Evening star., 1945-10-12
|SchiindIer Halls
Trade Board 5
Planning Job
Coils on Businessmen
To Act Boldly for
Prosperous Nation

70 Act Boldly for
Prosperous Nation
Undersecretary of Commerce Al
fred SCHNEIDER, in an address last
night in which he bade the Nations
businessmen take bold, courageous
action" for a prosperous America,
hailed the Washington Board OF
Trades postwar planning program
as an example for other commu-
mites.
Speaking at the fall meeting of
the Board of Trade in the Statler
Hotel, Mr.. SCHNEIDER told the 300
members present:
"The work OF your committees is
one Of the most outstanding jobs Of
many similar community efforts
that have seen."
Emphasizing that the immediate
future will put American business to
severe test, Mr.. SCHNEIDER declared
he believed Government postwar
planning should "exist simply to fill
in the remainder that may be left
after the individual, company and
community planning have been
done"
For that reason, he said, "a better
and. more effective job of planning
by private industry automatically
reduces the need for Government
planning" and 1T Is pretty much up
to business to determine how large"
will be the field of future Govern
ment economic action.
Cites Figures on Trend.
The Commerce official predicted
that by n11d-1946 the Nations gross
production would drop from an an
nualr rate of $205 ,000, 900 900 prevail
ing during the first half of this year
to between $160 900 ,000, 900 and $170,-
Doc, ,000, 900, and that the national in
come would decline from about
$166 900 ,000, 900 to $50, ,000, ,000, 900 or
$l35 ,000. .000, 900.
Unemployment, he added, may
reach as high as 5000, 900 persons,
but by the second half of next year
the economic trend should be up
ward again. with the rising volume
of consumers and business expendi-
lures more than offsetting the con-
tinued drop in Government outlays. "
Mr.. SCHNEIDER spoke at the first
general membership meeting of the
Board Of Trades 56th year. General
theme of the session was Wash
ington Looks Ahead"
Meyer Explains Aims.
Sharing place on the program,
Eugene Meyer, new chairman of
the organizations Postwar Plan
ming Committee, pointed out that
the two-year effort of the COM
mittee would be continued and en-
larged ito maintain an understand
ing Of economic development" here.
I'm the past the committee has
analysed and. studied adjustments
essential in the postwar period, !"
MIR. Meyer said. "The postwar era
is here now. Consequently we must
focus our attention on the present
rather than the future"
He explained that under a three
point program, the committee will
study immediate problems, such as
the effect Of Government layoffs;
widen knowledge of facts developed
which indicate the city's economic
prospects, and embark on a study
Of veteran re-establishment.
Referring to the latter phase of
the work, Mr.. Meyer said, 1--WE not
only owe the veteran an under
standing Of his needs and the as
sistance which he may require in
getting his feet on the ground again,
but we owe this much to the gen.
eral health of our community"
Slides Illustrate Surveys.
After his address, colored slides
were shown to present graphically
the results of the postwar planning
surveys.
During the meeting, Lee D. Butler,
chairman of the current Community
War Fund campaign, appealed for
support of the drive In behalf of
humanity and the maintenance of
our stable future" Ernest. v. Con-
molly, area VINO director, urged
employment of handicapped per-
sons.
Noting that special honors" had
come to two members during the
year, B. M. McKelway. president of
the board, who presided, intro
duced Justice E. Barrett
Prettyman of the United States
Court Of Appeals, immediate past
president Of the board, and s. Dolan
Donohoe, recently elected president
! of the Washington Real Estate
Board.
Members cited for distinguished
service in recent months were Floyd
D. Akers, chairman of the Citizens
Committee for the Reception to Ad-
miral Chester w. Nimitz; Robert v.
Fleming, chairman of the Citizens
Committee for the Reception to Gen
Jonathan M. Wainwright, and Jo-
L