Evening star., 1934-05-06
Development of
Small Industries
BY HARDEN COLFAX.

The movement toward the intensive
development of the small industries
of the country is growing. The re
covery" agencies through which the
Federal Government is watching over
this movement are now in full opera
ton and all report impressive progress
toward helping the little fellow out
of a job" to shift for himself.
The relief organizations under the
c. w. A., the Indian Service and the
Subsistence Homestead Division IN
the Department of the Interior. the
Bureau of Home Economics in the
Department of Agriculture, and
number of other organized groups are
doing much to foster handicraft ana
the smaller industries.
The Business Advisory and Planning
Council for the Department OF Com
merce has been studying the problem
of the decentralization OF industry
for some months. Now the director
of the Bureau Of Foreign and Domes-
tic Commerce has appointed a small
industries service committee to aid IN
this movement. The idea is being
practically worked out in various sec
tions of the country through cooper
atives of the unemployed for dis
tribution."
With the advent Of shorter work
ing hours. American business life IS
entering upon new phase OF its de-
velopment. There will be more time
for leisure and more opportunities for
enioying life. Our industries will be
encouraged to produce many new lines
to satisfy the growing demand for art
and crafts products. The recent note
worthy exhibit of handcrafts' products
held in Washington under the auspices
of Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, and
representing the output of many small
handcraft units in Eastern and South
ern country districts. has given ap-
pealing evidence of the growth of these
new industries, partly fostered by the
Federal Government as an unemploy-
ment measure.
An orderly development of the
handcraft industries is now recognized
as essential to their success, according
to Axel H. Oxholm. chairman OF the
Department of Commerce Small In
dustry Committee. He pointed to the
economic Importance of these small
industries in Scandinavia, Germany.
Switzerland. Czechoslovakia, France
and other countries in the Old World.
In most of these countries govern
mental assistance is given, particularly
in the organization and operation OF
cooperative selling agencies. In many
cases the native craftsmen and
artisans may be relied upon to give
expression to their own ideas of design
abroad. 1t is generally found, how
ever, that proper direction can be
furnished more advantageously by spe-
cialists in these fields.
X X u X
The training of craftsmen in the
United States presents less of a prob
lem than does the marketing of
handcraft products, according to Mr..
Oxholm. Although at present largely
unorganized. there Is available great
deal of talent in different parts OF the
country for such handicraft. Our
cities have hundreds of craftsmen now
walking the streets because modern
machinery has thrown them out OF
work. These craftsmen, Mr.. Oxholm
believes, might be induced to move in
to handicraft communities now being
established throughout the country
for the training of other workers.
There are still many older people
in the mountain districts who have
maintained their skill as wood workers.
In the case of the skilled leather
workers in the Southwestern States,
for example, who may have lost their
saddle and fancy boot trade, they may
be transferred to the making of other
leather products.
Few handicraft workers in the
United States today are receiving ade-
quate compensation for their skill anC
labor. Neither do the distributors
make exorbitant profits. The princi-
pal reasons are now seen to be the
lack of organization of the producers,
the uncertainty in regard to supply
and quality and the considerable