Idle Resources.pdf

There is a large volume of idle men, money, and plant equipment, and a material improvement must be brought about to preserve the economic system. The US has abundant material resources and money, and the supply of funds is not a limiting factor on further recovery. The greatest domestic problem is to find productive employment for over 8 million people, and it's not a scarcity of money that prevents a more satisfactory economic condition. The excess reserves of member banks exceed $4 billion, which could become the basis for a further expansion of the money supply. The problem is not to create more funds, but to find productive use for those already in existence. To achieve full employment, there needs to be a continuous annual flow of savings into capital outlays, which requires a continuous growth of new investment in new undertakings. The question is whether private capital outlays can be restored to a point sufficient to absorb unemployment, and if not, what alternatives confront the nation.