Village Squire, 1978-03, Page 42yet use it efficiently enough to be able to
compete with larger, more capital intensive
plants.
Prof. Peterson argues that one of the
problems of Canada has always been the
lack of entrepeneurs, the people who take
the ideas and put them to work. He points
out that Canadians have had a remarkable
record of invention, but most of the
development of the original ideas has taken
place elsewhere because there weren't any
Canadian business who would take on the
job. Part of the reason is that the climate
has discouraged the person willing to take
the .chance to build a business around a
new idea. Yet it is the small-business
sector which has Constantly come up with
the new ideas and the improvements on the
old. Big business has had a history of
caution, never jumping on an idea until it's
been proven by smaller businessmen
willing to take a risk. Canada has failed
because the rewards for taking that risk
have been too small to make more people
willing to take the risk.
So in Canada, big business has been left
to do most of the work in fields such as
industry while countries like the United
States which have cultivated small
business have a much more dynamic mix of
small and large business. To have a
healthy economy, Prof. Peterson points
out, there must be a continual birth of new
businesses and new ideas to challenge the
old.
Prof. Peterson points out countries
around the world that are an example of a
healthy mix of large and small businesses.
Japan, for instance while appearing to be
dominated by a few industrialized giants,
has a strong tradition of sub contracting
which means small companies actually
produce many of the component parts for
the final products turned out by the auto or
electronics industries.
This is the way of the future, some
experts predict, with smart businessmen in
big companies learning how best to farm
out work to subcontractors which can do it
more economically than the company itself.
Prof. Peterson doesn't pretend to have
the magic solution to all of Canada's
problems,in his book. He simply urges a
determined effort by governments in
Canada to stimulate the small business
sector. Yet if his proposal was accepted
and carried out the effects on Canada could
be immense. Small business, being more
labour intensive could greatly help reduce
unemployment. Many of the unemployed
themselves might be encouraged to set out
on their own to start businesses. A move to
regional self-sufficiency could greatly ease
the political strain on the country. If small
businessmen in the Maritimes, in Quebec,
in the West take over more of the job of
filling local needs it could change the whole
attitude of being hard done by that
dominates so much of our thinking. It could
revitalize towns, even whole provinces and
regions.
That's how important the book could be.
It's worth the effort to read it and to work
to try to get the ideas accepted by those in
a position to do something about putting
the policies into action. 0
r
(P
and Maureen invites you to
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The styles have changed, as
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'78. One thing, however,
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een -- she still insists on...
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at a price
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Sweater coats, rain wear, dresses,
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atottee
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