The Wilmington morning star., 1946-02-03
City Steps Into Drive
To Get Neu Industries

SfllrI-SIeeVeS sort OF group with 1ul
power to act? Too, it was obviou
that no member of the group coult
afford any considerable time to tn
job as outlined in their invitations
Would it be possible to retain al
executive agent to coordinate ant
execute the committees decisions.
And if so, how and from wher,
would he be paid?
Naming E. L. White as it
spokesman, the committee ca1lee
upon the Planning Board and May
or Lane, a member of the Plan
ming board himself.
wen accept this assignment
Mr.. Mayor and gentlemen OF thu
Planning board, providing som.
concrete things are understood a
the outset White declared.
He then proceeded to tell the
Planners what the proposed com
'mitteemen envisioned as their pur
pose.
"We will serve as a group Il
analyze the Sirnons economic-in
dustrial survey for its immediate
adaptabil;ty, locally. If the re
port shows Wilmington to have
undeve1oped resources, OF prac
teal potentials, we want to EN-
ploy a full-time industrial agent
to put these resources and poten.
tials to work We shall accept
on that basis and none other, -
White said. IT,.
The Planning board agreed
within its limits. After all, the
Planning board operates on ex-
trenely limited funds allocated by
the city council, and it would be
the City council, to decide wheth.
er or not a city-paid industrial
agent could be provided for in the
municipal budget.
The Planners knew, too, that
no matter how good the Simons
survey might turn out to be-and
at that stage Of development the
survey was still incomplete-little
good would come Of it if its find.
ings were not exercised. They
figured, too, that members of the
City council, to whom the Planner;
had gone initially for the money
to finance the Smons survey,
would see it the same way.
And so, after some quiet fact.
finding, the Planning board in
formed its proposed Economic
Development committee that it
was "a deal"
We'll 60 to bat to secure the
funds if you. gentlemen accept
your appointments and tell us ex.
actly what sort of a program you
propose to inaugurate,' the Plan.
ming board said.
Organize Formally
On that, the Economic Develop.
ment committee was formally ush
cred into existence by City council
action and on Oct. II, 1916, its
members held their. organization
meeting. e. J.. White was named
chairman.S
No. on the EDO agenda was
the question Of a labor survey
Industrial Properties, and others
who up to then had contacted
prospective industries for the com.
munity, had frequently encount
cred the question ''How's your
labor situation? What percent
age of your labor is skilled? I'm
skilled? Trained? Untrained?"
The Economic Development com
mittee proceeded to conduct the
first comprehensive labor survey
the community had known. 1T
findings, still in process of com
pilation, are expected to show tina
Wilmington and immediate en-
virons has large pool of skilled
semi-skilled and un-ski1led labo
in more than a score Of trades
Of worth, toe, was the discover!
that the New Hanover public
schools, thanks to war inspiret
necessity, were well-equipped t.
produce a variety of skilled tech
nicians and craftsmen, men ant
women alike. These are facts
wise rnanufa cturer, considering
Wilmington for future expansion
would count heavily in his fav
or.
It was decided, at a subsequen
meeting Of the EDO, that no action
would be taken on the matter O
an industrial agent, or at least OF
the selection Of one, until the 81
mons economic-industrial surve.
was completed and in the com
mittee's hands. Preliminary, frag
mentary reports Of the survey
looked good. But wait for tn
finished product, the edo decid
ed.
In late December Simons pre-
sented copies of his report to tn
| city, and Immediately they wer
placed under the practical eye
of the EDCs members. The re
| action was favorable. Wilmington
did possess the resources-tne pc
tentials-to make it real econe
mic and industrial center.
Translate To Action
Now to translate the Simon
survey into action-action that VII
add thousands of dollars a DAY :
the community's economy. m
man, nor any small group, cal
alone accomplish a task OF ina
magnitude. But one man-an IN
dustrial agent -could direct AMI
coordinate the effort.
AL thot q S11h.C0m