Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0218, 1946-01-27.

Summary:

A demand has been growing for the fundamental reorganization of the Agricultural Association (NOGYO KAI), as well as for the reformation of the agrarian system, in order to carry out the democratization of agriculture. For the purpose of putting farmers into absolute and unconditional service for the war, the Central Agricultural Association (CHUONOGYO KAI) and the National Economic Association (ZENKOKU KEIZAI KAI) were established by the Agricultural Body Law (NOGYO DANTAI HO) which was instituted by consolidating various agricultural laws and regulations at the session of a diet in the spring of 1943. In June of last year, the above two associations united to become a wartime agricultural body based on the General Mobilization Law. At the termination of the war, it became the present Agricultural Association. As is easily guessed from its career, the association, despite its name of a civil body, is of government origin in its character and is completely estranged from the farmers. A prefectural governor is authorized to appoint and dismiss the leading personnel of the association and to dispatch an order of obedience to bring the disobedient farmers under the control of the association. Farmers have had no opportunity to express their opinions, being checked by the character of the association. Business has been conducted just as in a government office. On the one hand, they have treated the farmers brusquely and with disgusting arrogance; on the other hand, they have been bent on profitable business as though they had forgotten the real aim of popularizing agriculture and increasing productive power. Moreover, what must be stressed even more is that the leading posts of the association were occupied by men of influence in the village, and such a group of men has afforded benefits and facilities only to the landowner class. Poor farmers have been put under difficulties, even in borrowing funds for production, because of a lack of credit or securities. Besides, farmers, in offering their products, have very often been daunted upon seeing unscruoulous acts committed by the staffs of the association, such as the unlawful disposal of the distributed goods, or the black marketing of agricultural products. Now, even from inside the association, a demand has been growing for the cleaning up of such a situation. For instance, the staff committee of the TOKAI KOKURIKU Branch of the Agricultural Association urged the dismissal of leading personnel and the sweeping out of such lower staffs as are easily ruled by their superiors.

However, a more fundamental reform is necessary for the democratization of the Agricultural Association. For the present, it is necessary to conduct promptly the election of the officials and staffs, not waiting till March, when an election is to be held under the revised Agricultural Body Law (NOGYO DANTAI HO), to make public official conferences, to appoint a staff solely from the agricultural point of view, to increase the welfare of farmers, to promote the shipment of products by reorganizing the business section of the association

ECONOMIC SERIES: 218 (Continued)

ITEM 1 (Continued)

along democratic lines, and to establish a system in which each farmer can have an equal share of the profits. In addition, complaints have often been made by small farmers concerning the organization of the association, which is divided into two sections, the direction section to promote the requisition of products and the business section to handle the shipment of products at a profit. Therefore, it is also being considered whether to return the direction section to the former Farmers' Association (NO KAI) and to make the business section an independent organization like a cooperative society in the wide sense. Anyway, the present system, in which every farmer is compelled to enter the Agricultural Association willy nilly, must be reformed sooner or later. Farmers must be free to enter and quit the association. Furthermore, they must establish a Food Administration Committee (SHOKURYO KANRI IIN KAI) by which they will manage the production, requisition and distribution of products by their own hands. Then the function of the Agricultural Association will be only to conduct business in accordance with the decision of the committee. The real democratization of the present bureaucratic Agricultural Association can only be realized through such a drastic reformation.

Summary:

Regarding reconstruction work in the war stricken city of KOBE, Mr. HARAGUCHI, Vice-chief of Municipal Reconstruction Headquarters, spoke as follows: "It is our leading principle from the outset to respect the will of the citizens in rebuilding the war stricken city of KOBE, and we have heard the wishes of the citizens of every class, from their respective representatives, at the first and second meetings of the Reconstruction committee. It has also been decided by the Cabinet that reconstruction work should be carried out by local municipal bodies. Therefore, the reconstruction of KOBE should be done by the mayor. But the question arises as to how many municipal bodies there are that will be able to carry out the work with present equipment.

In the case of KOBE, the present municipal structure is too small to perform the task. It is necessary, therefore, to have powerful support from the prefectural government and also to strengthen the authority of the municipality itself.

In the state budget of the 1945 fiscal year, 16,000,000 yen was appropriated for working expenses and 340,000,000 yen for grants-in-aid, its chief items were 6,400,000 yen for surveying and map making, 10,000,000 yen for machinery, 44,000,000 yen for street work, 19,000,000 yen for water works and drainage, 260,000,000 yen for land readjustment.

The total war stricken area in the country is 1,170,000,000 tsubo, and it is planned to clear 17,000,000 tsubo of land in the 1946 fiscal year. The city of KOBE which has 5,000,000 tsubo of war stricken land, will receive a 25,000,000 to 30,000,000 yen government grant.

We are planning to clear, at first, 1,000,000 tsubo of burnt-out areas. In the land readjustment, 90 per cent of the expenditure will be paid with government grants. In the case of street planning, three quarters of the main street and one half of other atreats, one-third of the water works and two thirds of the drainage will also be paid for with government aid, and the citizens will have to bear the rest of the cost. The city of KOBE is in a bad way, financially, and it is a big problem as to how to get the reconstruction expenses.

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ECONOMIC SERIES: 218 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

At the same time, it is necessary to extend the power of the mayor in order to enforce reconstruction, and the following three points will be essential for this purpose:

• 1.Control power over land and buildings in war-stricken areas will be vested in the mayor.
• 2.Control over labor and control over securing and distribution of food and clothing for the laborers will be given to the mayor.
• 3.The mayor will be given a say in securing machinery, oil and other necessary materials for the reconstruction work.

Full Translations:

Forecasting the end of war indemnification under the present economic situation, financial circles in the KANSAI district have set up the following three plans. They cay that by putting into effect these plans the former munitions industry can continue to operate for about ten years.

Full Translation:

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, which has been trying to secure transformers and has concentrated all its efforts on repairing damaged transformers to prevent freguent electricity failures, will encourage the voluntary handing over of hidden transformers, in accordance with the application of the main materials Control Law. The hidden transformers, numbering over 10,000 disposed of by the army and navy, and over 30,000 stored at munitions factories, have not been collected. There have been more than 60,000 transformers destroyed, out of a total of 130,000 throughout the country, and new transformers are needed to replace them. But the authorities will not be able to solve the problem of electricity failures unless the destroyed transformers are replaced by the hidden transformers, in view of the fact that present production is 2,000 transformers.

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