Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0243, 1945-02-01.

Full Translation:

Consumers' unions are being formed every day in various quarters of the city. However, the majority of them are merely temporary and are not corporations. This may he the cause of some obstacles of no little importance in the way of their sound development, for the newly-introduced property tax can affect them.

This tax, which is regarded as a touchstone of the success or failure of the reconsolidation of our financial resources. Some are of the opinion in this matter that the property tax, taken as a whole, means a tax on the general public, and they are condemning it. This may he correct in some degree; for, as an obvious example of a tax on the general public we can take the case of the consumers' unions, which are going to be affected by the taxation program; the consumers' unions, formed for the most part by salaried men with fixed incomes and small contributions to the union, who are in no sense wartime profiteers themselves, are to be taxed at the note of 10 per cent when the union's funds exceed 30,000 yen.

We add in this connection the following view expressed by the First Section of the Revenue Bureau, Finance Office:

If such consumers' unions, formed by town assemblies, neighborhood associations, salaried men, farmers or fishermen, are to be taxed, some consideration must be paid to them in the course of levying the property tax, A consumers' union formed with the object of public welfare, with its funds accumulated and expended for no other purpose, and proved so by the authorities upon investigation, is no problem, for a corporation operating for the public welfare, is not taxed. But it will be taken for granted, that consumers' unions now extant or being formed here in this country are, in most cases, merely agreed upon or arranged, a remarkable trend. We are now studying convenient measures as favorable as possible to such unions."

Full Translation:

As the first step in increasing the production of silk cocoons, the increase in production of silkworm eggs is being urged by the public. Despite this, the rehabilitation of former producers of silk eggs, who are members of the JAPAN Silkworm Egg Manufacture Company, (NIPPON SANSHU SEIZO KAISHA.) seems difficult because of the problem of mutual financial aid. However this rehabilitation problem was settled recently, and former producers will be permitted to resume their trade by the following rehabilitation procedure: (l) Permission will be restricted to those who are former producers successors to a busi-

ECONOMIC SERIES: 243 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

ness, But those, who gave up their business for any other reason except participation in a manufacturing company are not to he allowed (2) Those who had received financial aid from a manufacturing company should be permitted to resume operation if they return eighty per cent of the money, (3) These who are members of the. Co-operation Instrument Union (KYO DOSHI SETSU-KUMIAI) as well as f a manufacturing company should be permitted to rehabilitate their business by establishing a new corporation among themselves or by re-entering the Cooperation Union. However, in the case of one former business existing alone in a prefecture, operation of an independent business should be Permitted.

Reserve Funds of Silk Producers: The producers must deposit a reserve with the JAPAN Silk Yarn Industry Association (NIPPON SANSHI GYOKAI) at the rate of four sen per gramme for bulk silk which exceeds the standard of production. The reserve money must be used to pay for instruments for sericulture. In the 1946 fiscal year, the above standard for production must replace the figure, of allotment in 1945 for production of silkworm eggs.

Full Translation:

The Coal Oil Control Company (TAN YU TOSEI KAISHA) agreed as follows on the expected production of tor products for the 4th quarter.

The coal required is estimated at 260,000 tons. The bracketed figures are the expected quantity for sales for this period (but exclude the amount to be used by the company) and also Contain the quantity brought over from the previous period.

Full Translation:

The ratio of rice delivery from farms of 20 January is still as low as 34 per cent of the total delivery plan. However, the delivery condition is improving somewhat with regard to the cities since the last ten-day period of December. Here the conditions of rice stock, that is the rice in the hands of government agents and the Food Corporation (SHOKRYO EIDAN), in the four largest cities of TOKYO, OSAKA, KYOTO, and NAGOYA, will be reviewed.

It is believed that stocks corresponding to ten days' requirements - are needed in order to assure a regular distribution of rice in large cities. Fortunately stocks in the above four cities are over this safety margin at present and there is no reason to fear that this situation will be reversed in the immediate future unless some unforeseen event should occur.

Each city has its peculiar rice supply condition in accordance with its geographical conditions and the movement of population etc. In

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ECONOMIC SERIES: 243 (Continued)

ITEM 4 (Continued)

general, the delivery of the new crop of last fall is "being delayed about one month compared with ordinary years, and for that reason stocks in large cities had greatly declined during December. Thus, in many cities the stocks were diminished far below the safety level stated above. For instance, the stock of rice in KYOTO was as low as two days' requirements at the middle of December. However, this state of affairs began to improve from the end of that month and January even the rice stock of KYOTO holds out along the tenday line. OSAKA has never been below the ten-day line and NAGOYA has always been over a 25-day line throughout the transfer stage of crop years. The following are the detailed accounts of rice supply in the four cities.

TOKYO: The daily requirement of rice in TOKYO is about 8,000 KOKU. Since the middle of December, the reserve declined below the ten-day level, and on 28 December it reached the lowest mark of 4.5 days. Since then the situation has improved and particularly after 5 January the reserve maintains the ten-day standard. It is noticeable that the rice stock in TOKYO follows the state of the delivery activities in KASTO and TOHOKU districts drawing back about ten days.

OSAKA: Daily consumption of rice for that city is estimated at 2,900 KOKU. Thanks to the carried over stock of miscellaneous MANCHURIA grains and others, stock in OSAKA has never been below the ten-day level during recent months. Such a high level of reserve was further enhanced in January. More recently, however, the condition is somewhat depressing. This is due to the delay of rice delivery in HOKUROKU and KYUSHU.

NAGOYA: This city is able to maintain 30 to 49 days' reserve all the time, by depending upon the local grain of AICHI-Ken and is in the most assured position of the largest six cities in JAPAN. Daily consumption is 1,300 KOKU.

KYOTO: Daily consumption of rice is 2,000 KOKU. Reserve in KYOTO diminished below the ten-day level from the beginning of December, On 14 December it reached a critical condition with a reserve of rice equal to two or three days' requirements. Such a crisis existed in KYOTO due to the failure in delivery of local production, i.e., the rice in KYOTO and SHIGA Prefectures, and because of the competition with the neighboring consumption centers of OSAKA, and KOBE in the way of securing the HOKUROKU rice. The crisis has passed without disaster, however, and since the beginning of January the reserve has been maintained along the safety margin. The future rice supply in KYOTO depends upon the delivery Conditions in HOKUROKU district and KYOTO and SHIGA-Ken.

DISTRIBUTION "X"

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