I hereby give My Sanction to the Law concerning the Temporary Adjustment of Demand and Supply of Commodities, approved by the Imperial Diet and cause the same to be promulgated.
Signed:HIROHITO, Seal of the Emperor
This thirtieth day of the ninth month of the twenty-first year of Showa (September 30, 1946)
Countersigned: Prime Minister YOSHIDA Shigeru
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry WADA Hiroo
Minister of Commerce and Industry HOSHIJIMA Niro
Minister of Welfare KAWAI Yoshinari
Minister of Transportation HIRATSUKA Tsunejiro
Minister of Finance ISHIBASHI Tanzan
Temporary Demand and Supply Adjustment Bill
Article 1. In order to facilitate and insure to give effect to those fundamental policies and plans as may be determined by the President of the Economic Stabilization Board for the purpose of facilitating the revival and development of industries, the competent Minister shall be empowered to issue such orders as may be necessary in regard to the following matters:
1. The allocation and distribution of materials and goods which shall be effected in conformity with the policies and plans as determined by the President of the Economic Stabilization Board.
2. The restriction or prohibition concerning the use of materials and goods of extraordinary short supply, which shall be effected in conformity with the policies and plans as determined by the President of the Economic Stabilization Board.
3. The production (including processing and repair, the same shall apply thereinafter) or the shipment of materials and goods of extraordinary short supply or the works of construction or the restriction concerning the extent of the production or the shipment of materials and goods and the works of construction, and the prohibition thereof, which shall be effected in conformity with the policies and plans as determined by the President of the Economic Stabilization Board.
4. The transfer, delivery or lending of materials and idle equipments, in cases of extraordinary short supply, which shall be effected in conformity with the policies and plans as determined by the President of the Economic Stabilization Board.
The Government shall, in accordance with the provisions as determined by an Imperial Ordinance, compensate for such loss as may be caused by orders requiring the production or the shipment of materials and goods or the works of construction in regard to the matters mentioned in Item 3 of the preceding paragraph and by orders issued in regard to the matters mentioned in Item 4 of the preceding paragraph.
The treatments of mortgages and any such matters as may be necessary in connection with the issuance of an order as is prescribed in Paragraph 1 shall be determined by an Ordinance.
The orders and actions taken under this article shall be issued with the assent of the President of the Economic Stabilization Board and shall be applicable under the same conditions equally to all persons of companies engaged in the same business.
Article 2. In case it is deemed necessary and appropriate in order to implement the scheme of allocation as contemplated in Item 1 of Paragraph 1 of Article 1, the competent Minister may allow the trade associations, democratically organized, to allocate, in accordance with the voted decision of the composing members thereof, materials and goods to the members thereof and to those other than the members, who are engaged in the same trade and who may request the allocation of such materials and goods.
Such trade associations as contemplated in the preceding paragraph shall be designated by a notification by the competent Minister.
The necessary matters concerning the organization or other matters of such trade associations as contemplated in the first paragraph shall be provided for by an Imperial Ordinance.
In case any person receiving, in accordance with the provisions prescribed in Paragraph 1, an allocation of materials and goods from the trade association designated in accordance with the provisions contemplated in Paragraph 2, is not satisfied with the decision, in regard to the allocation of materials and goods, taken by the said trade association, he may report immediately to the Demand and Supply Arbitration Committee to that effect. In such a case, the Demand and Supply Arbitration Committee shall examine and investigate fairly and justly the facts alleged and shall make a decision beneficial to public interest.
The necessary matters concerning the Demand and Supply Arbitration Committee shall be provided for by an Imperial Ordinance.
In case the said association does not act in accord with the decision as is contemplated in the preceding paragraph or in case it is necessary in order to make the scheme of allocation of materials and goods by the trade association designated in accordance with the provisions contemplated in Paragraph 2, conform to the policies and plans as determined by the President of the Economic Stabilization Board, the competent Minister may order the said trade association to alter its decision in regard to the allocation of materials and goods.
Article 3. The competent Minister may receive a report on the following matters from the enterprisers concerned or the designated trade associations by the provision of Article 2 or in cases of failure to submit any required reports or submitted false reports may cause the officials concerned to be present on offices, business shops, factories and plants or warehouses and may cause them to investigate the condition of business and also to examine books, documents and any other necessary matters as regards application of the provision of Article 1:
1. Allocation or distribution of materials and goods.
2. Use of materials and goods.
3. Production or shipment of materials and goods or works of construction.
4. Conditions of materials or equipments.
The officials who are being dispatched to the spots to make such inspections and examinations as are prescribed in the preceding paragraph, shall carry an identification card showing their official status, and shall show the same upon request.
Article 4. Those who have violated the order issued in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 1 of Article 1, shall be punished with imprisonment with hard labour not exceeding 10 years or with a fine not exceeding 100,000 yen.
Those who have committed offences as mentioned in the preceding paragraph shall be liable to a punishment of both imprisonment with hard labour and a fine, if the case demands it.
Article 5. Those who fall under any of the following items shall be punished with imprisonment with hard labour not exceeding 6 months or with a fine not exceeding 5,000 yen:
1. Those who have failed to submit such a report as prescribed in Paragraph 1 of Article 3, or who have submitted a false report.
2. Those who have refused, obstructed or evaded such inspections or examinations as prescribed in Paragraph 1 of Article 3.
Article 6. In case any representative of juridical person, or any deputy or employee of, or any other person working for, a juridical person or an individual person, commits any such offence as mentioned in Paragraph 1 of Article 4, or in Paragraph 1 of Article 5, in regard to the business of the said juridical person or individual, not only the actual offender shall be punished, but also the juridical person, or individual person concerned shall be respectively punished with a fine as is prescribed in the said article.
Supplementary Provisions:
The present Law shall come into force as from the date of its promulgation.
The present Law shall lose its validity on April 1, 1948 or at the time of the abolition of the Economic Stabilization Board, whichever is sooner, provided, however, that it shall remain in force even after the said time in regard to the application of the penal regulations against the offences committed before the said time.
Interim provisions concerning the compensation of loss, treatment of mortgages and any other matters as may be necessary at the time when the present Law loses its validity may be provided for by an Imperial Ordinance.