The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-03-23
POSTWAR WORK

FOO w m w OhN
Public works projects will Cush-
ion the return TO ptacetime eyonJ-
my. say government Officials. in
] Qcla.mmg a program calling for
an expenditure Of sixteen billions
OF dollars
The announcement might sound
a. though the government had
made a great discovery TO finding
way 10 spend that much money,
but need Of postwar work is appar-
ent 10 the most casual observer.
Take for instance our highways.
Note the need OF repair in any given
area. multiply il by all the similar
cas- in the United states and il
lmmed lately becomes clear that
Thee will be a huge amount OF pub
j.. work TO be done as soon as the
War is ended. The need viii not be
10 find work. bat rather 10 select
the work that is needed most ami
10 get il done quickly and we'll.
As the broaden.n TAX schedule
reaches into millions OF new peck
cts, more and more people are 60
ing to become tax minded. More are
gong 10 protest against waste.
More are going to appreciate the
value Of ca etul planning and ad-
1antag eous appropriation OF public
funds. They aren't going IS want 4
period OF waste a period OF paying
for work that isn't done. They will
want production OF the kind that
benefits the people paving the bills
through direct and indirect taxa
ton. That will include just about
everybody.
One item that will stand careful
study is the proposed expenditure
O; two hundred millions OF dollars
fo- new federal buildings. That
item we would say. could best be
placed well down the list Of essen
tails. Flood control slum clearance
for better housing. recreation. edu-
cation and other similar needs
should be rated along with road re-
y ir and improvement well ahead
OF new federal buildings. For flood
control there are projects totallls
F3S5 000 600. u.
For highways. bridges and recla-
nation work there are nearly 10000
projects filed BY nine states. These
will require about six billion dol
lars. There will be more, bringing
the total state and city need close
90 ten billion dollars.
dustfialists. II given q chance
after the war. ViH not be idle. New
automobiles. new designs in prac-
tically everything that is manufac-
fured will invite an era OF produc-
ton and spending far ahead of any
thing ever record ed in this nation
or any other.
As the automobile headed indus
trial prosperity aft the previous
war, so automobiles and airplanes
will take the lead again. There are
those willing 10 predict tnat ral!-
roads will disappear as huge trans
por. planes take over the passenger
aud freight busin ess for long us
tance hauls and local bus and tru-
lines take care o, localized bust
ness. That may be long way
ahead. but IL does seem certain
that new air lanes will make great
changes in all parts Of the world.
No. the problem after the war
will rot be TO find work that needs
10 be done. but rather how TO get
II done quickly and under what
form OF supervision. Shall We re-
tum 10 private enterprise or will
the enormous var time holdings
OF the government be converted
into pace settlers for industrial re-
coyery? Shall We do the work that
Will benefit the greatest number,
and do il well. or shall political
privilege step in for an orgy OF
waste and cont. oil?
The United states can continue
lie leader OF the world. or It can
crumble to prey for conquerors as
other great natio-s have before.
What happens will be a test Of
vision. We shall thrive or perish
according 10 whether the planning
OF this generation Is good or bad.
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