OCR Text |
Show Small Town Progress While the population drift to large cities is continuing, their productive pro-ductive capacity is not increasing, in proportion to that of the inhabitants inhab-itants of small tov. ns. Industrial leadership of the country in many cases is being transferred to the rural communities. Such, in brief, is trie conclusion arrived at by a leading economist after a nation-wide survey of industrial in-dustrial trends. The underlying reasons for the growing industrial importance of the small towns are stated thus: "Distribution of electric energy to even the smallest hamlet has furnished rural communities with abundant facilities for operating industrial plants. The marked improvement in freight transportation transporta-tion as a result of better highways, and an acceleration of railroad traffic have been other factors in the small town's forward march ia industrial importance." It is also pointed out that there are many advantages to wage-earners wage-earners in this decentralization of industrial operations. Lower rents, cheaper foods and escape from city congestion all offer inducements to small town living. A total of more than three billion bil-lion dollars will be spent m puolle utilities construction during 1930, much of which will go toward the building up of rural communities. This vast program will also create a widespread demand for other types of construction, including more homes, industrial plants, theaters, the-aters, banks, churches and schools. Intelligent cooperation of small town leaders in this new industrial Movement will be of the greatest to their respective communities. |