Press translations [Japan]. Social Series 0040, 1945-11-29.

Summary:

The metropolitan authorities' plan to make a special delivery of 3,000,000 kan (one kan equals 3.75 kg.) of sweat potatoes by purchasing them at the unusual price of 5 yen per kan from the neighboring prefectures of CHIBA, SAITAMA, and GUMMA has been under way since 12 November. The aim of this attempt is to alleviate the current critical food supply situation for the citizens.

Meanwhile, in the producing districts a discussion is being held on how to settle the balance between the cities' bid and the Government's compulsory purchasing price at which the farmers previously had to sell their products.

The following points are mentioned from the farmers' point of view:

The opinion of CHIBA farmers is that the purchasing price was increased openly up to the level of the farmer black market price. The black market price of 5 yen, however, is the price charged only within a distance of one ri (one ri equals 4 km.) from railway stations which are easy to reach. The majority of farmers living beyond this distance had to sell their products at the government's compulsory purchasing price. If only these farmers could have sold their products at 5 yen per kan, their profits would have been greatly increased.

This means, however, that those who did cooperate in the early shipment of sweet potatoes had to suffer a considerable loss. In this connection the spokesmen for the Agricultural Association, KAIJO-GUN Branch of the prefecture and the CHOS[illegible]Agricultural Association, said, "We producers, of course, want to cooperate as much as we can with the metropolitan authorities' plan for the benefit of its citizens. Nevertheless, the Agricultural Association has lost face before the farmers by encouraging early delivery. To make matters worse the farmers have begun to complain about this to us. Under these circumstances we will be unable to encourage the future shipment of rice and barley. We are of the opinion that an indemnity should be paid to those farmers who have completed their deliveries of sweet potatoes before 12 November at the government compulsory price. Despite the expectation of the metropolitan authorities to ban the citizens from going to the country to purchase food, particularly sweet potatoes in the black market, the purchasing crowds are still jamming the trains every day."

The SAITAMA agriculturists stated, "The intention of the metropolitan authorities is quite comprehensible. Because the new purchasing

SOCIAL SERIES: 40 (Continued)

ITEM 1 (Continued)

price of 5 yen would undoubtedly cause bad effect on present deliveries, we have decided to adopt our own policy on 15 November. This policy has already been in operation since 12 November. A shipment of about 2,000,000 kan is expected to be completed by 20 November. This will cover the whole alloted amount of 4,800,000 kan for TOKYO this year."

The method adopted in SAITAMA is as follows: For the period, from 12 November to 20 November farmers are requested to convey all the alloted sweet potatoes to the nearest railway stations. The shipment of sweet potatoes for other purposes should be suspended during this period. Referring to the payment, the money will be paid to the agricultural association of the prefecture by the TOKYO-TO through the JAPAN Sweet potato Sales Company. (NIPPON KANSHO KAISMA). The official sales allotment price will be paid to the farmers as before. The difference of 4.20 yen that is, five yen less the official price of 80 sen on the special quantity, will be paid by the agricultural association in the form of an additional payment for the completion of alloted deliveries in just proportion to all farmers. This will amount to about 30 sen per kan of potatoes. To those farmers, however, who have already completed delivery of their allotted quantity and are delivering additional quantities of sweet potatoes, there will be paid 5 yen per kan for every additional kan of potato in excess of the allotted quantity.

Summary:

As a result of the revision in the railway time table, seven express trains have been added since 20 November. But coal famine is imminent, and there is not much of a coal reserve which can be used to run trains.

In western JAPAN, the OSAKA and HIROSHIMA Railway Bureaus have coal reserves sufficient for about 10 days, and the NAGOYA Bureau has a supply sufficient for six days, but in eastern JAPAN, the TOKYO Railway Bureau has a stock for only two days, the SENDAI Bureau a little less than four days, and NIIGATA Bureau seven days.

In certain quarters, there are some who demand the cancellation of the newly added express trains. The railway authorities are now doing their best to cope with the serious coal situation, fearing a crisis this winter.

At the TOKYO Railway Bureau, it is planned to collect daily 900 tons of IWAKI coal, 450 tons from SAKURAJIMA and 500 tons of KYUSHU coal which is expected to come via SHIMIZU for use in the NAGOYA Bureau, besides 800 tons of KYUSEU coal already coming directly to TOKYO. The total quantity is 2,500 tons, which represents one day's consumption for the TOKYO Bureau. If this plan goes smoothly, service will be continued regularly until the end of November.

Steps are being taken to increase the present number of volunteer mine workers, besides sending more than 100 business employees to the IWAKI mines in 20 trucks to carry out 350 tons of coal daily. If necessary, the whole Japanese staff of the IWAKI mine will be mobilized to mine and carry coal.

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SOCIAL SERIES: 40 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

At the SENDAI Railway Bureau, a plan is underway to furnish 400 tons daily of coal from HOKKAIDO. At OIWAKI coal depot in HOKKAIDO, 100 tons is being sent out daily. Service is guaranteed through November.

At the NIIGATA Railway Bureau, there a safe coal reserve, but facilities for the transport of KYUSHU coal are not yet available. At the NAGOYA Railway Bureau, there is also difficulty getting KYUSHU coal.

The Transportation Ministry applied on 20 November to General Read-quarters for coal originally intended for military use. The total amount of this coal is about 39,000 tons which was taken over by the Allied Forces at [illegible]UKAGAWA, TSUKIJI, KASUMIGAURA and several other places, but even this will be enough for only three days. The Head-quarters demand a more fundamental solution of the problem. The railway authorities want to run some mines themselves.

Full translation:

The regulations of the Anti-Veneral Disease Law drafted by the Ministry of Welfare from recommendations of General Headquarters was passed by Cabinet Council on 20 November. The regulations were made public on 22 November and put into effect the same day. The main points covered by the new regulations are as follows:

• 1.Lymphatic inflammation has been added to the list of diseases classified as veneral.
• 2.Doctors who treat or examine sufferers of venereal diseases must report the patient's name, address, age, sex, and the name of the disease to the Sanitation and Health Department of the prefectural government. They must also report the effects and outcome of their treatment.
• 3.If a patient does not follow the doctor's orders, he will be forced to accept treatment.
• 4.Prostitutes must undergo a medical examination more than once a week and if they do not pass the examination, they will not be allowed to practice.
• 5.The governor can order the use of preventive or curative medicines.
• 6.A medical board will pass on all prophylactic devices and medicines prescribed to insure their high standard.

Summary:

On the 21st, the second day of the free price market for fish and vegetables, the prices are still on an equal level with those of the black market. On the 20th, no regular fish was on the market except shell-fish; the real free price fish market started on the 21st. On the 21st, the total amount of shipments to the fish-market was 128 tons fresh fish, 17 tons; shell-fish, 47 tons; whale, 15 tons; and frozen fish, 44 tons.

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SOCIAL SERIES: 40 (Continued)

ITEM 4 (Continued)

The price of whale meat, as reported by MAINICHI, is cheap, the wholesale price is 20 yen per kan, the retail price is 27 yen, and the black market prices would be 40 to 50 yen.

YOMIURI HOCHI says that clam prices are coming down but the bids for other fish are equal to or even above black market prices. For instance, SAWARA sold in HONCO at 120 yen per kan. When sliced, 20 momme would cost six or seven yen.

Protesting the bid by the KYOBA SEI Office, of 52 yen for a kan of dried cuttle-fish, there were cries among the dealers, "Do you think of the general consumers?" or "Think of the general buyers."

High class fish, sea-perch, which had never appeared before, went to the NIHONBASHI market at 135 yen per kan which is 11 times as much as the agreed price of 12 yen 50 sen.

It is reported both by YOMIURI HOCHI and MAINICHI that, while government authorities think that the increase in the future in the shipment will bring down the prices, the fish market people think this state of things will continue.

Vegetable shipment on the 21st totalled 75,000 tons, and the prices are, on the whole, as high as the day before, the only difference is that the spotty market prices have evened out and settled down to a standard.

YOMIURI as well as MAINICHI reports the influence the prices have on the general public. Various Neighborhood Association people agree that the prices are too high for the individual incomes, especially for the salaried people.

Some say that they will have to grin and bear it because the supply will be periodical and to purchase in the country involves a great deal of trouble and black market dealers can not be counted on for their supply.

The most popular fish, sardine and bonito, are flooding the black markets.

Summary:

A gigantic black market racket which was carried on in the postwar chaotic period has been revealed recently, reports the ASAHI. The felons are SUZUKI, Masaichi, President of the Oriental Chemical Food Company, Ltd., located on the 4th floor, SANWA Building, GOFUKUBASHI, KYOBASHI-KU. SUGIMOTO Goro, Advisor to the same company, and HACHIDA, Suekichi, chief of the Secretariat Section of the same company, OZAWA, Nobuhlsa, a broker, were accused yesterday by the Public Prosecutor TERADA of TOKYO District Prosecutor on the charge of violation of the Food Control Law.

The aforesaid company has a plant in OGAKI-SHI, GIFU-KEN, and in MATSUDO-SHI, CHIBA-KEN, respectively.

They have been producing aminio acids and soy flour, sugar, and salt at these plants for the purpose of supplying the Army and the Navy with these products.

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SOCIAL SERIES: 40 (Continued)

ITEM 5 (Continued)

The President, taking advantage of the postwar confusion, sold the majority of these food materials stocked at MATSUDO plant to the big business firms and banks in TOKYO, and the stocks at the OGAKI plant to big buyers in OSAKA at fabulous black market prices, reports the ASAHI.

The paper further discloses the atrocious prices the felons quoted as follows: 17,512 bags of flour at 360 to 580 yen per bag of 22 kg. each; 178 bales of sugar at 8,000 yen per bale of 10 kan each; 1,505 bags of salt at 700 to 1,000 yen per bag of 10 kan each; 335 cases of powdered soy at 1,000 per case containing 10 bottles of 1.5 kg. each.

The total of their illegal deal amounts to 1,809,900 yen, which exceeds the official price by 10,634,090 yen. They sold sugar at a price 230 times higher than the official price.

The main buyers were the SANWA Bank. The purchased goods were seemingly distributed among the executives and employees of the organization.

Upon the disclosure of their offence, SUZUKI, conferring with SUGI-MOTO and HACHIDA, fled to SHIKOKU, concealing the returns and trying to hide the traces of the crime. This is the most flagrant economic offense that has ever been committed since the termination of the war, the ASAHI reports.

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