Substitute wearing materials of poor quality are sold at prices in some cases higher than the pre-war genuine articles. Shortages have developed in rice, coal, electricity, cotton goods, sugar, matches, charcoal, butter, cigarettes, milk, beer and dozens of other commodities.
Public utilities' equipment has deteriorated until railroad and street cars are below recognized safety standards. Sections of Tokyo for which modern sewage systems have been planned still are without those facilities.
Residence building has not kept pace with the increased population and a housing shortage has Authorities reported one case where a family of six was living in accommodations originally built for a litter of pigs.
A boom in the munitions industry and free government spending brought a period of inflation and higher prices, resulting in lowered standards of living for the salaried classes.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.