The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1943-10-22
Problem We Face


perhaps one can competen judge at this time However,
that will end with victory the Allied Nations
tan be the day of victory two or more years from now
Tentative plans for rehabilitation of the armed forces
already being considered is recognized that this
problem of staggering magnitude Lack of planning for de-
mobilization and the absorption of the demobzed into civilian
life the end of World War brought suffering dappont
ment and to great numbers of those who had
served the forces the greater numbers
of in the armed compared with the number
in the last the problem of relocation and rehabilitation of
those demobzed is much greater And is problem that
must be faced and solved.
Together the problem the armed
and actually part of it, the problem of demobiza
mobilization of the the armed forces So far there has
been little intimaton that statesmen have given any
to the problem the conversion of industry
from economy to that of peace time production.
has only to think of the things involved the de-
mobilization of millions of in the armed forces at
the end of the while at the time production
plants will stop work immediately releasing other millions
all of these must find jobs Where they going to find
them From II to Is million jobs must be found than
available before the defense and production got
under way
Practically all of the mass production industries as
the automobile manufacturing industry must reconvert their
plants from production peace production
practical certainty them
their plants by reoong for production that
siderable time will eape before time production reoo
ING is ACCOMPLISHED Then too we must realize that it took
production industries nearly before they
ready to into production with the government
ono +be greater norton IF the cost o and with
contracts assuring them of tremendous profits
awaiting them In converting to time production they
will be facing fierce competition and they will than like
for the production employees What then going to
happen to those employees while months slip by and en-
poymen be secured by them During the when the
industries were converting to production there were
six million unemployed.
will be many of the smaller industries which will
not to reoo as they producing the articles they
produced time But when the government stops
tracing their expanded output and they have
get out into bitter competitive market and fight for business
they going to keep their schedule of production
they going to slow and cura production and fee
heir way? The latter suppoon appears the prob
able. And then to the unemployed in the production
industries will have added the unemployed result of
slowing of production the industries which not
with the problem of reconversion
these questions reconversion from
duction is problem going do
the plants has built and financed for industry running
into billions of dollars in cost In the magnesium industry
alone the per of the facilities and
is conservatvey estimated the will have
SO billions of dollars worth of goods to dispose of at the end
of the
Recently the Journal Commerce question
suggested three possibilities neither of which prompted
TO break into any wave of enthusiasm One sugges
that the government might throw this 50 billions OF
goods into the market in competition with private business
Horrible thought.
in competition with private enterprise and operate
the plants. Horrible thought No. 2.
The third possibility that the government would grad
uay dispose of the properties but that again. the final anal
ysis would mean that it would remain in competition with
private enterprise for time. Nightmare No. g.
likelihood what industry really hopes that ben
ecen Ito them) government will simply junk its proper
industry doesn't to and hopes that no discussion
possibility be INDUCED in until the time ripe and the
have been creased for the to do that
Will be safe for us to permit delay in planning for the
postwar period when with careful planning certain
chaos prevail? Are naive enough to think
that millions of men with small savings bonds perhaps with
they hoping build homes going be content
idle for months and these only to keep them
selves and their families from starving? Do think can tt
long time to plan for absorption of millions of dis
charged from the while these other unemployed?
Remember that all of these have been indoctrnaed
belief that they each in their fighting to til
democracy and to look forward rewards of
safe make plans to bring about realization
hiatt
and good of life brought about through their
efforts and sacrifices?
forget for instant that this OUR it,
rnment that WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT. 1t is OUR Liz
possibility yours and mine. Let's do planning H
tn
Montanans Incorporated nj nj