Imperial Valley press., 1943-05-17
IMPERIAL VALLEY AND
HENRY ] KAISER


Imperial Valley needs some Henry Kai-
sers
When Mr.. Kaiser made history last Fri
day by opening his steel plant at F0ntana,
local people probably didn't notice the i'm
pressive message that this event Indirect
ly conveyed TO this corner county of the
state
There was a message written in big
type 1t said in effect HOther parts OF
California are forging ahead as symbolic
ed by this, the latest and newest and most
startling development in this states eX-
pansion program. Mr.. Kaiser has Great
ed an entirely new industry for San Ber
nardinO county, just as countless others
have created new industries for other
counties. Big men doing big things to
make California communities bigger. Is
Imperial county keeping abreast of this
tide? Are we building and growing now
in such a way as to keep on building and
growing after the war;"
Let's look at ourselves. Let's see if
we are keeping up with the parade.
Just the other day was announced the
valley crop summary for the past year.
1t showed 40 million dollars worth of
crops That sounds good until investga-
priced markets and reveals no material
fundamental expansion. Further, those
many crops which have so expanded in
response to war markets take minimum
of labor In other words. while the farm
ers are benefitting-as they should've
community is no better off. other than by
the increased purchasing power OF the
farmer, and the number of farmers has
decreased according to reports.
Some additional acreage has been and
is being developed, but not enough to
make any rapid improvement. Though 1t
is understood new land has been devel-
oped on the ella Mesa in Arizona, we
have not opened up as much as single
acre in East or West mesas.
Business firms know that thousands
of families have left the cities as we'll
as the country.
In the cities-every last one of them
vacant store fronts reflect what's going
on in the field Of city populations.
That there are few residential vacan-
cies means little indeed The military
institutions of the valley have much
civilian following. These visitors are on
" temporary. Without them hundreds
and maybe thousands Of our houses would
be as vacant as those store fronts.
Our dairy industry has gone downhill
for no apparent reason.
No big industries have moved to the
valley.
No big expansions have taken place in
the valley.
No big plans are in the making as far
as we know, other than the Imperial lrri-
cation district program.
Henry Kaiser is conspicuous in this
scene by his very absence-the absence
of him and his kind.
Kaiser is the progressive, growing in
dividualist. He symbolizes private enter
prise, not of the old school but of the
new He is the builder, the developer of
latent possibilities.
How we need him and the likes of him,
His kind are empire builders They are
the ones we should seek and find and
sell and show the existence here of new
worlds to conquer.
New worlds for agriculture, for indus
try. for tourist traffic, for recreational
background to the now very big San
Diego.
When the war ends, there will be a new
world of opportunity.
What are we doing to plan for it?
! think we're still going to be fighting
five years from nOw.-President II. G.