Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0291, 1946-02-07.

ITEM 1 Majority of Labor Approve Formation Democratic Front Mimpo - 5 Feb 46. Translator: S. Sano.

• 1.The pro and cons of the democratic popular front.
• 2.Who should be selected as the executive of the front.
• 3.The most important policy which is expected of the front by all parts of the country.

• 1.Regarding the first point, the sup orters of the formation of the democratic popular front were in an overwhelming majority of 72 per cent against 14 per cent; many of them were me of private enterprise, and the remaining 14 per cent were bystanders. It seems that most of the people excluding the intelligentsia in towns have little knowledge of the democratic popular front.
• 2.Concerning the executive of the front, Mr. NOZAKA, Sanzo was placed as its mend, Mr. YAMAKAWA, Hitoshi, follows next, and Mr. OYAMA, Ikuo, Mr. KATAYAMA, Teku, Mr. OZAKI, Yukio, and Mr. MIZUTANI, Chozaburo follow in order.
• 3.AS to th[illegible]ost important policy which is expected of the front, the first, after all, was the solution of the present food, problem. Others were the economic problems such as the prevention of inflation, the security of one's daily livelihood or the measures for unemployment; and these appeals clearly show where the thought of labor lie.

• 1.The Government should decide at once upon the utilization of funds, raw materials, labor, transport capacity, etc., necessary to carry out the urgent measures for food by obtaining the consent and co-operation of the departments concerned.
• 2.In view of the rice crop in 1945 it is necessary to remove uneasiness from the people by supplementing the deficit of provisions with imports. Therefore, the Government should immediately ask consent of the Allied Powers to import. We rely upon public firms for our actual importation affairs, and an appropriate organization should be newly established.
• 3.Improvement of the rice allotment system. While keeping the general structure of this system, the Government should take the following measures.
• a.The Government should reduce the quantity of rice which a farmer has to offer to the Government to the extent of that which is collected as rent by a landlord, and should buy the allotted rice for about five hundred yen per koku.
• b.The Government should allow the farmers, who offer their allotted quantity of rice to sell freely their surplus rice at proper rice markets in the producing fu or ken. If the standard quantity of nation is not completed by the purchase of allotted rice, the Government should buy that deficient quantity of rice through the proper rice markets.
• 4.The Government should sell the offered rice for less than 2.5 yen per she to workers (who draw lass than 5,000 yen a year for their work) because they will temporarily find it difficult to live on account of the raising of the governmental purchase price of allotted rice, and to others at the price which is gotten by adding a certain rate to the purchase price.
• 5.Improvement of the adoption system.
• a.In addition to the adoption of the aforesaid two price system within the limits of the standard ration for which the Government is responsible, the Government should especially increase the ration for those who are engaged in essential industries.
• b.The Government should think about the ration organization fundamentally, and make the best of such organizations as the Agricultural Association for collecting, rationing, and selling provisions. The terminal rationing organizations in cities should be under the management of consumption guilds in each region or in each factory and company. The facilities of the present rationing organizations should be transferred to the consumption guilds if necessary.
• 6.So as to reconstruct the industries producing such agricultural necessaries as fertilizers, farming tools, agricultural medicines, working clothes, shoes, etc., the Government should take the following urgent measures:
  
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  POLITICAL SERIES: 291 (Continued)
  
  ITEM 2 (Continued)
• a.The Government should establish, rehabilitate or repair manufacturing industries, and supply them with, or assist then with purchasing, funds, raw materials, and labor.
• b.The Government should increase the ration of foodstuffs to such factories if necessary.
• c.The Government should have them take appropriate measures to ensure cheap rates for them.
• 7.The Government should allow then, special utilization of transport for food, and in addition make efforts to rehabilitate and organize overall transportation and communication.
• 8.Guarantee for fishing products.
• a.The Government should rive special consideration to, and guarantee the supply of funds, materials and labor necessary to construct or repair fishing boats, and obtain tools, heavy oil, lamo oil, etc.
• b.The Government should ask the consent of the Allied Powers and other departments concerned to change the areas where Japanese fishermen are allowed to work or broaden the limits outside of which they are forbidden to work with dragnets from steam boats, and trawl nets.