ABSTRACT
ASSOCIATION OF TONYAS ENCOURAGED DURING THE PERIOD OF HAKUSEKI. In 1687 there already existed in Edo an association of the orange tonyas. And, as set forth in the previous chapter, in 1694 the association of Tokumi Tonya (tonya consisting of ten kinds of trade), which was a form of marine transportation alliance, was formed. This organization of the tonya association not only curbed the arbitrariness of the shipping agents and shipowners, but was a finger-post to the tonyas of the different trades to form guilds for the protection of their interests, and they sprang up one after another. Up to this time the Shogunate had been most afraid of ronins and Roman Catholics, and although great efforts were exerted to stamp them out, it was feared that they might conceal themselves within the circles of trade and secretly combine. The chief concern of the administration was to prohibit the formation of such factions. However, as far back as the beginning of Edo there can be found combinations and associations among the traders to protect their interests, which were regarded by the commercially ignorant Shogunate officials as seed-beds of factions; and as they believed that the combinations were means to raise prices and to reap greater profits, they made it their general policy to prohibit them. It was a mere accident that the Shogunate not only recognized such associations, but even encouraged the association of guilds. In 1714. when Hakuseki recoined the debased Genroku currency, the new money did not circulate freely, and especially was this so in the eastern provinces in the Shogun's own territory. For this reason the Shogunate investigated methods to popularize the new coins, and looked for people who might help in circulating them in the provinces. Besides the financial groups, they obtained the services of the different tonyas who engaged in trade within the city. As explained previously, all of the tonyas along different lines of trade received consignments from the provinces, sold to the retailers, and handed over the money to the consignors less their commission. Standing between the retailers and provincial shippers they ruled the market. The amount of money handled by them reached an enormous figure, and, although the financial houses of the city handled vast sums also, yet their clients were merchants in the city, while the payments of the tonyas were wholly to the
consignors in the provinces, so that the tonyas were necessary organs in the provincial campaign. The Shogunate saw its chance to introduce its new money into the provinces where the people still demanded settlement in Kenji gold or other old denominations, and ordered the tonyas to settle their accounts in the new coins, which were just as good a buying medium as the old. In order to see that the various tonyas actually followed the instructions, it was necessary for the Shogunate to supervise them and yet to leave them free, as it was difficult to watch each particular case. As a means of supervision the Government made the tonyas form associations according to the kind of trade engaged in by each. In this way, in 1715, the first tonya guild was established by public licence. The Shogunate allowed combinations subject to the following three conditions ;-
In order to keep an eye on delinquent members, the Shogunate ordered the guilds to submit the names of all their members with the places of residence and minutes of the monthly meetings. This information was handed on to the exchange so that the officials might check up properly, and any offender was severely punished as well as the members of his guild.
