Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-08-16
Middle West
Faced With
Business Fall
Taxed Heavily and Gets
Little Return
BY HUGH S. JOHNSON

much of the Middle West that il
is in for an economic drubbing.
1t is going TO have TO pay its
share of terrific expenditure. 1t
is getting nowhere near its share
in their distribution.
It's principal industry. which is
agriculture. is looking forward
10 no particular hey-day, be-
cause, for the present at least,
there is not enough shipping TO
export great quantities of its
surplus in bulk. It's domestic
market is not expected to in
crease greatly because of delib-
crate government policies to
restrict consumer purchasing
power.
Its small industries are already
beginning TO feel the pinch of
the priorities system Most OF
them can't get priorities because
few of them have defense orders.
If you can't get priorties you
can't get material and so you
have first TO slow down and thus
10 close up and lay off your
workers.
Thus. this area is in large part
in danger Of great distress and
IT Is beginning to realize that.
MUCH OF II can't be helped.
A'l Indeed the government has
tried hard to locate defense in
dustrieS in part of this section
and some mammoth munitions
plants are in course OF erection
in places that never dreamed Of
having such giant plants.
The influence of OPM. Madame
Elliott and prob ably Mrs.
Roosevelt has been strong in
overriding both the industrial
OPMerS and the technical arma-
ment services in locating plants
for sociological reasons rather
than convenience and efficiency.
Their view may prove the
wiser in the end. but il did little
more for the bulk of the Middle
West than 10 extend the Great
Lakes and Ohio industrial area.
II isn't pleasant TO contem-
plate the several areas Of
irritation and resentment that
are possibly being created-or
the extent of them.
One great group is among
soldiers and their families who
feel that somehow an injustice
or a trick was put upon them
in increasing their terms Of
service
Others. not yet too apparent.
but obviously appearing. are
I farmers. and small business men
| for reasons already stated As
and if unemployment due TO
prioritieS and material short
ages grows. YOU can add mil
lions of workers as another
1 possible group.
THE various plans now advo-
Il Gated by some In govern
ment 10 reduce consumer pur-
chasing power. if they prove as
drastic as they threaten to be,
will irritate millions in all
classes. Add 10 these the great
regional diScontents already
mentioned and it is a formidable
array
Much Of il is probably I'M
avoidable II we are to become
the arsenal and the larder Of
the world Some of IT like the
resentment Of soldiers. is a
present necessity which creates
irritation by reason OF a past
mistake the lack Of frankness
in passing much vital legisla-
ton.
Some Of the regional irritation
could be Soothed by far
greater and wider farming out
of defense contracts and an even
wider distribution of plants.
The prioritieS system could be
far more iEtelligently applied 10
ration supplies in fair division
between civilian and military
needs. favoring the former but
not disregarding the latter.
THE whole situation would be
Il greatly relieved for farmers
and everybody else II a system
of all-over price control were
adopted in place of a system TO
confiScate purchasing power.
The people should be able 10
buy as much rather than as
/ little as can he contrived. With
this would have to 60 some kind
of rationing system of short
age items. but it is the only
proved fair method
@ The administration has duty
10 reduce these growing areas
of dissatisfaction as much as
possible rather than to multiply
! them.
We must not risk war with
our people unnecessarily sore
and disunited
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