The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-04-14

1CdtA III u V I1 q l from being typical in this respect, Muncie is almost unique. When war loomed, city leaders got to- gether and did some long range, realistic thinking. They decided not to go after new induntsries.
 LOCAL INDUSTRY GREW
 While other cities, dreaming of vast new factories and influxes of worker hordes and floods of quick money, sent persuasive delegations to Washington, Middletown stood pat. It preferred to expand its es- tablsihed industries which, after the war, would be in a position to re- convert and continue in production here. Of course, if it developed that completely new industries were needed for the betterment of the war effort, they would be accepted without protest.
 Muncieites also decided to pitch in and personally handle as much as possible of the greatly increased task. As 8 result, there has been an astonishingly small numerical increase in population-with few of the transient mob problems which have plagued so many boomtowns.
 Before the pre-war defense boom began, Muncie had population of 49,720, of whom 16,000 worked in factories. Now the population is estimated at 52,000, but about 5000 are employed in factories.
 In the late 20's there was an in- flux of workers from Kentucky and Tennessee, most of whom stayed here during the depression. They are helping to man Muncie's war plants. Thousands more have been recruited from Indiana and neigh boring Ohio.
 Munc1e is crowded, but the influx has been cared for, somehow, by doubling up. As matter of policy there has been no wild building boom, nor has single federal hous- ing project been constructed to &C., commodate war workers.
 ONE NEW FACTORY
 The Chamber of Commerce has records of 52 general industries located inside the city limits, of which 22 employ from 100 to as many as $500 workers each. All are doing war work, most of them exclusively. Yet there is only one new industry of any consequence "a Goodyear plant which occupies the only government-built factory in town.
 Payrolls have doubled-to a cur- rent figure of $650,OOO a week. Money is being spent freely, but lot Of the war wages are being salted away in savings. Savings and time deposits in the two major banks have mounted from $2,663 800 at the end of 1941 to $, ,40O,O ,OOO now. Safe deposit boxes are all in use, with long waiting lists. More than $1O, 100000 worth of Series E war bonds, the kind bought by savers. have been sold.
 The Merchants National bank and affiliated Merchants Trust com- pany tell me that in spite of all the new mortgages they have been able to place, their net loans on mort gages have been reduced from $707,000 in March of 1940 to under $417,000 now. exclusive of FILA. And c. c. Wingate, vice president of the national bank, believes that substantial portion of the $15,- 100000 increase in checking &C., counts is saved money.
 Muncie has sent about $500 men and women into the uniformed services, and has had about 55 deaths reported by the War and Navy departments.
 PROSPECTS BRIGHT
 Muncie still Is ''MiddIetoWn," still is a typical American city-except that 1t has kept it's head and re- fused to be stampeded into an ill., advised boom.
 I've looked over enough mus11- room cities to feel that Mu11cie has been very wise. When oeace retliFng