農商務省の設立とその政策展開

In the first half of the second decade of the Meiji era the most important problems by which the Government was confronted were, first, how to orientate opinions of the class of richer farmers and merchants in favour of the Governments, for they were being attracted toward the democratic movement, and secondly, how to build national economic power rapidly so that Japan might be able to take a firm stand against foreign powers. For the purpose of solving the second problem the Government, since the beginning of the Meiji era, had been taking the policy to encourage industry, attempting to introduce and nationalize the Western economic systems and industrial techniques. But by the beginning of the second decade of the Meiji era it was clear that the policy had reached a deadlock, and the Government came to grope for alternatives. Consequently we see a definitely different line of policy appear in the 12th and 13th year of Meiji. Instead of direct encouragement of industry such as granting loans of capital, instituting government enterprises, etc., the Ministry of Home Affairs came to consider it important to organize competitive exhibitions, agricultural debating societies, and trade association (indirect encouragement). The establishment of the Agriculture and Commerce Ministry was intended to precipitate this change in policy in a wholesale way. Soon after being established, the Agriculture and Commerce Ministry undertook to carry out the task, issuing the Ordinance Concerning the Councils of Agriculture, Commerce and Industry, the Regulations of Formation of Societies for Industrial Encouragement and of Their Committees, the Regulation of Trade Associations, etc., by which the Ministry effectively promoted organization of such bodies. Study of the processes through which these regulations were issued and of the actual enforcement of them in some prefectures reveals that the policy of indirect encouragement of industry was developed in the following way. In the first place it was recognized that promotion of enterprises, or granting loans of capital by the Government was inefficient and it came to be believed that no economic progress could be expected unless entrepreneurs themselves actively endeavoured to make industrial improvements. The objective of organizing competitive exhibitions, agricultural debating societies, societies for industrial encouragement, trade associations, and others was to provide for opportunities where entrepreneurs might be induced to assume such responsibilities actively. Such bodies, as expected, went on to tackle with concrete technical improvements, founding for themselves experiment stations and vocational institutes. These organizations for industrial encouragement of various size helped the governmental slogan 'Increase production and promote enterprises,' to infiltrate among business circles. The enthusiasm for business activities roused by that policy among them played a part not to be neglected in the economic development in the Meiji era.