The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1945-10-26
Professor Garnsey ls chairman of the department
of economics at the University of Colorado,
and author of several regional economic studies.


of economics at the University of Colorado,
and author of several regional economic studies.
the University of Wyoming, but after few years
he went on to the presidency of the much more i'm
porant University of Minnesota. AT the University
of Colorado, Reuben Gustavson in serving for two
acting president enhanced his reputation
outstanding scientist with liberal social con-
seriousness that he invited to become dean of
the faculties of the University of Chicago.
Who can blame these men, and others like them
= Federal Reserve Chairman Mariner Eccles of
Utah and Thurman Arnold of Wyoming for instance?
They have gone on to immediate opportunities for
greater leadership But the Mountain States needed
them badly; and needed them all the more because
the dominant complacent and reactionary groups,
who have not hesitated more than one occasion
to infringe upon academic freedom, congratulate
themselves that the community is rid of dangerous
men," There is much room for improvement in
education, research, and intellectual leadership in
the Mountain States. But there is little immediate
hope that the universities and colleges will be able
to take the lead in planning for expanding
omy and the increased material well-being of the
people Of the region.
THE MAJOR institutional barriers to economic
L progress described above private and federal
absenteeism and local conservatism-of serious
threat the economic future of the Mountain States
This situation is aggravated by the fact that in the
late thrties the Mountain West Jagged behind the
rest of the country in economic development and
during the it failed to expand as rapidly as
other parts of the country.
The recent economic history of the Mountain
States in general is not unlike that of Utah Condi
tons in that state have been we'll described by Pro
fessor j. R. Mahoney director Of the Bureau Of
Economic and Business Research of the University
of Utah, in the following terms:
"In the twentyyear period from 1920 to 1910
there whole series of accommodating difficulties
and Embellishments in the economy of the state
The population increased by 100000 from 1920 to
1910, but the number of employment opportunities
virtually the same at the two census dates.
During this twenyyear period the productive facii-
ties of the state were not increasing. The re-
suits of the impact of a growing population on basic
industries that failed to expand were unemployment.
employment under unfavorable circumstances, and
under-employment of the population" Or
anonymous observer expressed it
cinctly, "Utahs main export is it's children"
AS a result, unemployment was a more serious
problem in the Rockies before Pearl Harbor than
elsewhere in the United States. The 1910
indicated that 16 per cent of the total labor force
in the country was then unemployed or on emer-
gency public works. In Wyoming and Nevada, the
two smallest states of the region, unemployment was
about equal to the national average; in the other
six states however it was well above the national
average ranging from 1913 per cent in Colorado to
239 per cent in New Mexico
1t is not surprising, therefore, that in the early
stages of the the Mountain States were looked
rapid particularly from the rural 1t is true
that several metropolitan in the Mountain
States increased in size during the war, notably
Denver, Salt Lake City, and Las Vegas, Nevada, but
the region as whole has lost population On VI
Day there were fewer civilians residing in the Noun
tain States than there had been in 1910.
Employment, of course, increased during the
at least temporarily. But the great bulk of the
facilities in the Mountain States be
converted to peacetme use only with great diff
Wi
munition depots, and army camps, which offer few
postwar jobs The chemical warfare arsenals and
shellloading plants of the region possess greater
potentialties but problems of products
and markets yet to be solved.
Probably the future of these latter facilities
depends largely on the creation of Western steel
industry. Much has been written this subject.
t Is perhaps sufficient here to recall Mr. Grattans
lrticle in Harper's Magazine for March 1916, in
which he emphasizes the fact that the problem of
Western steel industry is a problem of the entire
Nest-the Pacific Coast and the Mountain States
combined At present, however, most of the leader
hip in dealing with this issue is coming from the
Pacific Coast and not from the Mountain States
where the vital coal and iron ore are located
THUS WE come again to the crux of the problem
Il Although the war brought increased employment
nd new capital equipment to the West and stimu-
ated the region to renewed activity Western leader
hip has remained shortsghted and proud of its
ated conservatism
In recent years the region has been falling behind
n the march of economic progress, in spite of its
reat potentalities in human and natural resources
'otentiaties are not enough For though the Noun
ain States were awakened by the war from their
ethargy, other areas have been stimulated to even
reater expansion The West is faced with an
to consolidate its wartime gains and is
halenged to catch up with greater progress else
where. The people of the Mountain States are no
ess anxious for healthy development of industry
han the people of other regions, they less
deserving Of opportunity, and they no less cap
BILE But they will be denied the freedom even to
trve for economic expansion, unless their leader
hip awakens to its responsibilities