FEELING THE PINCH

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 73, 23 September 1938, Page 18

FEELING THE PINCH

JAPAN'S ECONOMICS

SHORTAGE OF MATERIALS

MANY RESTRICTIONS

In Japan today the "China Incident" has now become the "China Emergency." Japan may have had glowing successes in the field, but on the home front she is striving all she j knows against economics that are becoming more and more grim as the war progresses. Very few issues of the Japanese Press these days do not contain an announcement of some restriction upon the use —and frequently total prohibition—of -everyday consumers' goods, which have the disadvantage either of being required for military use or of being imported. Things as far apart as petrol and leather belts are now on the banned list. Early in July the War Office total of materials replaced by substitutes had reached the staggering figure of 5400 and more restrictions were in view. ~ . The information in this article comes from the news columns of well-known Japanese newspapers and thus can be accepted at its face value. By July stringent restrictions on the non-military use of petrol were in force. Petrol is now issued under the supervision of the authorities and the following are the quantities permitted daily: Private cars, 1.28 gallons; commercial vehicles, heavy 4.35 gallons, medium 3.45 "gallons, light' 2.97 gallons; cars for hire, 3.75 to 4.35 gallons; taxis, 4.4 to 5.9 gallons. Commenting on the restriction, one Japanese newspaper added naively: "Pleasure driving from now on will be a prohibitive pastime, at least till Chiang and his Communist friends are brought to reason." A decision perhaps of far greater economic importance is the prohibition of the production of or transactions in cotton goods, mixed or pure. This decree ushers in an era of staple fibre. At the time when it was issued stores and manufacturers, were permitted to quit the stocks they had in hand. The rush was so great that within a week a further decree was issued ordering the stores to sell only one cotton article at a time. Prices were also fixed for twenty-four varieties of cotton fabrics. There was some doubt whether the authorities could weather the fabric famine caused by their own decree, it being pointed out that the staple fibre output of the country was only 35,000 bales a month. However, an increase was promised. WOOLLEN GOODS. About the same time the percentages of staple fibre to be used in woollen manufactures was also decided. These were 50 per cent, in worsteds, and 20 per cent, in spun yarn. In woven and knitted goods the percentage was fixed at 50 per cent. Not even medicine escaped in the attempt to make Japan independent of all but military imports. Prices of medicine in Japan have risen 57 per cent, since the trouble in China began, so that the edict has gone forth that the import of medical- ingredients is to be restricted. Rubber shoes have become a luxury since the decision of the Department of Commerce and Industry to control the marketing of rubber and shoes of all kinds are being replaced by the native footwear. Materials and minerals the use of which is prohibited include lead, zinc, antimony, and nickel. The sale of Oregon pine for private purposes is forbidden and also to be restricted in July were the use of paper, lumber, non-ferrous metals, and chemicals. Japanese industry may suffer heavily from the fiat requiring that no machinery other than for munitionsmaking shall be supplied. The use of steel and pig-iron had, of course, been restricted for a considerable period, j The coal industry has proved to be one in which official ideas have failed to bear fruit. The quota given to the coal industry provided for 300,000 tons in excess of domestic requirements to be produced, but actually, owing to transport difficulties, there was a coal famine. It is promised that this shall not occur again. HIDES AND LEATHER. The control scheme for hides and leather means that ox hide cannot be used for boots, shoes, harness, belts, sporting goods, slippers, bags, books, cushions, and , a host of other things for which leather is used commercially. Japan kills about 500,000 oxen and 100,000 horses a year, but the army and navy absorb almost all the leather production from these. In normal times about 75 per cent, of the country's leather needs are imported. It is expected that supplies of leather will be exhausted by next year so a ■ frenzied search for substitutes is now going on. It is now provided that pigs shall be skinned on killing, and it is also suggested that the skins of whales may provide a substitute for leather. The statisticians have got to work and estimate that the average whale produces a skin about 700 feet square—7ooo square feet when sliced into ten thicknesses, or 200 times the leather obtained from a cow. However, neither the statisticians nor the scientists have yet found a way of successfully tanning whale hide. On the subject of whales, it is suggested that Japanese should eat more whale. Apparently, according to a delightful official report, "not much whale meat is eaten because it does not taste good." But it is thought that more ways of cooking the whale can be found and a use found for the some 20 tons of red meat that whale's body contains. Restaurants and homes are also being urged to serve only one kind of meat. It has been estimated that the Japanese consume 165,000,0001b of beef, 140,000,0001b of pork, and 88,000,0001b of chicken a year; the eating of more lamb and rabbit is to be encouraged. Most consumer goods in modern Japan are governed by the Anti-pro-fiteering Bill, which covers such things as feathers and ice and which is being extended almost day by day.