Evening star., 1947-08-03


1t stems from:
/. The accelerated wartime expan-
sion of manufacturing.
2. The war-born steel industry,
3. Favorable changes in freight
rates.
4. The potential markets of this
region and the Pacific Basin.
As in 40, when gold lured men to
California in droves. this modern
rush converges on this State.
Incomes Keep Pace
But 1t spawns over the other
States - Arizona, Idaho. Nevada
Oregon, Utah and Westinghouse
this youngest region Of the Nation.
Industry and population are grow
ing more rapidly than In the coun-
try as . whole. About 124 per cent
of the people now live in this area.
Incomes are keeping pace. They
totaled s22, 900, 900 900 in 1916, with a
family average IS per cent above
that of the country as whole.
The swashbuckling days Of 4s
with their quick-draw code Of action
are only memories but they left last
ing imprints on the Far West. So,
too, is the golden era Of today pro-
ducing great change.
Now California leads the Nation
in the value Of its agricultural pro-
duction, totaling $2,5oo, 100000 in
1916. Any one OF a half dozen
products far exceeds the value OF
gold produced in the top year, 1882
The Pacific Northwest has become
the country's major producer OF
frozen fruits and vegetables.
Given the opportunity, the Fa,
West is finding itself industrially.
Before Pearl Harbor its basic in
dustries sprang from great natural
resources, agriculture, numbering
mining. fishing and manufacturing
associated with the processing OF
foods, lumber. petroleum, minerals
and chemicals.
Learned From War
Now industry is rounding out. The
war taught the Far West how to
make heavy machinery and equip
ment, consumer goods, textiles. air.
planes and many other products
Light metal fabricating plants, such
as aluminium, became one Of the
more glamorous of the new efforts
Hordes OF workers poured into the
region to take jobs in the shipyards
aviation plants, oil refneries and
war industries.
Factory jobs rose So per cent as
compared with As per cent for the
Nation.
Food production jumped rs per
cent compared with the national av-
erage of % per cent.
A total Of 1903 new war plants
under Government contract, 1l.4
per cent of the national totaI, came
to the area.
The bulk of the new factories To-
Gated in California, which stood
sixth in the Nation In increased war
facilities. The other Far Western
States participated in the expan-
sion, however. Utah and California
became the regions steel producers.
Tbs war boom flushed an esti-
mated 2,75o,00o persons into the
Far West. All but about half a mil
lion came to California. An excess
Of births over deaths further ex-
panded the area population by more
than 10000.
Many Remained
Many who came during the war
liked the West with its beauty. It's
forests, its climate and its oppor-
tunity, and they remained. A re-
cent census placed the postwar
population at 36 per cent above the
pre-war figure. by far the sharpest
gain since 1910 for any section OF
the country.
California, crowding toward the
10 900, 900 mark. increased almost
40 per cent over 1910 and is pressing
Pennsylvania for second place
among the states, after New York.
Except for the District Of Colum-
bia with It's gain Of 56.6 per cent
Nevada showed the best increase In
the country, 500 per cent, between
1910 and 1947.
Following the wars end there was
a pause of adjustment. Then big
name industry began decentralizing
its eastern properties. General
Electric, Westinghouse. United
States Steel, International Harves-
ter, Dupont, General Mills, the
Big -Four" of the rubber industry
to name only a few-announceo
huge expansions for the Far West.
The United States Bureau OF
Labor Statistics reported 1,023, ,85c
persons engaged in manufacturing
employment in the region in March
This compared with s21,5oo In
March, 1916. Reports from five
states indicated additional gains
in April.
Construction Booms
Industry of the new Far. West Il
concentrated largely in seven areas
among the Nations so leading man.
ufacturing areas in point Of value o.
wartime expansion. They are GEN.
tered around Los Angeles. sar
Francisco Oakland, Portland, Sc
attic. Spokane. Salt Lake City and
Lasa Vegas, New. In addition there
are many smaller groupings, as al
San Diego, which gained 100 indus
tries in 1916: Tacoma, Wash, and
Fresno, San Jose, Stockton and San
Bernardino. Calf.
Private construction in the seven
1nAc lee,,ifo Ynatpr1al