The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-11-22
Michigan in
" ashington
BY Esther Van waaoner Iufty

~ Esther Van Wagner Tutty
War Is putting lines on the face
OF Alpena, Mich. One OF the few
remaining companies, the Besser
Manufacturing Company, is threat
ened with shutdown. g.
While the $50 employees are hunt
/ ing and fishing at Thunder Bay.
/ because there is a showdown of
work, their employers are hunting
/ and fishing here in Washington for
war contracts and priorities so
production need not halt
Vice Presidents +. G. Bobolts and
r. y. Douglass tell wartime story
all too-familiar to business men in
many small manufacturing town.
Alpena was war-hit twice. The
| income from a growing tourist bust
ness went out with the shortages
OF gas and rubber. Today the
population OF some 10000 must de-
pend on the manufacturing com
panies directly or indirectly. Lack
Of war contracts, for one reason or
| another. closed many OF these.
Lucky to date, the Besser Com
pany may not survive. (Our predic-
tion is that il will, judging from
the reactions their ENJOYS are re-
ceiying in Washington
This company manufactures the
machines which make concrete
blocks. For awhile, those blocks
were sadly needed to build such
crucial war needs as airplane hang
airs. But those contracts are com
pleted. Now they need new con-
tracts, priority ratings, materials.
Jess Besser, president of the
company, who looks a bit like Hen
ry Ford, is well known in the in.
dustry. He has postwar ideas for
those concrete blocks He dreams
OF seeing them used in rebuilding
the bomb-torn areas.
The British have seen postwar
Importance In the output OF this
Alpena Company. Not many months
ago, a British commission went TO
Michigan to see the plant with
the thought that such factory
would help their big rebuilding
task after the war.
Associate Justice Frank Murphy
trailed the four cabinet officers
down the aisle of the House OF
Representatives to hear Secretary
OF State Hull make his report to
Congress. The former Michigan
man was seated with the senators
as he was the only Justice in at
tendance
An equivocal comment on Cor
dell Hulls speech in Congress was
made by one OF his one-time col
leagues, Earl Kitchener, OF Adrian,
and seconded. with a grin, by the
only Michigan membeE of the
House Foreign Affairs Committee,
Bartel Jonkman. of Grand Rapids.
Here it is-"Fine speech Just
the kind of speech you could ex-
pect from Mr. Hull" CHATS a
comment worthy Of a diplomat
lodging commitments
But the Grand Rapids Republican
did say that the precedent OF a
cabinet officer reporting to Con
gress was worthy of consideration.
| Recognizing the need for closer
cooperation between cabinet and
Congress he is inclined to favor
/ the proposed Kefauver bill provid-
| ing for regular question periods
/ during yhich government officials
be requested to answer questions
propounded by members OF Con
! gress.
Such a system 1T IS said. would
have provided the five globe-trot-
ting senators TO get their questions
answered without causing lot OF
confusion in the public mind.
Garrett Heyns will receive spe-
cial war production merit award
from Maury Maverick WPB official
when the 73rd annual American
Prison Congress opens in New
York today The Michigan man,
who is consultant TO the WPB pri-
son industries branch is fast gain
ing national recognition as a for
ward looking leader in prison re-
forms.
Now that the Bankhead bill man
aged. by close vote. to pass the
Senate, Missouri's Congressman
Cannon is determined to get early
hearings on the government war
advertising bill in the House.
His big obstacle is that the
Ways and Means Committee will
do nothing about anything until
the tax bill IS out Of the way. But
the Missouri Democrat IS urging
! Chairman Douehton to appoint a
subcommittee to expedite consid-
Grafton by the House.
Cannon saws when these hear.
ings are held the original bill. rs
| approved bv the Senate Banking
| prI Cutrnrov Cow mitteo will he
| - -