The present article is an examination of the various political forces involved in the reforms carried out in 1922 regarding agricultural associations. The original Agricultural Association Act was passed in 1899 with the intent of disseminating agricultural technology and set up agricultural associations integrated on the prefectural, county (gun 郡) and village levels. However, despite its achievements in improving agricultural enterprises, the law contained no provisions making membership in such associations or payment of dues to them compulsory. Proposals were made to grant these two rights from leaders of the associations ; however, the officials of the Agriculture and Commerce Ministry refused to act upon them, and adopted a plan to strengthen the associations for the purpose of controlling rural Japan in a more comprehensive manner, in the face of increasing tenancy disputes and relatively disadvantageous agricultural conditions. Instead of making association membership compulsory for all local farmers, measures were taken to chose association leaders by electoral vote to allow both tenants and independent farmers more voice in running the associations, in the hope that they would become more actively involved in their affairs. With regard to the issue of mandatory payment of dues, the Ministry laid down the condition that the associations be operated as public institutions. At the time of the reform act gun administrative districts were in the process of being phased out and the burden of gun level agricultural improvement projects was handed over to gun level agricultural associations. In addition, regarding the political parties at the time, who showed no opposition concerning agricultural policy and played no active role in the passage of the reform bill, Hara Kei of the Seiyukai was in favor of strengthening gun level associations as one part of phasing out gun administrative districts. The 1922 reform bill ended up functioning to squash demands to abolish gun level associations on the part of local towns and villages, who were opposed to interference from higher level associations and paying association dues.
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