The Government Railways and the Procurement of Railway Sleepers in Prewar Japan

Abstract

In the Japanese industrialization process, it was essential for industries to procure stable supplies of timber because of its vital role as a raw material, as a source of energy, and for use in construction. The purpose of this article is therefore to examine the issue of timber procurement through a case study of the supply of timber for use as rail sleepers by the Japanese Government Railways (JGR) in the prewar period. JGR's need for wooden sleepers increased as its network expanded, and in 1909 it switched from competitive tendering to sole-source contracts in order to secure stable supplies at prices within the annual budget. In 1930 JGR changed to invited tendering in order to secure low prices at a time of budget restrictions, but in 1933 economic conditions improved and it returned to sole-source contracts. Thus JGR adapted its supply methods to meet changes in both its budget and in the timber market. However, despite efforts to utilize a wider range of trees and preservative treatments, it experienced increasing difficulties in finding supplies from the late 1930s.