Evening star., 1944-06-18
Nation Wide Survey of Jobs
Seeks Postwar Equilibrium
CED Develops Facts in 1896 Communities to
Determine Problems in Providing Work
By Sierid Arne.

Dp Oh
After two years of intensive surveys,
the Committee for Economic Develop
ment is beginning to get picture OF the
problem it will be to win the peace" at
home.
The picture, still alf-assembled jig
saw, is not too optimistic. There will be
large pools of unemployed in some cities
and some unemployed in a great many
more.
But CED is now at work in / 1926 COM
munities hunting ideas to take up that
slack They can't say absolutely that
they willard they don't like to think
OF more Government WPA or PWA rolls.
They're fighting to convince private en-
ployers that they must plan production,
find markets, get finance enough to keep
present workers and still absorb the men
and women coming back from war.
The CED is voluntary association OF
the Nations leading production men,
industrial managers and financiers, such
as Paul Hoffman, president of Stude-
baker; Charles Kettering of General
Motors, Marion B. Folsom OF Eastman
Kodak, Philip johnson of Boeing Air
craft and Eric Johnston of the United
States Chamber of Commerce.
Sample Survey.
Here are some of the situations
brought to light:
Bradenton, Fla, is in the heart of
rich vegetable and fruit district. Its
CED Committee has surveyed the coun-
ty. 1t will need 1881 more workers in
"194x" than in 1910. The growers are
passing the hat to finance an airheld;
plan to fly their food to market.
They questionnaired every one for
what they intend to buy come the peace.
The list ranges from trucks and type
writer's to electric refrigerators.
Out of 628 families, 314 expect to build
houses at cost of s1,177150, 623 want
new autos 583 want radios, 537 want
kitchen stoves OF course, no one can
be sure they'll have the money. In the
81, ,770-$ ,299- income class, SO per cent OF
the families intend to buy out of their
income and Al per cent plan to borrow
to finance these purchases. So it's wish
full thinking to believe that all 314 will
build houses and that leaves foggy
fringe on CED planning.
But the CED is proceeding on the
thesis that if every one is determined to
70 out and hunt business, why every one
will do business.
Some Fights in Prospect.
They run into potential cat-and-dog
fights, but so far are leaving the solu-
tions to the future.
Take two giants-Reynolds Metals has
invented some new foils to wrap Army
food. They hope to wrap much food for
the grocery shelves. But American Can
is Just as blithe about getting back the
market for tin cans.
Rueben Levy, who makes cakes in
Kingston, Pa, with staff of TOO, says
he'll hire even more after the war. He
has set up fund to cut unemployment
by taking care of old employees Who come
back disabled from the war. Noncom-
pany trustees will run the fund, and can
pay the disabled as long as they wish.
They can carry the plain jobless for
year.
The town of Albert Lea, Mimi, dis
covered that its employers can hire
5,968 people after the war. But the
towns labor force, including the re-
turned service people, will be 6,561. That
means 500 without jobs. Albert Lea Is
now hunting some way to hire those 593.
Portsmouth, N. H., has man-sized
headache. 1t has shipyards. 1t en-
ployed 2,400 before the war. 1t now
employs $4,000.
The CED has found Portsmouth in
dustry "very cooperative and anxious to
be helped" But no answer yet as to
how to employ the extra 21,600.
s95,000, ,000, 900 in Savings.
New Mexico CED Committees plan to
expand several local industries, among
them pottery making, with happy dis
regard for the fact that such famous
pottery center as Ohio has had rough
shedding at times to sell all it turns out.
OF course, there's the ss5 900 900 900
Chats billions this country has in
savings. That's mentioned in all plans
as though every production man thinks
he'll ring up part of those savings in his
own cash register. But Is 1t enough to
keep factory lines going, and when it's
gone, what then? 1t would hardly buy
this years factory production, although
it's lot more than the Government
spent in several years of depression
pump printing.
GAINESVILLE. Wis, came up with the
happy surprise that 332 jobs will be
begging for workers after the war. 1t
will have labor force of 7,7O7. But its
employers will need 8029 workers.
H. B. Hartley, a Columbus tOhio)
hardware dealer, Is not selling '194X"
short. He had two stores when the CED
man talked to him. He began planning
and promptly opened third. On V-day
he plans to open two more.
He has definite plan which he thinks
justifies his optimism. He's tired of
hardware dealers dumping merchandise
on customers who then must find install
lation men. Hartley is making deals
with installation men, and will include
the installation price in the price of the
merchandise.
Streator, Ill, is employing $500 in
industry. Come V-day, her businessmen
estimate they'll spend 81 10000 to add
TO their factories and facilities" But
there are not many like that. There are
men in Washington who are getting old
before their day wondering what to do
with the country's enormously expanded
factory space.
Richmond Va is setting I'M popeIc