The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1954-03-26
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT
PURPOSE OF DISCUSSION,
in MANTEO TUESDAY NIGHT
Representative From Department of Conser-
walton and Development Talks on Possible
Developments; Only Eleven Dare County
Citizens Attend The Meeting.

ty building In Manteo tuesday
night, which was held for the pur-
pose of discussing the possibilities
for industrial development in Dare
County. Ed E. Huffman, a repre-
sentative from the State Depart
ment of Conservation and Devel-
opment, was present to lead the
discussion.
Mr.. Huffman, who did practically
all of the talking, explained that
for a more balanced economy it is
desirable for a county to have sew
eral year-round industries which
would provide employment for a
number of people. Several small
industries would be better than
one or two larger ones, he stated.
Lawrence Swain, president Of the
Dare County Tourist Bureau, ex-
planned that the county's biggest
industry was tourists, and that
much is being done to promote
that industry. Nevertheless, Mr..
Huffman pointed out that the State
Department of Conservation and
Development has many inquiries
for locating industries in North
Carolina, and that by knowing the
industrial potentialities of the var
ious counties and communities the
department can in many cases help
bring an industry to particular
location.
Mr.. Huffman requested that one
of the chambers of commerce, tour
list bureau, or civic clubs undertake
a county survey and appraisal,
which would include such items as
available transportation facilities,
local government, climate, existing
'rstries, raw materials, markets,
No. community cooperation, local
~ ces, power, fuel and recrea-
al facilities. He also gave ex-
amples of how wrong or right i'm
pressipns can be made on an in
dustrial prospect merely by the
appearance of the community, and
the attitude of the people living
there.
Much of the information needed
for an industrial survey can be
supplied by the Dare County Tour
list Bureau, Aycock Brown brought
out Tuesday night. The bureau al,
ready has much information about
available labor, accommodations,
weather, recreational facilities,
power, raw materials and other
things.
"North Carolina has type of
native-born labor that takes pride
in their job" Mr.. Huffman stated,
"and because of this fact two shifts
in North Carolina in many cases
produce as much as three shifts of
labor-unioned northern labor" Be-
cause of this, Mr.. Huffman went
on, more and more industries are
requesting information about fav-
orable locations in this state"
"One organization should be
charged with promoting industrial
development in the county," he err
planned, "and that organization
should be good cross-section of
the population"
Among the possible industries
mentioned were those of boatbuild-
ing, seafood canning, wineries,
cranberry growing, net making. A
good deal of these industries, how
ever, would be seasonal in nature.
1t was pointed out that there is a
definite need for work which would
employ female labor in Dare Coun-
ty, especially during the winter
months. In the summertime most
have a full-time job caring for the
tourist trade.
Mr.. Huffman explained that one
of the best ways to encourage in
dustry to locate in a section is for
the community to form an "Indus-
trial Development Corporation"
which would construct building
or whatever other structures might
be needed in order to show the in
dustry that the community is in
terested in the industry itself, and
not merely in what the community
m get out of the industry. This
n = of corporation should also pay
stockholders a rate of around
' per cent, which is not bad con-
J sidering the additional trade that
the enterprise would be bringing to
the county.
No steps were taken at the meet
ing, and few questions were asked.
And, as Mr.. Swain explained to
Mr.. Huffman, eve are more or
less attending school tonight"
Those attending the meeting
were: E. E. Meekins, Chauncey
Meekins, Wallace McCown, Bal
four Baum, Jack Wilson, Lawrence
Swain, Desmond Rogers, Ellsworth
Midget, Aycock Brown, Dick Jor-
dan, and Roger Meekins.