The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-09-27

4 Gu6VIl 40 AAVW
at more than 80 billion q month, the
amount Of SWPC aid to small bus.
mess can be put in one eye. This
may not be fair picture Of the
situation, because all the war bus
mess which small business firms
obtained directly from Army and
Navy procurement services and by
direct subcontracting without the
aid Of SWPC Is not shown, and Is
undoubtedly much larger.
Anyway, the SWPC part Of 1t
sums up like this:
!. Five prime contracts taken
for $115 million worth Of goods.
These have been broken down into
l04 sub-contracts to 90 firms for a
total Of $8.3 million. Eighty-two Of
the sub-contracts were for furniture.
2. The total number Of sub-con-
tracts SWPC has obtained 1t doesn't
attempt to estimate, because in the
early days reports were filed on
such a variety Of bases that 1t is
impossible to tabulate them accu-
rately. In the last four months, the
total has been 3720 SUBJ contracts for
o total of 1862 million.
8. Out Of 035 applications for
loans to 407 firms for a total of $l8
million, 1877 of them being capital
loans and 12l being equipment
leases.
Add these up and you get 1891
million worth of business transact
ed. This isn't everything, for rea-
SONS stated in item two, above. But
call 1t 81 billion, or call 1t even SIS
billion and 1t is still less than one
weeks war production at current
rates Of expenditure.
POOLING PRODUCTION
Now maybe 1t Is expecting too
much for small business to play any
larger part in this big war. Maybe
small business can't be geared up to
to the big Jobs Of mass production
that have to be done. If this is the
case, the sooner 1t Is realized the
better off everyone would be.
Back before Pearl Harbor, there
was all kinds Of excitement, as you'll
recall, about production by bits and
pieces" pooling" York Plans" and
the like. Today, the SWPC report
reveals, there are Just "a pools In
operation.
Congress has kicked around the
political football Of small business
for all 1t was worth. Every politi-
clan Is "for" small business, Just as
he Is for home, mother, Riddles, and
love Of country. In the Senate, the
Murray committee has championed
small business and forced through
the Smaller War Plants Act In May,
1912. In the House 1t has been the
Patman committee.
The War Production Board and
its forbearS have seen q succession
Of agencies and efforts and men,
ending with Brig. Gen., later Just
plain Mr.. Robert w. johnson. Now
johnson wants to resign.
johnson has admittedly had his
troubles. He inherited practically no
organization and had to build up
from scratch. He has just about
completed an organization. The last
Of his IA regional boards Of COVER
nors was named but recently. He
has obtained assurances of private
bank, trade association and Cham
Der Of Commerce cooperation. He
has just announced a Research Ad-
visory Service to give small bus
mess men the benefit Of technical
data.
SUB CONTRACTING
On July % the Army Service
Forces put into their prime con-
tract forms uniform clause de-
manding sub-contracting to the
maximum amount possible.
After months OF negotiation, I"
says the johnson report, IAN accord
has finally been reached with Off
Gals of the Maritime Commission
for carrying out the provisions Of
the law"
Maybe the ground has been pre-
pared for the Smaller War Plants
Corporation to start growing. Maybe
the next few months win show re-
suits. If not, maybe it's time to try
something else, or else give up.