Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0246, 1946-02-02.
Date2 February, 1946
translation numbereconomic-1080
call numberDS801 .S81
Persistent Identifier
ECONOMIC SERIES: 246
IEEM 1 Additional Ration of Rice For 24 Kinds Of Industries Stress Laid On Collatoral Good's Industries - Sangyo Keizai 31 Jan 46. Translator: H. Sato.
Full Translation:
In view of the food situation, TOKYO-TO (Metropolitan Civil Government) has decided
to enforce a newly revised system of
additional ration of rice for factory workers in the metropolis, effective 1 February.
In the present revision, stress is laid on the stability of public living basic industries
and their subsidiary industries,
and industries of collateral goods. Such industries as printing and monopoly businesses
were emitted from the existing 13
nominated industries, and 24 varieties [illegible]industries have been fixed provided they are restricted to
such operations as apply under the Factory Act. According to the now system there
are two types, one for heavy workers (HEI
Class) an additional ration of 140 grams of rice (1 GO) per head a day, and another
for light workers allowing 70 grams (5
SHAKU). The labor division of The Public Living Bureau, MINTSEIKYOKU will take charge
of this business. Those factories which
cone under the 24 newly fixed industries mast report the typo of business and the
number of workers to the labor
administration section (ROSEIKA) of the Labor Division (KINROBU) of TOKYO-TO with
application forms furnished a t the labor
exchange.
In fear of the recurrence of such a case as the ITABASHI incident which caused, trouble
with unidentified materials, it has
been decided that if there is a change in the number of workers or a suspension of
factor y operation, the concern must report
to the authorities to that effect without delay so that measures may be taken for
stoppage, reduction, or return of the
additional rice ration.
The 24 eligible industries are as follows:
Polling stock industries (parts manufacturing and repair worst include
Iron industry
Stool industry
Metal refining
Forging
Roiling mill (Restricted to heavy work)
Foundry
Ship-building
Ship repairing
Automobile industry (parts manufacturing and repair work included)
Bicycle industry (parts manufacturing included)
Motor manufacturing
Chemical fertilizer manufacturing
Agricultural inclement manufacturing
Manufacturing of agricultural chemicals
Hide and skin Industry
Transportation (railways, not including government railway; bus, not including hired bus)
Cement Manufacturing industry
ECONOMIC SERIES: 246 (Continued)
ITEM 1 (Continued)
Gas, water and electric supply business
Limits and briquette manufacturing; industry
Saw-mills
Veneer board manufacturing industry
Electric bulb manufacturing industry
Press (restricted to those works separating night and day).
ITEM 2 The Liberation Of The Property Of The I[illegible]oerial Family Beginning To Materialize - Asahi Shinbun 1 Feb 46. Translator: K. Sato.
Full Translation:
The Government has decided on the speedy disposal of Imperial property in view of
the current turbulent political situation
and also the levying of the Wartime Income Tax and Property Tax. At 1500 30 January
MATSH[illegible]AIEA,
Minister of the Imperial [illegible]usehold, visited SHIBUZAWA, Minister of Finance at the Finance Ministry,
and had a talk with him over the problem of the property of the Imperial Household.
It is presumed that the contents of the
conversation were relate d to the disposal of the Imperial Household property, and
probably the exchange of concrete views on
this problem was made on that occasion.
The property of the Imperial Household (art objects, jewels, and ingots of gold and
silver not included.) was estimated at
about 1,500,000,000 yen according to the publication of Allied Headquarters on 30
October. The above figure is only on
approximate amount, and it was directed by Allied Headquarters that the Japanese Government
should make a more accurate
investigation of this matter. Farther, on 20 November a directive, ordering the blockade
of the property of the Imperial
Household, was given to the Government. Also on 25 November it was clarified by Allied
Headquarters that even Imperial
property should be the object of the Wartime Income Tax and the Property Tax. This
is a radical innovation to the present
Constitition and its subordinate regulations authorizing the Emperor and the Imperial
Family to be immune from the duty of
tax-paying. As a result it was thought that a fundamental reformation concerning the
Imperial property was inevitable. If the
Imperial Family pays the property tax and further chares the duty of paying taxes
with ordinary people, the readjustment of
this property will be neccesary. From the standpoint of democratization it is not
appropriate for the Imperial Family to
monopolize such an enormous amount of wealth as 1,500,000,000 yen. We hear such opinion
from various quarters. Such being the
case, the disposal, of the Imperial property is decisive.
It is not yet clear as to what method is to be taken with respect to its disposal.
It is a matter to be decided by
deliberation between the Government and the Imperial Household. But judging from the
contents of the property, the items that
will fall under the category of disposal are first of all the Imperial estates and
forests. It is predicted that a
considerable amount will be disposed of. The point of discussion between the Government
and the Imperial Household is in the
amount of the property to be disposed of, and its result will save a grave influence
upon the reformation of the Imperial
Household. As for the technical method of disposal which will be the second step,
it is doubtful whether the estates and
forests will be sold to the people by the mediation of the Government or whether they
will be sold directly to the peoples.
The disposal of the Imperial property and the taxation upon the Imperial Family, have
a deep connection, with Article 21 of
the Constitution, which imposes the duty of tax-payment only upon the people, the
supplementary Article 8of the Imperial House
Law, and Article 21 of the Imperial Property Law. Henceforward, the future aspect
of this problem is worthy of notice.
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ECONOMIC SERIES: 246 (Continued)
ITEM 3 Present Financial Condition of Corporations and Views of Financial Circles on "Financial Difficulties. - Nippon Sangyo Keizai - 1 Feb 46. Translator: T. Okamura.
Summary:
The tightness of money is pointed out by capitalist as the main reason for the recent
poor production situation. People call
it "Sabotage in production" by capitalists, and it is true that the funds essential
for industrial activities are so scarce
that most corporations are now placed in a strained situation, and are as a loss to
find funds even for personnel
expenditures. Unless this financial tightness is removed, the much discussed speedy
reconversion from war-time into peace time
industry, and the resumption of production by factories will not be realized. In order
to ascertain whether or not capitalists
are earnestly contemplating concrete measures to meet these difficulties, we have
interviewed the JAPAN Mining Company (NIPPON
KOGYO KAISHA) and the KAYABA Industrial Company (SANGYO KAISHA). Opinions of financial
circles and the Industrial Bank of
JAPAN are also revealed.
NIPPON Mining Company: As opposed to such mining corporations as MITSUI, MITSTUBUSHI,
and SUMITOMO which are now engaged in
coal production, the NIPPON Mining Company was during the war, and is at present,
conducting only metal ore mining, and is now
in most acute financial difficulties. Present production is only 10 percent of that
during the war, and normal operation will
not be restored until October. "In the preset situation, the company will come to
bankruptcy," stated President MIYAKE
speaking of his corporation. According to the president, the company, as an emergency
measure plans to place asset s in
foreign territories valued at over 500 million yen under a separate account, and at
the same time is planning to realize the
rational development program, and the renovation of three major refineries under its
management.
Unless draft measures to recover financial stability by enacting curtailments in
structure and capitalization are taken the
corporation will not tide over the difficulties.
KAYABA Industrial Company: The corporation in order to tide over strained financial
difficulties reduced the number of
employees from 20,000 to 2,000, discharged officials connected with the army, and
is collecting unpaid accounts. The company,
which is manufacturing bicycles, flour milling machines, air pumps for bicycles will
re[illegible]ch maximum
production of these products after three months. To get over those throe months, the
company decided to curtail all
expenditures and pay only the lowest possible salaries to employees regardless of
their r[illegible]k or
post. Every employee has been paid 600 yen m an average, subject of difference according
to individual family
circumstances.
Financial Circle: Opinions in financial circle s in connection with the financial
tightness are summarized ac follows: The
firs t problem is reparations: Almost all equipment and plants were converted into
war time industries during the war. But:
now that the war is over, they are mostly reconverted to civilian industry. There
are many difficulties to solve in this
respect. They include problems of technique, moderate reduction of excessively expanded
accomodations, repairing of war
stricken accomodations and equipment. These organizations during the war received
large amounts of funds from banking
organizations, but the advancement of funds was suspended with the end of war. Another
grave difficulty came when Ambassador
PAULEY’S interim report on the reparation policy toward JAPAN was released. According
to Ambassador PAULEY'S announcement,
equipment and plant s to be transferred are not few and many industrialists, in anticipation
of future developments of the
reparations program, are afraid to resume the former function of activities by their
factori[illegible]Banking organizations, too, are reluctant to provide funds for such industrialists.
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ECONOMIC SERIES: 246 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (Continued)
Though the Government promises compensation mounting to several thousand million
yen and which these industrialist s are
expecting with ke[illegible]n interest, the compensation by the Government will not be realized until a
concrete decision on reoperations has been reached.
To make the matter worse, the aggravating inflation booms, and shortage of coal are
obstructing resumption of industrial
activities, regardless of whether these compensations will be abolished or not. It
is premature to expect that factories will
resume their activities as soon as compensation has been paid. It is necessary to
readjust the financial relationship between
industry and finance, which has been brought about since the war.
In this connection, a plan to establish the Renovation Banking Company (FUK[illegible]O KINYU KARISE.) is
now much discussed. The projected corporation, which will not deal with usual business,
will play the role of a financial
readjustment organization until the liquidation for Governmental co pensations has
been completed. Others insist that such an
organization should not be established and on the other hard an opinion advocating
the abolition of special banks is current.
Though it is generally believe d that the materialization of the projected corporation
will be difficult, many people in
financial circles support the project. They advocate the establishment of a civilian
renovation banking organization, if the
Government organization is not established. Some quarters in financial circles plan
to accomodate special account s in the
present banks, which handle [illegible]ll accounts with former munitions industries. This project aims at
the acceleration of industrial activities, by getting rid of the yoke of munitions
finance.
What the banking authorities think of the financial crisis of industrial corporations
is manifested in the following views
releaser by Director [illegible]KLYAMA of the Industrial Bank of JAPAN: "Banks, from the national
standpoint, admit the necessity of accomodating funds to industrial corporations,
but in the present situation, banks cannot
accomadate so much as industrialist s desire." "The amount of deposits in ordinary
banks are on the decline, while the
collection of loans is expected to be very difficult." According to the director,
it would be difficult for banks to advance
funds to manufacturers of their own accord, until concrete programs for reparations
future prospect for the supply of raw
materials, and measures for industrial recover y have become clear. What industrial
corporations require most at present are
not funds for production, but funds to pay their employees wages and allowances. Therefore
banks refrain from advancing funds
to corporations whoso foundation is not stable.
Director [illegible]also stated that it would be necessary for such corporations to decide themselves
which
should be dissolve d and which should be left, after keeping close contact among themselves.
These organizations should
greatly assist the reorganization of industries. He also suggested that the highest
executives of such corporations should
decide whether or not their corporations should continue operations.
DISTRIBUTION "X"
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