日治時期臺灣新式製糖會社的土地政策

Abstract

日治時期新式糖業在臺灣總督府周到的保護下發展、茁壯，成為日本殖民地經濟政策中最成功的產業。總督府除了直接的獎勵補助外，在行政上亦有種種的扶植措施，如協助取得土地、確保原料供給及關稅保護等。但因價格低廉或種種情感因素，臺灣人不願賣地或是種蔗，導致新式製糖會社的經營發生困難。日本官憲為保護此產業，免費或廉價出租、出售官地；而各新式製糖會社為求自身事業的發展，出現各種因應的土地政策，例如買地，或是租贌，甚至花費心力開墾官有荒地等等，以求能有一定數量的土地，用以確保其原料來源。本文透過日治時期在臺成立的各新式製糖會社的會史、當時的報章雜誌及時人評論等資料來爬梳日治時期各製糖會社之土地政策及土地的獲得，探討日本殖民官憲在土地獲得過程中扮演何種角色？又對臺灣農民造成何種影響？

During the Japanese colonial period, the modern sugar industry developed and thrived under the careful protection of Taiwan's Governor General and became the most successful industry in the Japanese colonial economy. In addition to direct subsidies, the Governor General had various types of administrative measures such as facilitating the acquisition of land, ensuring the supply of raw materials and tariff protection. However, Taiwanese were reluctant to sell their land or grow sugar cane due to low prices and various sentimental factors, resulting in difficulties in operating a modern sugar company. To protect the industry, the Japanese colonial government offered free or cheap rental of government land, or even sold it at low prices. In order to promote the development of its own business and keep a certain amount of land to ensure their source of raw materials, the new sugar companies had various types of land policies such as buying land or renting land, and even devoted efforts to the reclamation of official wasteland and so on. This article, based on historical materials of the new sugar companies set up in Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period, newspapers, comments and magazines published at that time, aims to discuss the land policy and land acquisition of various sugar companies during the Japanese colonial period and to explore the role played by Japanese colonial officers in the land acquisition process.