Evening star., 1960-10-14
Nixon on Growth
Of the Economy

Mr.. DrummOnd-Mr. NiTon,
before the convention you
and Gov. Rockefeller said
jointly that the Nations
economic groDth ought to be
accelerated, and the Repub-
Hcdn platform states that the
Nation needs to quick the
pace OF economic UTotDth. Is
it fair, therefore, Mr.. Vice
President, to conclude that
you feel there has been in
sufficient economic growth
during the past eight years,
and II so tDhat tDouId you do
beyond present GdnliniStTG-
ton policies to step it up?
Mr.. Nixon-Mr. Drummond, I
am never satisfied with the
economic growth Of this coun-
try. I am not satisfied with it
even If there were no Commu-
lists in the world, but particular
" when we are in the kind Of
q race we are in. We have got
to see that America grows just
as fast as we can, providing
we grow soundly, because even
though we have maintained, as
I pointed out in our first debate,
the absolute gap over the So
Wet Union, even though the
growth in this administration
has been twice as much as it
was in the Truman administra-
ton, that isn't good enough, be-
cause America must be able to
grow enough not only to take
care of our needs at home for
better education and housing
and health. All these things
we want. We have got to grow
enough to maintain the forces
that we have abroad and to
wage a non-military battle for
the world in Asia, in Africa, in
Latin America. 1t is going to
cost more money and growth
will help US to win that battle.
Now, what do we do about it,
and here believe basically
that what we have to do is to
stimulate that sector of Amer
ica, the private enterprise sector
of the economy in which there
is the greatest possibility for
expansion.
So that is why I advocate a
program Of tax reform which
will stimulate more investment
in our economy. In addition
to that, we have to move on
other areas that are holding
back growth. ! refer, for ex-
ample, to the distressed areas.
We have to move into those
areas with programs so that
We make adequate use Of the
resources Of those areas.
We also have to see that all
of the people of the United
Suites, the tremendous talents
that our people have, are used
adequately.
That is why in this whole
area of civil rights, the equal
ity Of opportunity for employ
ment and education is not just
for the benefit of the minority
groups; it is for the benefit Of
the Nation, so that we can get
the scientists and the engineers
and all the rest that we need
and, in addition to that, we
need programing, particularly
ing higher education, which
will stimulate scientific break
throughs, which will bring more
growth.
Now what all of this, OF
course, adds up to is this
America has not been standing
still. Let's get that straight
Anybody who says America has
been standing still for the last
71a years hasn't been travelling
around America. he has beer
travelling in some other coun-
try.
We have been moving, We
have been moving much fast.
er than we did in the Truman
years, but we can and mus
move faster, and that is why
I stand so strongly for pro.
gram, for programs that viii
move America forward in the
COS, move her forward so tina
we can stay ahead of the So,
Wet Union and win the battle
for freedom and peace.