The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-10-01
MURRAY CHARGES SMALL
BUSINESS GETS GYPPED
Claims Big Business Dollar-a- Year Men
Have Moved Into Control of Defense
Commission and Discriminate Against All
Small Business in Letting Contracts.

| Senator James e. Murray, chairman
of the special senate committee to
study problems of American small
business, has announced the release
of committee print No. 6 on Small
Business Problems and Defense with
the statement that he would ask the
senate for an allotment of $1,000,000
with which to carry on the commit
tees work.
The senator said small business en-
terprises have been Disseminated
against right and left in the admins
tration of the defense program. His
criticism was expressed in no uncer-
tain terms.
He said, 1.-THE administration of our
defense program has become extreme
ly muddled. This must be promptly
remedied if the defense program is to
be effective. The congress has voted
billions of dollars for defense funds
to arm the nation against the naZi
menace to world peace; but big bust
ness dollar-a-year men, drawing huge
have moved into control of the de-
Tense commission, and made it sort
of badge of honor for big business.
"a campaign is now on to enor-
mously expand the plant capacity Of
big business. This means that big
business will further monopolize de-
Tense contracts at a time when small
plants all over the country find them
selves in desperate situation and
are being forced to curtail production
or close up because of lack of mate
rails for their regular civilian pro-
duction or their inability to secure
any defense contracts"
The senator said 1T is only natural
to expect that the dollar-a-year men
in the defense commission and at the
head of its various agencies cannot
avoid favoritism toward big business,
with which they have had long, close
and friendly contact" Certainly" he
said, Small business could not ex-
pect to get an even break under such
Nov that big business has walked
off with the major part of the de-
Tense orders, the story is being cir
culated that small businessmen are in
and redistribution of de-
Tense business to small enterprises
would cost the taxpayer millions of
dollars in higher costs to the gov
eminent. This is pure, unadulterated,
big business propaganda" the senator
said
"The administration is now setting
up an agency under Mr.. Floyd Odlum,
known as the division of contract dis
tribution. This agency is designed to
correct these conditions Thus, a very
late start is now being made in this
serious situation and conditions are
bound to get much worse before Mr.. |
edy matters
Senator Murray said further, I'm |
order to allow the small plants of the |
country to participate in the defense |
program, the big contracts now tied |
up with large concerns, which cannot |
be put into production, should be |
split up among small plants wherever
possible and future contracts should |
be allotted under conditions requiring |
splitting. This is absolutely neces- |
5ary if the panic now in the offing |
is to be avoided. There can be no
Justification for the further expansion |
Of big business while small business !
Is being threatened with idleness and |
possible extinction. Mr.. Odlum is as