The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-10-07

hearings the committee will suspend until-you guessed it-after election. Politics still survives, even though in the meantime small business may perish.
 Currently the Smaller War Plants Corporation has been ducking mis- cellaneous dead cats thrown in its general direction because in the four months of its existence it has been able to let only three contracts, aiding only about dozen of the 1890 small manufacturers scat tered throughout the land. The National Small Business Mems Association, a leading trade organization of the little fellows, has issued a blast against SWPC for it's delay, and Lou E. Holland, director of SWPC, has admissed that the intricacies of procedure have been more than he bargained for.
 But the 169,000 small manufac- turers represent only about per cent of the total of 2,750,000 small business concerns. SWPC is en- powered to aid only the small manufacturers even when it does get going.
 WHAT OF THE REST?
 In the meantime, what is hap pening to the 72,00O wholesalers, the 1,61400O retailers, the 638,000 serv- ice companies such as laundries and dry cleaners, the 100000 building companies, the 10000 places of amusement and the 25,000 hotels? They're all small businesses. too, and they vail that nobody in Wash ington is doing anything about them except to deliver funeral orations after they pass out.
 Even in boom times small busi- ness firms die like flies, and are born the same way. Some enter prising citizen of every community is always getting the bug to go into business for himself, usually on a shoestring. He opens beanery or gas station and as often as not folds up before the year is out.
 In 1899 and 1940 recorded SIsi- ness failures numbered over 1000 a month. All through the Coolidge and Hoover booms they numbered over 10000 a year. Tn 1892 they reached a peak of nearly 32,O00, with liabilities of nearly $1,O00,000, 900.
 But even such colossal failures as these are mere chicken feed to the failures that are anticipated for the next year. Wayne Chatfield Taylor, undersecretary of com merce, estimates the number of re- tailers alone which may be forced out of business before the end of next year may reach 300,O0o-10 times the failures of 1892.
 
 AID FORMULA WANTED
 What can be done in the face of all this woe?
 When the Murray Committee re- sumes its hearings-after the cleo tion-it will continue sessions for a month. Its aim is to conduct an in- quiry that will reveal some formula for legislation that will help small business men get out of business without going into bankruptcy.
 The plan which Senator Murray's committee apparently has in mind is somewhat similar. It hopes to set up governmental machinery which can extend the necessary cre- dit to the business that must fold up for the duration, in the belief this business can reopen after the war is over.
 It is probably too much to hope any legislation of this kind will be passed before the end of 1942. It might even drag over and be left for the new Congress.
 Tn the face of that possibility, the smart small business man today wills be the one who doesn't wait for Washington but takes matters into his own hands, closes up his busi- ness if that's the handwriting on the wall of his factory or store, and gets one of those nice jobs in shipyard or jeep factory. There, at least, he'd be getting something for his overtime.