The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1942-04-09

small business In wartime. A hum
bred million dollars for this pur-
pose Is Just o teNser.
The Reconstruction Finance Cor.
poratlon has already loaned about
SO billion or 80 billion to big buSi-
ness for war production. The 800
million for small business may last
two weeks or six months, depend
Ing on how the act Is administered.
But II tho experiment works, tho
champions OF small business will be
back for more and they'll get II.
After all, what's 800 millionS Z It's
the cost OF only q couple Of cruisers,
Tho country will probably lose O
couple OF cruisers before the war Is
over, and when q cruiser Is lost, It's
lost forever. II the cost OF q couple
of cruisers or 20 cruisers will save
American small business for use
after the war Is over, II will DO
saved, even though the entire 800
million or two or 10 times 800 mil
lion Is lost In the process.
AS II stands now, this bill won't
help very many small businesses
very much. There Is 10 MD here,
no hope OF help for retailers, whole
Salers, distributors, service busi.
nesses, filing stations, auto dealers
or the makers Of goods for civilian
consumption. They simply aren't
In this picture, no matter how
much their business may have been
hit by war,
MORE INITIALS
This will help perhaps not eS-
clusiyeiy, but predominAtely -- the
46 900 small metal working manu-
faeturers out OF the total OF 10000
manufacturers listed by the 1880
census as having fewer than 100
employees, Even limiting the initial
500 million to the 5000 small
manufacturers, II won't so very far
about 42,222.22 on the average. That
wouldn't much more than build the
garage and buy the truck 10 haul
the goods away - II there was q
truck TO buy.
OF course q lot Of these small
manufacturers won't need help,
The methods by which he who gets
helped will get help from this gov.
eminent Smaller War Plants Cor
poration can't yet DO determined
for after all this bill must pass the
House and be signed by the Presi-
dent before II is law. II can be
assumed that O brand-neW organi-
zation won't have TO be set Up. The
bill provides for appointment OF q
special deputy and o five-iian board
OF directors by War Production
Chief Donald M. Nelson. Under
that, the Contract Distribution
Branch OF WpB with more than 1870
local ofiices scattered about the
country, could be taken over by
sWPC-call II "sweotpeace" II that
will help the name stick In your
inInd-the Small War Plants Cor
poration, and these local Offices
would now DO authorized TO do the
Job. II wouldn't be necessary for
the $4,000 smaller manufacturers 10
come traipsing into Washington 10
get their loans. The loans will he
brought 10 the gmaller manufacture
erS, instead,
PRIME CONTRACTOR &
III effect, SWPC would become a
prime contractor. It's first Job would
be organization OF an inventory OF
all machine capacity. Suppose
there were nj item wanted like roll
Ing field kitchens. In given area
there might be O stove works, a
wagon factory, pot and pan
manufacturer and sheet metal
works. Each OF these could make
the bits and pieces Of rolling
kitchen. But there might be Lack
Ing facilities for assembling. SWPC
would be authorized to make a loan
for erection Of new plant, extern
sion OF an old one. purchase Of
missing links Of machinery 10 es-
tablish a pooling operation for do
ing the job. And 1t would let the
contract TO the pool. with sub-con-
tracts to the parts makers.
This Is taking care Of the Soon
version Of small business enterprises
to war production" which was the
purpose OF the present bill. Small
businesses which can't be converted
to war production will have to wait
for another bill to relieve their
aches and pains.