翻刻
其詮無御坐と奉存候
一水車之義は一つ相上させ油之義は市中而已へ売捌候様
申付郷分売差留候事
右ケ條之義市中油不健【＝したたか】之御見込を以水車壱ケ所に
して捌先御限被遊候様奉存候外に御趣意も御坐候御事哉
其段者不奉存候得とも右御見込に候得者市中に限り不被
仰付候とも町方迷惑有御坐間布殊に水車絞り
綿実に相限り白油に而光増候得者相用減強一段
下直に付種油に負下料相成候様取計も有之由依而
市中へ御指向被遊候而も同所ゟ郷分へ売出候義も可有御坐
又市中迄に相用却而弁利も難計奉存候扨亦御国
藍園抔耕作人夫相懸り御国民に而手足り不申
御隣国ゟ日雇人夫入込申懸に付高給之稼有之
婦女迚も機業者ひま〳〵に仕専農業に相携山分
田畠少或は後家嫁を始農事に先立候者無之
耕作不仕類又は老幼之輩機業仕昼夜打懸候而も
口過ならては相調兼申を綿実之直段引下候得者
纔之見込相立候機業貧民之稼に相障聊之義も
相厭可申所水車壱ケ所に相約におゐては買入方
相噤
現代語訳
その詮無く御座候と存じ奉り候。
一、水車の件は一つ相上げさせ、油の件は市中のみへ売り捌き候様
申し付け、郷分売りを差し留め候事
右ヶ条の件、市中の油不足という御見込みを以て水車一ヶ所に
して捌き先を御限りになられ候様存じ奉り候。外に御趣意も御座候御事か、
その段は存じ奉らず候得ども、右御見込みに候得ば市中に限らず仰せ
付けられずとも、町方迷惑これ有り御座間敷。殊に水車絞りは
綿実に相限り、白油にて光沢増し候得ば相用い減り、強く一段
安値につき種油に負け、下料と相成り候様取り計らいもこれあるにより、
市中へ御指向なされ候ても同所より郷分へ売り出し候件も御座るべく、
また市中までに相用い、却って便利も計り難く存じ奉り候。さて又御国の
藍園などの耕作人夫相掛かり、御国民にて手足らず申さず、
御隣国より日雇人夫入り込み申し掛けにつき高給の稼ぎこれあり。
婦女といえども機業者暇々に仕り、専ら農業に相携わり、山分の
田畠少なく、或いは後家・嫁を始め農事に先立つ者これなく、
耕作仕らざる類又は老幼の輩、機業仕り昼夜打ち掛け候ても
口過ぎならでは相調い兼ね申すを、綿実の直段引き下げ候得ば
僅かの見込み相立ち候。機業貧民の稼ぎに相障り、聊かの件も
相厭い申すべき所、水車一ヶ所に相約するにおいては買い入れ方
相締まり
英語訳
We believe there is no merit in this matter.
Item: Regarding water mills, one shall be established, and as for oil, it shall be sold only within the city, with sales in rural areas being prohibited.
Concerning the above article, we believe that due to your assessment of oil shortages in the city, you intend to limit distribution by restricting operations to one water mill location. Whether there are other intentions behind this, we do not know, but if this is your assessment, even without limiting it to the city alone, there should be no trouble for the townspeople. Particularly with water mill pressing limited to cotton seeds, when white oil increases in luster, its usage decreases, and due to significantly lower prices, it becomes inferior to seed oil and ends up as low-grade material. Therefore, even if directed toward the city, there will likely be sales from the same location to rural areas, and we believe it would be difficult to calculate the convenience of using it all the way to the city.
Furthermore, regarding indigo cultivation and other farming in our domain, the labor force is insufficient among our domain's people, so day laborers from neighboring domains are brought in, creating high-paying work. Even women work as textile workers in their spare time, primarily engaging in agriculture. With few rice paddies and fields in mountainous areas, and no widows, daughters-in-law, or others taking the lead in agricultural work, those who do not farm or the elderly and young who engage in textile work day and night can barely make ends meet. If cotton seed prices were lowered, even modest prospects could be established. At a place where even minor interference with the livelihood of poor textile workers should be avoided, restricting to one water mill would tighten purchasing methods.