Abstract
In Oku-Noto a great number of small-scale weaving factories have been built as members of the textile production-teams under the direction of trading companies, crea-ting a characteristic phenomenon compared with other weaving regions.
These companies are classified into the following two types according to their bu-siness policy on the Ishikawa prefectural government grant for paying a fixed rate of interest: (1) members completely making ues of the grant and (2) the others not doing so. The latter companies are further divided into two groups, the ones depending on the aid policy of the subordinated local governments (shi-machi-mura) and the others having no relation with it. Still more, the latter consists of two sub-groups, i.e., the companies which distribute their member-factories, because of traffic conditions, along the main roads of the Noto peninsula in a belt shape, and the other companies which locate their member-factories scatteredly.
Then, the companies being connected closely with local governments form their respective “monochromatic” regions, where almost all of the weaving factories belong to the same production-team controlled by one trading company, and the companies not closely related with local governments own their member-factories in the “polychromatic” regions.
The Ishikawa prefectural government carried out a policy of building up the wea-ving industry. The policy aimed to develop the Oku-Noto backward region and create a new conservative power out of the small-scale enterprisers of the newly planted in-dustry, in place of the older conservatives based on the weaving capitalists in the advanced region of Ishikawa prefecture (Kaga region).
As an inevitable consequence, the established power in the Kaga region had an ill feeling toward this attempt. Against the opposition of the prefectural assembly, the administrative agency legislated this government grant for paying a fixed rate of interest, and executed the project to build up weaving industry in Oku-Noto.
This policy reflected the intention of the trading companies who are the comman-ders of the vertical structure in the local textile industry, and also that of the local financial institutions who are the supporters of the companies. One of trading companies became the most powerful in Oku-Noto by having made the best use of administrative agencies and financial institutions concerning this grant policy.
