Imperial Valley press., 1944-11-20

would have his chance.
So far as WPB is concerned, bic
industry appears to have won the
greater victory; but now it appears
that small industry has stolen
march on big industry by entering
into contracts with cities like Po-
mona, San Bernardino and Red
lands that discount the time ele-
ment That is to say, even though
big industry succeeds in delaying
the reconversion date, small indus
try still will have its contract with
the small town.
ManifeStly this creates new sit
uation in American industry, and
one that is freighted with the most
significant possibilities. Here is the
point. The United States is perhapG
the one country in the world where
poor" people have most OF the ma
tons money. BY poor people,
mean simply people who don't earn
more than $4,000 or $4,000 year,
BY the came token, there is more
capital invested in small industry
than there is in large industry. The
local machine shop, employing from
1rI to 100 men, is still the symbol OF
American industry. AS startling as
these statements are, they are true.
NEW ERA IN STGH
Give the small industry the foot
hold it will derive from its contract
with the small town, and you have
a situation in which the small in
dustrialist and the small business
man may look forward to an en-
tirely new era of prosperity.
Similarly the new arrangement
means everything to the small town.
Let us say that the small town and
the small industry had waited ior
the reconversion date. whenever
that may be. The vastly larger con-
centrations of capital in the hands
of big industry would have allowed
il tc establish branches in the small
towns. and crowd the small indus
trialiSt out.
The payroll of such branches, OF
course. would have been spent in the
small towns, but the profits would
have gone east, as in the past IN
der this new arrangement, the prof.
its as well as the payrolls will stay
in the small towns.
This paints an entirely new pic
ture of southern CALIFORNIA; eco
nOmic future.
Now for the two other reasons.
The renal kable success attendant
upon the small towns postwar
planning is accounted for IN part
that it has been erected on tactual
basis. San Bernardino, for example,
knows that Immediately alter the
war there will be S1,750000 worth
of construction on private buildings.
Part of this will be new cOnstruc-
ton. Part of it will be the enlarge
ment Of existing structures. Part oil
it will be improvements and repairs.
Redlands knows that Immediately
after the war it will have q market
for 1640 automobiles. that 1850 resi-
dences will be repaired and I'M
proved. that 1920 buildings will be
painted. that 1920 families will buy
new furniture, that 20 per cent Ct
all families will buy refrigeratO"s,
that 900 families will buy radios,
and that 76O families will buy wash
ing machines.
PLANNED OUTLAWS
It also knows that planned cX-
penditureg will be made by from ID
to 35 per cent Of its population.
The final reason stems from this.
Such factual Investigators have led
to the formulation of working prin-
ciples which have proved successful
on action. A. w. Poole, manager,
San Bernardino chamber OF COM
merce. has made the following con-
tributionS:
I'VE are trying to keep all Of The
industries we have, and to cXDand
them. and We are trying 10 acquire
new industries. We are planning 10
finance our own program. We are
not asking for one cent Of county,
state.or federal aid. If the aid Is Of
fered we will accept IT and expand
our program; but we are asking for
nothing
From Mrs. Frances p. Quirc, man
ager, Pomona chamber Of com
merce:
we are arranging for new indus
tries that will use steel products,
not only because we have steel mills