO and YCKOHAMA areas held a joint mass meeting at the TOKYO SHIBAURA plant, HORIKAWA-Cho, KAWASAKI, at 1300 on 17 January members of other labor unions, such as the URAGA Dock Labor Unions (URAGA DOKXU RODO KUMIAI) and various others in the KEIHIN area attended the meeting, and the compound of the plant was fully occupied.

About 10 thousand assembled, hoisting banners with such slogans as "Unity is our Weapon," "We can take charge of Production!", etc.

Messrs. TOKUTA, Kyirichi, member of the Communist Party (KYOSANTO), NAKANISHI, Inocuke, member of the League of People's Culture (JIMMIN BUNKA REMMEI), UNO, Takechiyo, member of the Local Committee of the Communist Party, KAKAGAWA (KYOSANTO KANAGAWA CHIHO I-IN), KASAI, Yoshiro, member of the JAPAN Socialist Party (NIPPON SHAKAI TO), and others, were present as guests,

The meeting decided on the unification of the disputes of the members of the labor unions of the TOKYO SEIBAURA plants at ADACHI and TSUHUMI and on the statement to be made. Further, Mr. KURAMOTO, committee member from the TOKYO SHIBAURA plant at ADACHI, and other deputies stood up and made fury addresses. He was followed by some of the guests who stood up and also made encouraging addresses. Then about ten thousand strikers went on a demonstration march, arm in arm, through the streets, with the TOKYO SHIBAURA strikers at the head.

DISTRIBUTION "X"

- 3 -