Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1944-07-14
Small Business 10 Feel
Benefit Of Re(onversion
WPB Release Of Aluminium for Civilian
Purposes Turns Tide in Favor
OF Little Plants.
BY BAUKHACE
Ne.ps Analyst and Commentator.

WNU Service. Union Trust Building.
=. Warrington, D. C.
The press gave notice a few weeks
ago Of the installation Of 4 swarm
Of bees In the Office of 4 government
agency. It was in the Smaller War
Plants corporation, and II was
placed there by that ball.of-hre. up
and-doer. wounded and decorated in
the last war, defeated for reelec-.
tion to congress. and ex-mayor Of
San Antonio. Texas. Maury MAYER
tick. He said he got the bees to pro-
vide living example Of how to keep
busy.
thought the gesture amusing,
typical of the dramatically inclined
Maury, So went down to look the
scene over. noted certain subsequent
events and | decided that the ges-
ture. although amusing enough. was
by no means an empty one. For
within one week. something hap
pened, the significance of which has
been all too little appreciated. Re-
conversion began and the long stag
nant tide turned in favor Of little
business
1t is only trickle so far, but the
flow has started, which, it is hoped,
will eventually get the wheels Of
small business, which had been
slowed down past the danger point,
moving again in the manufacture of
civilian goods.
Less than a month before. Maury
Maverick. armed with series OF
charts. had appeared before con-
gressional committee and said:
Concentration Of production in
the hands Of big business has grown
by leaps and bounds since 1899"
Using the metal trades as an ex.
ample. he said:
Since the war started, the proper
Tomato share Of little business In
metal products industries has rough
y been cut In half"
Still later. Just before the bees Tor
whatever II was) stuns the govern.
msnt to action, Mr.. Maverick be-
came more pessimistic. He told
congress:
THE mobilization Of small bust
ness has reached the critical stage
the civilian economy IL short
Of civilian goods and getting short
er dangerous inHationary pres
sures cutbacks In war contracts
are causing unemployment"
1t was a gloomy picture Mr., Nav.
erick painted. His Office had worked
hard. the congressional committees
on small business had worked hard.
but the War Production board turned
4 deaf ear to all demands on the
basis that any resumption Of civil
ian production might interfere with
the war effort.
Maverick Work Rewarded
Then at last the leaven began to
work-the whole argument OF the de-
tenders Of little business, based on
the assertion that certain industries
could be resumed without interior.
Ing with the war effort, touched the
iron heart OF Donald Nelson, head
OF the WPB tof which Maury Is
vice chairman. Nelson arose and
announced 1.-The first Of series Of
moves" and suddenly the whole tide
turned and an entirely different at
titude was evident on the part OF
the other members of the War Pro
duction board
This FIRST of a series of moves"
takes away some of the restrictions
on the use Of aluminium and mag
nesium.
But do not visualize a fountain of
pots and pans, skiIlets and coffee
pots springing into being overnight
Something is cooking but it is on
slow fire
More important is the not-yet-pro-
claimed raising Of restrictions which
have been keeping idle and excess
inventories Of SURPRISES Of steel" ~
ing dormant, impotent and useless,
while small plants have the yearn-
ing facilities and willing manpower
equally idle and capable Of convert
ing these SURPRISES" into thousands
OF gadgets the consumer badly
needs. Perhaps by the time this
appears in print the WPB will have
issued an order raising some Of the
restrictions on this vital product.
But all this takes time. Meetings
have been taking place for the past
weeks and the WPB Is gradually
coming around to the Smaller War
Plants corporations views and the
inslstent hammer on their doors by
conscientious congressman.
As to the aluminium situation,
as this IL written. the present