Imperial Valley press., 1944-11-22
Postwar Plans
Get Close STUDY
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V &H6 - y ~ -
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that it may have to alter its course
many times.
There is a startling fact about the
Bakersfield survey which, apparent
ly at least, runs counter to any
thing l previously have uncovered in
this study 1t covers manufacturers.
distributors and retailers, hotels and
restaurants, trucking companies
numbering and mining companies.
and local governments, but omits
agriculture. and refers it to a Sepa-
rate survey. In other words, at the
outset, it does rot contemplate the
integration of industry and agri-
culture which is basic to all of the
other programs studied. except Ven
tura. which omitS both agriculture
and industry. and focuses almost
exclusively on public works and
tourist trade.
HOLDS SPECIAL INTEREST
There are a good many aspects CT
the Bakersfield survey, however.
which are particularly interesting to
this investigation because it deals
so largely with the type of small in
dustry likely to settle and prosper
in the kind of small community in
which we are concerned. AT least it
reflects the opinion ofsuch small in
duStrialistS now as tC the kind of
problems they will face at wars
end.
For example. 10 per cent of the
city's industries expect to employ
from 100 to 200 people after the
war, which would be from four to
eight times as many people as go
per cent of Bakersfield'S industries
employed before Pearl Harbor.
Forty per cent of the city's indus
tries have indicated that their pro-
spectiye employees will need no
training. and 80 per cent have indi-
Gated that their employees will need
training.
The estimated postwar financial
needs of Bakersfield's industries
may be specially illuminating. Fiji
teen per cent say they will need aid
up to S50(D; per cent say they will
need not less than $4,000 and as
much as $4,000. This raises several
interesting questions. The eastern
concerns contracting tC come into
Pomona and San Bernardino. for
example, are prepared to come in on
their own, without aid of any kind
Where does that leave owner CT the
local concern who clearly expects
to go through the war without max
ing enough money to finance recon-
version? Why will he net have made
the money? Where will he get his
credit? Or will he be among the re-
conversion casualties. of which there
are bound to be a number?
SPEED IN RECONVERTING
On the subject of the sped with
which Bakersfield industries hope
10 reconvert. II per cent say they
can do so at once; 25 per cent will
require from che to four weeks: 25
per cent will need from one to three
months; 25 per cent will need from
three to tx months: and so per cent
say that the majority" of their en-
ployes will be unemployed during
the reconvorSion pei iiod
On the subject of postwar pro-
duction, 33 per cent of the Bakers
field plants expect to produce more
than now, and expect to install new
machinery to increase their produc-
ton. T'hirty-fiVe per cent state that
no changes will be made in their
plants. Twenty-Five per cent are
planning to produce new products
after the war. and II per cent eX-
pPct to launch extensive postwar
advertising campaigns.
Fifty-six per cent of all Bakers
field retailers plan Improvements
of their properties after the war:
but SO per cent will spend at least
/ $500 to improve their delivery equip
ment. while Is per cent will spend
as much as $4,000 on the improve
ment of delivery equipment.
Air conditioning. new store frOntr,
modernization will receive consider
able attention; but only Is per cent
of all retailers indicate that they
will introduce new lines of mer-
| chandise. whereas 85 per cent state
that they will abandon no pre-war
lines.
NOT PERMANENT
One-half of the hotels indicate
that they will spend from not legs
than $1,000 to more than $4,000 for
rcfurbishing. This, CT course, will
not create permanent source of
new money, even conceding that the
money is spent in Bakersfield.
Fifty per cent of Bakersfield
trucking companies expect 10 spend
up to S25 900 to roncW and expand
equipment, which means at least
that they expect some business.
Seventy per cent expect to purchase