著者

木庭 俊彦

出版者

政治経済学・経済史学会

雑誌

歴史と経済 (ISSN:13479660)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.51, no.4, pp.35-45, 2009-07-30 (Released:2017-08-30)

参考文献数

60

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Prior to the Second World War, much of the coal mined in Kyushu and Yamaguchi was transported through the Seto Inland Sea by motorized sailboat. This motorized sailboat transportation system was taken under government control during the Pacific War and could have proved of some utility. This paper clarifies how and why the system failed, through an analysis of the transport management organization's problem recognition and ability to implement countermeasures, and also aims to create a more concrete understanding of the decline of marine transportation power, of such crucial importance during WWII, in the wartime Japanese economy. In order to increase coal supply, full-scale control of the motorized sailboat system was started in 1942 and most of the motorized sailing traders were taken under government management. From 1943 mobilization of traders was strengthened and a variety of measures were taken for the reinforcement of transport capacity. Nevertheless, far from increasing, coal traffic from Kyushu and Yamaguchi decreased. Within the transportation plan for Kyushu and Yamaguchi coal, a bottleneck was created by the exclusive use of some vessels by the army and a number of factories. On the other hand, contradictions surfaced during the process of development of the control system and as the acceleration of mobilization of motorized sailboats proceeded. These can be classified in the following three forms. First, because of the peculiar nature of the motorized sailboat business and in spite of repeated investigations, the control organization was not able to develop an overall picture of the tonnage and status of the vessels and consequently there were problems in drawing up and implementing policies. Second, mobilization for national purposes did not proceed smoothly and some traders refused to join the control system. Third, problems remained in making full use to plan of those vessels that were employed for national use. Lack of replacement staff due to conscription, shortage of staff, supplies and fuel, and low wages in a context of ever increasing prices, motorized sailboat owners evaded the planned transportation system or chose to sell their vessels on the secondhand ship market. These complex restrictions brought about the failure of the controlled transportation system.

著者

木庭 俊彦

出版者

Business History Society of Japan

雑誌

経営史学 (ISSN:03869113)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.46, no.4, pp.4_23-4_47, 2012 (Released:2014-09-10)

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In this paper, I considered the progress of mechanization in port area during the Interwar period and the process of reorganization.Chikuho area, the northern part of Kyushu, is the biggest coal mining area in Japan. Most of the coal was loaded into ships at Wakamatsu port to be transported. In cargo handling industry in Wakamatsu port, a structure of subcontract was formed. It was composed by members as follows; shippers(coal mining companies or coal merchants), stevedoring contractors, “Kogashira”(master of stevedoring) and “Nakashi”(stevedore). Around 1930s, a movement of reorganization by mechanization rushed into the cargo handling industry in Wakamatsu port area. However, as a result of my analysis, it was clarified that the structure mentioned above was maintained.In Chikuho coal mining industry in 1920s suffered by depression, inefficient loading operation and its high cost came to be recognized as serious problems. Therefore, big shippers such as Mitsui Bussan and Mitsubishi Kogyo produced machinery for loading operation to prompt speedy loading and to lower the costs. At the same time, they limited the number of stevedoring contractors and “Kogashira”. On the other hand, they strengthened the business relationship with the rest of them.Stevedoring contractors were forming closer relationships with shippers and that made them stipulate their responsibilities at loading operation. In the process of stipulation, triangular conflicts between stevedoring contractors, “Kogashira” and “Nakashi” were gradually surfaced in cargo handling business. Under the situation mentioned above, stevedoring contractors expressed their strong will that they would protect “Kogashira” and “Nakashi”. The expression led the their trust to stevedoring contractors and that allowed the stevedoring contractors to maintain their base for their existence.