Evening star., 1947-09-28

s~s
balanced regional economy for the
producing section.
These are the. conclusions of 9
two-volume report, prepared for the
Army Engineers by the Midwest Re-
search Institute and made public
yesterday at Omaha by Brig. Gen
Lewis A. Pick, division engineer o1
the Missouri River Division, Corps
Of Engineers.
The report is based on surve!
and scientific analysis Of potentiali-
ties of major natural resources in tn
Missouri Basin, conducted by tn,
institute in the fall of 1945 and 1916
According to Gen. Pick, 1t contain.
a wealth Of information of value II
connection with the river-develop'
ment project approved by Congress!
in the 1914 Flood Control Act. Under
this act, the Missouri Basin is to bt
developed jointly by the Army En-.
gineers and the Reclamation Bureau
and in cooperation with the people
of the area.
| A Vast Storehouse'
The Institutes report, prepared by
a staff of experts in many fields
describes the Missouri Basin area a!
a vast storehouse of mineral ant
other natural resources" for which
the river development program
should stimulate exploitation.
The survey includes exhaustive
studies in the fields of mineral de-
posits, livestock and general agri
culture, meat packing, fuels, process
ing Of farm products and man!
other basin resources, both active
and potential.
In analyzing the causes OF popu'
lation losses in some of the basir
States, the report declares that "tht
time is at hand to develop the rivel
industrially."
The report states that population
increases are expected as the watel
resources of the basin are devel.
oped and that these increases will
in turn. influence the expansion oI
industry
"It is apparent" the report states
that the economy of the region i!
greatly dependent upon the annua
success or failure of agriculture
Successive years of crop failure have
been experienced in the past which
caused severe retrenchrnent of ag.
ricultural industries as well as non
related industries.
Unbalanced Economy
"A general lack Of industry has
caused an unbalanced economy ir
the basin which cannot be allevi.
ated without satisfactory indus.
trialization. This industrializatior
cannot gain a firm foothold without
increased population in the area
Asserting that the present trene
toward steadily decreasing popu'
lation can only be averted by in.
dustrialization and more intensive
farming, the report emphasizes thai
it is essential to the development o1
the area that industry, sufficiently
large in itself to withstand the vi
cissitudes of its beginning years, be-
come established.
Such industries, the report adds
could very well be in the fields oi
tanning, metal fabrication, the
chemical exploitation of solid anc
liquid fuels and the sound establish.
ment of basic ceramic operations.
1.-The placing before industrialists
OF the vast storehouse of natura
resources in or adjacent to the
basin, together with a plan for the
development of the area, is an i'm.
mensely important factor In the
future of the Missouri River" the
institute said.
Now, following the end Of Worlc
War II, with its demonstrated de.
struction Of crowded industry, wher
the cry throughout the land is fol
decentralization, Is the time to de-
velop the river industrially."
In listing basin resources, the re-
port emphasizes these possibilities
With the development Of low-cost
power and improved transportation
mining should have leading in.
huence on the future of the basin
The area contains unlimited re.