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Show Committees for Economic Development Plan to Maintain Employment After War A A , Surveys Being Made In More Than 2,000 U. S. Communities i By AL JEDLICKA j Released by Western Newspaper Union. ' In over 2,000 communities throughout the United States, people are laying their own plans for a return to a peacetime peace-time economy when the war ends and the country's gigantic gigan-tic armament production ceases. Although these people are being guided by the Committee Commit-tee for Economic Development, Develop-ment, they are no trained technicians nor market analysts ana-lysts nor economists themselves, them-selves, but just plain Mr. and Mrs. America familiarizing themselves with the conditions condi-tions peculiar to their communities com-munities and anxious to provide pro-vide opportunities for its prosperity pros-perity in the critical postwar world. Citizens In towns and cities ranging rang-ing from hundreds to thousands in population have grouped to undertake under-take a problem that otherwise might be cast solely upon the shoulders of the government, and thus they have sought to' apply democratic principles princi-ples directly through themselves rather than through distant public officials. Recognizing the great business possibilities in the postwar world, and seeking to acquaint the people the country over with them so they might relieve any distress attending attend-ing demobilization of the military establishments and Industry, the Committee for Economic Development, Develop-ment, or CED, was organized in 1912 and began its operations in 1943, with the intention of assist-; assist-; ing in the creation of postwar plan-' plan-' nlng groups in communities of more ; than 10.000. But with the realiza-', realiza-', tion that only through a widespread organization affecting every ecu-i ecu-i nomic segment of the country could any movement be effective, the CED extended its activities , to . smaller cities as well, where the limited i fields offer an even more thorough j application of the plan, i Headed and supported by the ! nation's biggest businessmen, the 1 CED makes no bones about its ob-i ob-i Jective of stimulating individual inl- o - i A student from Falrlelgh Dickinson Dickin-son junior college Interviews the 1o-rul 1o-rul hardware and paint dealer on his postwar employment plans and tales expectations. The college students stu-dents did the survey work in rnnp- ' rration with the Bergen County, N. . J., Committee for Economic Development. Devel-opment. I tiative to assist In the solution of the grave problems which demobilization demobiliza-tion will present. But, in pursuing its goal, CED's organizers welcome I the backing of every economic group within a community: the business-I business-I men, the farmers, labor, public officials offi-cials and any other persons who might be interested. Each City Makes Own Plana. In proceeding with their work, CED's organizers insist upon each 1 community developing Its own plans, I on the principle that its members are more familiar with the city's ! circumstances than anybody outside of it might be. CED actively en- ters the picture through its guidance guid-ance in organization, the distribution distribu-tion of findings of its expert research departments, and its establishment as a clearing house for the exchange of information gathered through ill country-wide operations. As an indication of the grass-roots character of the communal postwar post-war planning. CED's records show ; that 35 per cent of the cities organ-i organ-i ized are under 10,000 population, and ! in the typically rural state of South ; Dakota, for instance, 130 out of 172 i communities cngnged In the pro-1 pro-1 gram have less than 1,300 people, i Pit ' (C A Bergen County, N. J., housewife house-wife tells a college girl what she intends in-tends to buy after the war in the line j of home furnishings, and what the 1 family plans are for remodeling or repairing the house, purchasing an automobile, traveling, and so on. The working of the program may be best explained by a study of its actual operation in one of the small cities, as described by Mr. Hermann C. Wehmann, CED's regional manager man-ager for the Ninth Federal Reserve district, embracing the Northwest. In helping to organize a town, Mr. Wehmann said, CED representatives contact some representative member mem-ber of the community, who then assembles as-sembles other active citizens to dis-1 cuss the program. Expenses are negligible, since the local chamber cham-ber of commerce, etc., furnish the headquarters, and financial outlay is limited to stationery and postage stamps. To get an idea of the possible postwar post-war conditions in the community, various surveys are conducted, Mr. Wcymann continued, with local industries in-dustries canvassed as to the number num-ber of employees they expect they will be able to hire, and residents polled as to the different kinds of merchandise they plan to purchase. Businessmen then figure on how many people they will need to service serv-ice the demand. Surveys also establish es-tablish plans for postwar public works to take up any employment slack. To provide a solid basis lor the business community to figure on, residents polled also nre asked to reveal whether they intend to purchase pur-chase goods out of current income, installment credit, savings or bank deposits, or war bonds. Through banks, building and loan i associations, postal savings and war bond sales, financial assets of the i community are tabulated, to de- j termine the extent to which post- ' war activities might be supported. Albert I.ea, Minn., Survey. j Typical of the consumer surveys I upon which businessmen can pro- ject their potential needs, Mr Weh- j mnnn said, was the one conducted in the town of Albert Lea with its population of 12.200, in Freeborn county with over 31.000 people, in Minnesota. The survey showed that residents of the town expected to buy 1.150 automobiles nt $1, 217.2(18. and farmers farm-ers of the county 1,140 cars at $1.-105.8(H). $1.-105.8(H). People In the town hoped lo bu 442 new houses at an average cost of $4.(108, while farmers looked for ward to the construction of 150 homes at $3,150 each. Repairs averaging $514 were planned for 714 houses in Albert I.ea, while similar work averaging $900 was anticipated on 540 farm ; homes in the county. In addition, j farmers indicated they would build 3(10 barns ' at an average cost of $1,473, and 300 silos at an average price of $539. Farmers also expected to purchase pur-chase 7l!0 tractors averaging $920 each; 810 prefabricated small buildings build-ings averaging $500, nnd 810 electric services averaging $325. With businessmen thus able to figure fig-ure upon their ossible employment needs, and with surveys of local industries in-dustries determining their" future operating op-erating prospects, communities can partly visualize their postwar condition. con-dition. New Industries Fnrouraged. Towns that may be faced with a surplus of employables can be encouraged en-couraged to explore the possibility of developing a new industry after consultation con-sultation with economic experta at their state universities. In cases where such development may be desirable, de-sirable, consideration may be given to some Industry which might be based upon a local agricultural crop. After extensive field work. Mr. Wehmann has set up a chart of the employment prospects of towns which have undertaken communal planning within his region, and as evidence of the value of the survey, consultations with Governor Thye of Minnesota have resulted in the state's consideration to locate public works projects within those areas where labor surpluses may develop. In organizing communal planning the country over, th CED does not hold that such preparation will be a sure-fire cure for the employment employ-ment and business problems that will develop upon rrwl'itary and industrial in-dustrial demobil'z?.tin after the war. The CED does net overlook the importance of industry quickly reconverting re-converting to civilian production to absorb the msss of employables, nor does it ignore the fact that any solid stability can be expected unless un-less agriculture is assured an adequate ade-quate market at a fair price. On the question of reconversion, CED stands for the swift settlement of cancelled war contracts to pro- i vide industry with funds with which ! to finance the switch back to civilian j goods. At the end of the war, CED figures that about 10 billion .dollars of claims will be entered against the government, of which probably 2 billion dollars will be subject to dispute. Government Surplus Sales. Besides reconversion, CED also advocates the orderly disposal of surplus war material, so as not to repeat the mistakes that followed marketing of such goods after the last conflict, with the subsequent disturbance of normal channels of production and distribution. In this respect, the government already has established nn agency for handling surplus goods, with emphasis placed upon a maximum return for any material. In a recent address, Paul G. Hoffman, Hoff-man, chairman of the board of trustees trus-tees of CED, declared: "Private business cannot by any means do the entire Job of providing provid-ing postwar employment. But it is aware of its obligation to make its maximum contribution to thai end. With labor and agriculture, it hopes to see reestablished after this war a free and growing American economy econ-omy . . . "What is America's postwar goal for civilian employment? The Committee Com-mittee for Economic Development places that figure at from 53 to 56 million jobs. That is 7 to 10 million mil-lion more than in 1940, the banner year in all our prewar history . . . "It is clear that private businessin busi-nessin which I include apiculture and the professions must provide employment for the overwhelming proportion of those Americans who after this war will be seeking jobs. No governmental employment yet planned let alone blueprinted can take up more than a fraction of the unemployment slapk that would exist if private employment were not able to go full steam ahead svhen the war ends ... Opportunity for Profit. "Meanwhile, the Committee for Economic Development is committed com-mitted to these beliefs: "The American economy after this war must be predominantly one of private enterprise, in which the r opportunity for a fair profit will en-i en-i courage businessmen to expand present operations and to undertake new ventures. "The American economy after this wtr mist he nn expanding peon- The president of the bank in Rutherford, Ruth-erford, N. J., gives pertinent financial finan-cial data to a college girl interviewer. inter-viewer. The figures on savings and demand deposits, war bond sales, personal loans and sales on credit, help the Committee for Economic Development in forecasting the purchasing pur-chasing power that will be available to buy goods when peace returns. omy in which more wealth will be created a'nd consumed year after year, and in which the American standard of living will steadily rise. "The American economy after this war must be such as to give every encouragement to the small businessman, busi-nessman, for small business, and particularly new enterprise, promotes pro-motes competition and flexibility in our economy, and thus furnishes protection pro-tection against monopolistic practices prac-tices which maintain prices and restrict re-strict production , . ," Three leader of the national Committee Com-mittee for Economic Development study the map showing location of 1.933 CED committers In all 4ft states. Left to right. C. Seott Heteh-rr, Heteh-rr, director of C ED field development develop-ment division; Paul G. Hoffman, president of Mudrbakrr corporation and chairman of the board of trustees trust-ees af ( ED: and William Benton, lce chairman. The Committee Is aiming at post-war post-war prnduitinn levels 30 to 43 per rent greater than In I "19. |