The Wilmington morning star., 1946-02-03
Continued from Page One)

munltyS grasp.
Council Aid Sought
Thus it was, after countless dis
cussions, that the Planning board
went before the City council in the
late summer Of 1945 and induced
the city fathers to authorize a corn
tmittee who members-to be chosen
by the Planning board with council
approval-would be charged with
translating the Simons industrial
survey into dollars and cents.
Given City council authorization
to recommend membership Of the
committee, the Planning board met
and prescribed formula by which
it would select group of men to
serve. without pay, as the Eco
nomic Development committee.
Four rules, it was agreed, would
guide the selections:
members must be men Of I'M
questioned leadership, in the COM
munity.
individually, by their primary
and secondary interests, they must
be predominant in their respective
fields.
&They must be accustomed to
dealing in large-scale affairs and
individually be acutely conscious of
the public! interest without thought
Of personal gain.
4The committees membership
must not be too large.
Obviously, scores OF Wilmington
men fitted one or more Of the
qualifications. A period Of screen
ing began and finally, in mid
September the Planning board pre-
scented Its recommendations to
Mayor W. Ronald Lane. Under date
OF Sept. II, 1915, Mayor Lane adj
dressed the following letter to the
seven men chosen by the Planning
board for the task of putting the
Simons report into action-action
that would bring payroll dollars to
Wilmington and the whole of
Southeastern North Carolina.
The Mayors Letter
The Mayors letter, identical to
each Of the seven nominees, read:
For the past several months
Mr.. George w. Simons, Jr., plan
ming consultant Of Jacksonville.
Fla, has been engaged in prepar-
ing an industrial and economic
survey OF Wilmington and its tribu-
tary area. He has done this work
under contract with the City Plan
I ming board, which proceeded by
authorization and direction of the
Mayor and Council OF the City Of
Wilmington in engaging his serv-
ices. The survey has now been SUBJ
stantiaHy completed, and Mr..
Simons is also under contract to
prepare complete physical plan
ming and zoning program for the
City, a task which he will begin
at once.
''For the past several months
the Planning board has been con-
sidering the formation of small
committee of leading citizens to
whom it might refer the economic
material gathered by Mr.. Simons,
and whom it might request to UNI
dertake to activate and effectuate
his recommendations. After the
most careful study, we have coz
cluded to request the following men
to serve as members of this COM
mittee:
"Mr. Warren w. Bell, president,
Tide Water Power company.
'Mr. J. Holmes Davis, Sr., chair
man OF the board, Spofford Mills,
Incorporated.
''Mr. H. A. Marks, Marks Ma
chinery Company.
'Mr. Harriss Newman, Attorney.
"Mr. r. B. Page, publisher,
Star-News, and member, State
Ports Authority.
'.Mr. j. G.. Thornton, president,
Wilmington Savings and Trust
Company, and president, Industrial
Properties, Incorporated.
''Mr. E. L. White, president,
White Ice Cream and Milk Com
pany, and chairman, Industrial
Committee, Chamber of Commerce.
'It seems to us that these men
represent, through their primary
and secondary connections, most Of
the interests concerned with the
cushioning Of the postwar shock ir
Wilmington and encouraging estab.
lishment Of new enterprises to at
| ford employment and investment
opportunity. The great importance
Of a successful program directed
toward these detectives need no
be emphasized.
The name suggested for thu
committee is the Economic De
velopment Committee of Whining
ton, North Carolina. The function
of the committee, as we envisio:
it, would be not only to receive the
materials and activate the recon-
mendations of Mr.. Simons, but alst
to act as an economic clearing
house for the community and dt
IN general all things within it,
power to establish a stable ant
prosperous economy.
| We take pleasure in inviting 20,
! to serve as a member OF the Eco
| nor1ic Development committee
and look forward to your accept
ance =. -
| IL. ILL.,. ...xa. No..