Evening star., 1922-08-13
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

~ ming TO move westward TO
~ thin out the industrial con-
\ gestion and transportation
jam along the North Atlantic sea-
board, getting close to the cheap
ter-power resources of the Pacific
coast. Conspicuous in this industrial
migration appear gigantic manufac-
turing enterprises, designed to free
this country from dependence upon
foreign countries which has existed
for years-notably the paper supply
from Canada and the chemical supply
from Germany.
This gigantic economic shift from
the Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast,
which may be said to be just begin
ming, is noted by the Federal Power
Commission which has a forecast of
the Industrial future in applications
and schemes for water power develop
ment which are being laid before it,
While two-thirds of the existing in
dustrial power demand is in those
states east of the Missississippi and
north of the Ohio and Potomac rivers
with the industrial coal burden be-
coming heavier and more vexing each
year-75 per cent of the potential
waterpower resources Of the United
States are west of the Tooth meridian,
or in the eleven western states. This
is shown graphically in charts pre-
pared by 0. c. Merrill. executive Of
ficer of the Federal Power Commits
the Industrial coal, except for rail-
road and bunker supply, is practically
all consumed right in the state where
it is mined-West Virginia and Penn
sylvania being the only states that
have a sizable surplus.
Industry of the United States must
eventually go west, where it can have
cheap power" Mr.. Merrill states posi-
lively, "and big developments show
that certain industries, whose needs
can most readily be met, are already
Pacific coast"
Shift to Be Gradual.
that all industry is to scrap its plants
in the east and crowd into the west
The shift will be gradual, and some
of the biggest and basic industries
will not move at all. Notably, the
biggest of all industries-iron and
steel-which for fundamental eco
nomic reasons have been established
near the coal fields of Pennsylvania.
The iron and steel industry could not
find its raw materials in the west.
Those industries that move west
ha ioh An hot oxry
materials there and those which deal
with finishing and the late processes
Of manufacture, rather than those
which work from the raw material
itself. AS an illustration-one of the
biggest automobile tire manufacture
ing concerns has moved to Los Ange-
les, where it is pretty close to the
best cotton supply and the cheapest
power In the world.
There are certain industries which
the wooded west is calling loudly
and irresistibly by name. Such is
paper manufacture-becau there is
the only remaining large supply. The
plants in New England and the great
lakes section are nearing the limit
of their supply of timber. The gulf
supply will last about generation.
Papermakng ought to prove OF large
opportunity in the west. There it
has the largest supply Of raw ma
terial hardly cheap water power. 1t
is at the end of the long haul for
finished product when 1t comes to
compete with the eastern mills and
the Canadian mills for the eastern
trade. But it ought to be able to
make good in that competition before
long, Mr.. Merrill predicts.
The electro-chemical industry Is be-