Evening star., 1945-08-15
Cutbacks 10 Affect
Few Capital Jobs,
Firms 10 Expand

Right now, Mr.. Farmer explained
the local USES ONCE has requests
for several thousand workers, and
within a few months the construc-
ton industry here will need thou
sands" of men. Only drastic" Gov
ernment personnel reductions could
create serious unemployment in this
area, he added.
Meanwhile, it was learned that
among the earliest to lose their jobs
in this area now that the Japanese
have surrendered will be q "rela-
lively small group of temporary
employees Of the Briggs Clarifier Co..
manufacturers of industrial filters,
which employs 1900 men and wom-
en- in three plants on River road
in nearby Maryland. This group
will be laid of Friday, it was said.
S323,000, 900 to Be Spent.
The 1928, ,000, 900 program was pre-
dicted as the result of a survey of
more than 1000 business leaders re-
Gently conducted by the Washington
Board of Trade In cooperation with
the Committee for Economic Devel-
opment.
The survey, which covered esti-
mated expenditures for new build
ing construction, remodeling and
repairs on present buildings, office
furniture, fixtures and other busi-
ness equipment, was prepared for
publication by Opinion Research
Corp, Princeton, N. ]. The figures
were released in advance Of publica-
tion Of the complete report around
August %.
These expenditures. based on the
aggregate of individual estimates by
the business leaders, do not include
the cost OF the thousands of new
homes and apartment units that
are expected to be built In Metro
politan Washington soon after the
war, it was stated.
Specific Sums Listed.
Specific sums for various types of
expenditures which business firms
expect to make in the first two post
war years were listed as follows:
Nonresidential construction, sl07,-
5l1 900, remodeling and repairs,
$33 $4,000: automobiles and We
hicles, $29,927 900; machinery and
shop equipment, $25 5,544, 900; inven-
tory increases, $25,528, 900; ONCE
furniture, fixtures and equipment,
s13 ,s46, 900, and other expenditures,
$86, 1913 900.
If there has been any question
that Washington was going to have
continued period Of prosperity
after the war with Japan, the cur
rent estimate by business firms
themselves as their immediate post
war expenditures for expanding and
improving their own facilities
should remove all doubt" the Post
war Planning Committee of the
Board of Trade said.
THE survey demonstrates the
confidence that business people
have in the future of this com
munity. and it is worth nothing
that they plan to back their pre-
dictions with extensive dollar ex-
penditures.
1t was pointed out, however, that
the estimates Of postwar expendi-
lures of business firms are dwarfed
by the presently expressed pur-
chasing plans Of consumers for
goods and services, which were re-
ported in an earlier survey by the
Board Of Trade entitled Postwar
Plans of metropolitan Washington
Residents"
New Employees to Go.
Chase Donaldson, president of the
Briggs company, said most OF the
employees to be laid OF Friday have
less than six months service.
To give these workers a chance
for early placement elsewhere, Mr..
Donaldson said that War Manpower
Commission interviewers will be
available at the plant Friday in an
experimental plan drawn up by the
company In cooperation with the
area VINO Office.
Many OF these temporary en-
ployes were taken on for a peak pro-
duction load this summer, and the
cutback represents q runon OF con-
tracts rather than cancellation" Mr..
Donaldson said. He added that
many Of the employees to be affected
are high school boys and women
with husbands in the armed services.
A check has been made on the
second and third alternate skills Of
the workers and this information
has been given to USES interview
ers to aid in making placements, the
company president said. He added
that the Briggs company has a wide
range of production at present, plus
completed plans to enter new fields.
and that he expects "a comparatively
high level Of employment by the
company in the future"