Imperial Valley Press

Hastain Reviews Plans For Postwar Program

Assemblyman Harvey E. Hastain returned to Brawley Wednesday after attending the Carson City, Nevada, meeting of the Eleven Western States Council of Governments where it was decided that the west will map its own post-war program. "The post-war planners in the east do not know the west," Hastain declared, "and the representatives of the 11 western states banded themselves together to see that the post-war plans for the west are made by westerners, by westerners who know the west and understand its problems and needs." He explained that the western states had decided to band together to get recognition in Washington instead of acting as individual states. This was done so that the welfare of the west cannot be overshadowed in the east by interests better understood in Washington than are the interests of the west. Representatives were particularly interested in keeping western steel mills open after the war, Hastain said. It was revealed at the council meeting in Carson City that eastern interests had succeeded in slowing up completion of the steel mill at Geneva, Utah. The Kaiser mills priorities were later than those for materials for construction of the Geneva mill, it was revealed at the meeting. In spite of that the Kaiser mills are in production and the Geneva mill still is incomplete. "It is not sensible to ship raw material from the west to eastern mills," Hastain said. "And then ship the steel back to the west again. By keeping the western mills open we can save $10,000,000 annually in freight alone. Also why is it sensible to import raw materials in the west, ship them east, and then send them back west again." He said the 11 western states have similar problems and interests and could accomplish something when banded together instead of vying with each other. The council members plan to travel to each state so that all may become familiar with each state.