Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0262, 1946-02-05.

Summary:

War-profiteers are all worrying about ways to evade the new taxes. What kind of dodges are the rural nouveaux riches trying then? In the MAEBASHI area, many petition are being filed to the local government by landowners for permits to transfer ownership of a part of their lands. This may be regarded as being done with purpose of evading the Property Tax. However, the local government authorities are turning down all such petitions. In the ASHIKAGA area, much money in the hands of newly-rich farmers is being invested in silk goods. Since prices are being boosted abnormally by black marketeers, silk goods have become unavailable to the lower wage earning classes of this area which is famed for its production. Moreover, it is said that most silk goods handled by black marketeers are so called. "unregistered" or smuggled. The district authorities are now planning to apprehend concealed properties.

In OTA, IBARAGI Ken, a list of reputed black market profiteers was made public. It was welcomed by the townspeople as serving to root out black marketeering. Rich farmers in SAITAMA Ken are hunting for jewels and precious metals. Curiss and paintings are also being sought. However, the favorite practice of rich farmers for evading the tax is to pretend to have turned parts of their farmland and other property over to some non-propertied persons. According to information from TOCHIGI Ken, the nouveaux riches there are trying to bay forestland. They plan, if assessed at the higher rate to pay the tax in growing trees and otherwise, to pay in currency, thereby minimizing their burden. Medium and small-scale black market profiteers are hunting for jewels precious metals and horses. Accordingly, horses are priced abnormally high these days. There are some crafty people who have established new joint stock companies together with their colleagues and pretend to have turned their properties over to the companies. On the other hand, large amounts of money are being wasted merely for pleasure.

Full Translation:

Prior to the enforcement of the Labor Union Law, the formation of labor unions was steadily increasing. The slogan of these unions has been the protection of the employees' livelihood and the revision of working terms. But now they have added one more vital element to it; that is, the participation of employees in the management of industries. This is not only a proof of the progress of the labor unions, but also serves as a sign of their future development in our country.

In reviewing the general situation of the formation of the unions, the number of unions and their members were 26l and 281,200 respectively on 20 January. From then on the number has been increasing and perhaps has doubled the former figure by this tire.

ECONOMIC SERIES: 262 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

The prominent feature of these unions is their idea of responsibility as well as their demands in contractiction to their former characteristics which emphasized disputes alone. This tendency is based upon the idea that the reconstuction of the postwar industry must be performed by labor as well as management.

The union that was formed first was the HOKKAIDO Coal Mine Union. Next various unions are organized in the following areas, MIYAGI, TOKYO, KANAGAWA, FUKUOKA, SAGA, the union which is a mixture of labor and capital, is that of OSAKA. This fact show the charateristic of O[illegible]AKA, the industrial center, which has not been entirely freed from traditional ideas. The political and mental trends of all these unions has not yet been made clear, but this much we can say, that the tendency in favor of the Social Democratic Party, which takes, the shape of federation, is far stronger than that of the Communist. In the present stage the formation of unions is done upon the basis of each industrial firm or working place; or in other words, each union is organized to meet the special characteristics of each firm. But in the future they will take a, single unified form according to each industry.

The number of organized unions on 20 January was 26l, and they are classified as follows according to each city and prefecture.

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ECONOMIC SERIES: 262 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

If we divede these unions according to each kind of industry, they are as follows:

DISTRIBUTION "X"

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