The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1944-08-31
Small Business 10 Feel
Benefit Of Re(onyersion
WPB Release of Aluminium for Civilian Pur-
poses Turns Tide in Favor OF
Little Plants.
BY BAUKHAGE
Ne.ps Analyst and Commentator.

are being taken to provide field
engineers with information nee
essary for plants which have
never worked with aluminium to
learn how. Not many plants are
familiar with this work and that
Is why we cant expect many
pots and pans right away. And,
OF course. any and every plant
which does start civilian produc-
ton OF any kind must first run
gauntlet As the saying goes
at headquarters. The 4'gaunt-
let is 4 series Of tests to es-
tablish unequivocally that such
a use Of 4 plants facilities and
manpower will in no way inter-
ferc with the war production.
Let US look at the question Of
these idle and excess invcn-
tories" OF steel SURPRISES and
see what the argument for their
availa bility for civilian manu-
facture is. am told that there
are some az million tons OF
such inventories. That means
that there Is that much iron and
steel being held over and above
the posSessors' needs for 6O
days ahead.
The holders, generally speak
ing, arc the large manufacture
erS.
Willing to Release Surpluses
And they are willing to let the
surpluses 90. First. because they
know they can get all the prime
steel they need from the mills. Sec
ond. because most OF these lnven-
tories are made up Of odd lots. big
industries use large lots. They can
not very we'll start an operation on
one small lot and then when It runs
out adjust their machinery to an
other lot of different specifications.
The smaller plants are perfectly
adapted to do just this. They nor
mally buy in small lots. They are
more elastic.
The difficulty in utilizing this ma
terial is not only in the acquisition
of the steel but in the restrictions
against making what you want out
of it. This requires relaxation OF
rules. too. for the manufacture OF
many articles is still forbidden, and
that is another thing that the Small
err Plants corporation is working on.
Process Will Take Time
| II is not short and easy process
but the big thing is that It has start
ed, for small business has reached
the stage where its very existence
as an institution is threatened.
This is due. first. to nationwide
tendency on the part OF the big
plants to cancel their subcontracts
which covered most OF the work OF
the smaller plants. This was done
for two natural reasons and one IN
natural and evil one. The first two
were: because OF termination Of
some Of their own contracts by the
government and because OF greatly
increased efficiency which made i
possible to take care OF additional
work without having to sublet It &C
smaller concerns.
But the third and evil practice
which had grown up was the use Q
povernment-paid-for facilities to du
plicate work Of type which II
peacetime only small plants 40
With these new facilities and with
out the small plants know-hoW, TN
larger factories wasted preciou
labor and took the little mans brea'
! out OF his mouth.
Another reason why the smal
business mans position has bee
growing critical is the delay In CO.
). lecting pay at the termination OF IN
q contract. He was left without II
come and without the funds to carr
; on. And restrictions made It IN
. possible to earn money, meanwhile
. by making civilian goods.
J. Reasons for ReconUersion
4 On the other hand, as Mr.. Ma
r erick's associates and the senator
+ and congressman who have worke
Is SO hard land, until now, with con
" paratively little success) point on
is there is whole list OF reasons 4
,e reconversion to begin here Tin Il
le little plant) and now.
t. They list them in various orde
Is but this seems to be as good
st any:
ly "a To preserve small business
ar an institution; (2) To form pattel
ne by trial and error for reconversi'
BY on grand scale; go To prevent
flation; az To provide replaceme
Of vital WORKOUT products; (O
prevent unemployment which
springing up In many localities.