Vol. 75, No. 6

Kazuo MIDORIKAWA
Measures of volume and the use of de facto measure standards in the Kinai area during the medieval period of Japan

This paper aims to examine measures of volume or capacity and the use of de facto measure standards in the Kinai area around Kyoto during the medieval period of Japan. The problem of the measurement of volume is essential in assessing agricultural yield potential, land system, trading conditions, and transportation capacity, and yet its importance is not fully understood. By studying de facto measure standards, we are able to better comprehend the process of unification of the national economy.

Medieval measures are based on those originated in ancient times and were usually double in volume. Moreover, measures of 1.1 or 1.2 times each ancient measure (or more) made up various local measuring systems. And there were other measuring systems based on specific measures.

In the Kamakura period (1185–1333), a de facto standard was selected from a measure used by manor lords. Later, as the manor rice supply decreased in the market, a selling measure, which was equivalent to the load carried by a horse, became popular in Kinai. Parallel to the increased use of the horse-load measure, a measure used in the Kyoto market also became widespread. To conclude, it became clear that de facto measure standards changed according to factors influencing each historical era.

Hirotsugu UMEGAKI
William BEVERIDGE and ‘planning toward a free society’: the transformation from utilising friendly societies to facilitating voluntary activity

This article aims to explain in detail how and why William BEVERIDGE developed the idea of ‘planning’ toward a free society in the 1940s, and what distinctive features it had. It focuses on the change in his position on voluntary associations, resulting from his efforts to overcome the difficulties of friendly societies.

There were two fundamentally different ideas of planning. BEVERIDGE proposed a pluralistic programme that called for co-operation between the state and voluntary associations, while the Labour Party promoted a centralised programme of expanding state welfare provision. Eventually, the Labour Party’s idea took form and became dominant in British social policy after World War II. Yet, the role of the BEVERIDGE’s idea should not be overlooked. He pointed out that state provision was not enough and that voluntary efforts were indispensable. He initially recommended that friendly societies, as a representative voluntary association, should occupy a responsible position in the state welfare system. He, however, simultaneously realised the defects of friendly societies. He, therefore, changed his view from utilising friendly societies to facilitating voluntary activity in general. Finally, in Voluntary Action (1948), he recommended that all voluntary associations, including friendly societies, should be encouraged to contribute to social advance.

Ryoichi KODA
The recovery of the German machine tool industry after World War II

The German machine tool industry, which supported the munitions industry during World War II, faced a serious crisis after Germany’s defeat. What were the difficulties that the industry experienced at the time? How was it able to revive?

In this paper, the process of recovery of the German machine tool industry is examined by analyzing representative companies in the former West Germany during the change in occupation policy of the Allied Powers. The findings are as follows:

First, aside from the obvious war damage, postwar "démontage" greatly affected the individual company in the short term, but it also removed the excess capacity accumulated during the war and paved the way for the creation of a new market in the long term. Second, a combination of currency reform, tax reform, and the Marshall Plan promoted the revival of the industry by helping the production recovery of each machine tool company. Third, the relocation and rebuilding of factories from the Soviet Occupation Zone to the Bizone accelerated the development of the West German machine tool industry. To overcome these difficulties, the industrialists, engineers, and workers who embodied the established reputation of the German machine tool industry played an essential role.