Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-12-14
Trade Leaders Called
For Small Business
Credit Conference
Senate Committee Sets
Meeting Here for
January 1921

In an effort to avert the threatened
extinction OF 100000 retailers next
year, the Senate Small Business
Committee has called q conference
Of more than so trade association
representatives to. meet here the
middle Of January, 1t was announced
today.
Chairman Murray said, in an
nouncing the conference, serious at
tention would be given to q proposal
already before the committee to
recommend to Congress an improved
credit system, with authority to pro-
vide the necessary capital for the
expansion and war conversion Of
small enterprises and their re-entry
into normal business after the war.
Senator Murray pointed out that
Assistant Secretary Of Commerce
Taylor had estimated that Of 1884,
600 retailers in business q year ago,
800 900 would be forced out by the
end OF 1913.
Three Main Topics.
The trade conferees will meet
with the committee January 10, 20
and 81. Problems of retailers and
wholesalers will be discussed, with
dislocations brought about by the
war outlined and remedies sug-
gested. Other members of the COM
mittee are Senators Maloney Of
Connecticut, Ellender OF Louisiana,
Mead of New York and Stewart of
Tennessee, all Democrats, and Cap
per of Kansas and Taft of Ohio,
Republicans.
Three questions will be laid be-
fore the conference. The first will
be the Governments policy toward
essential civilian requirements. The
second will concern the influence
OF the smaller wholesalers and re-
tailers in Government policy-mak-
ing and the third will relate to
steps necessary to assure a COM
petitive distribution system after
the war.
While shortages of civilian goods
are inevitable during the war, 1t
was said at committee headquar-
ters unnecessary shortages are dam
gerous, not only to morale, but to
fighting the war on the home front
effectively.
The invitation to the conference
stated: To-day an ill-planned war
program is not only cutting off the
fat, but is also, in some sectors,
cutting into the very bone Of our
civilian economy. 1t is against this
background that practical policies
must be developed on price con-
troll, rationing, inventory control,
simplifcation and the use of man
power"
Charge Is Recalled
It was recalled that Senator Muir
ray had charged: The basic deci-
sions affecting the life Of America
are for the most part now being
made by big business men, on the
other hand, whose views are natur-
ally colored by their business back
ground, and by academicians, on tho
other hand, who think and live in
ivory towers"
The Montana Senator declared
that smaller business, especially,
constitutes a hitherto untapped
reservoir OF energy and BRAIN
power"
The committee, during months of
hearings, has heard extensive evil
dence OF the disastrous effects of
the war economy on the small dis
tributors, retailers and wholesalers,
who were not financially powerful
enough to withstand the squeeze"
1t was pointed out repeatedly that,
while the small manufacturers were
being aided materially by the
Smaller War Plants Corp. Act, not
much had been done for the mer-
chants.
Hearings, in recess for several
days, are scheduled to be resumed
Wednesday, when Ferdinand Eber-
stadt, vice chairman of the War
Production Board, is to make a
statement.