THIS month will mark a high point in the history of the Used Machine Tool Industry. Dealers from all over the country will meet for the first time in conference to discuss war and post-war problems. We wonder if the buyer of machine tools, and industry as a whole, can fully appreciate what this wartime conference means.
The prime purpose of this Wartime Conference is to add what knowledge and experience these men possess to further the War Effort. No one can calculate the number of production man-hours saved and the acceleration given to the shipment of the munitions to the war fronts, because some thousands of tools were immediately available in the warehouses and stocks of these dealers when the all-out bugle was sounded on December 8, 1941. These stocks of machinery represented millions which were invested by dealers for the purpose of reconditioning and resale. The basis of this kind of business is fundamentally sound and carries an element of speculation not found in the average manufacturing enterprise.
It must be remembered that the business of buying and selling machinery is not the most pleasant in the world. If a dealer cannot buy anything to sell, he is out of business. If his stock pile becomes too great he is liable to find himself behind the eight-ball. We dare say that many of the people in this field would like to get out of it. Many have been forced to change over to manufacturing pursuits, others have centered their efforts upon contract rebuilding.
At any rate, the used machinery and equipment dealers are carrying the ball to the last marker in this War Effort and the fact that they are redoubling their efforts by gathering to exchange ideas for the furtherance of the cause, deserves commendable recognition.
