Rapid Industrial Development, Competition, and Relative Economic Status: A Study in Human Ecology. Working Paper RID 73.10.

The document has 3 goals (1) to examine the distribution of economic benefits of industrial development as reflected by the concept of competition in human ecology; (2) to provide an empirical test of the ecological model, and (3) to relate the findings to public policy. Two Illinois study areas were identified. First, as an experimental region, Putnam County and bordering sections of the 3 contiguous counties were selected. Second, a comparable region across the state--Iroquois County--was selected as a control region. Both regions: (1) are about equidistant from Chicago, (2) had similar highway and railway systems in 1966, and (3) were rural agricultural counties similar in demographic composition. In 1966, 1,171 household heads were interviewed in the experimental region, and 411 in the control region. Five years later, after the industrial plant had beenin operation, 1,166 persons in the experimental region were interviewed and 399 in the control region. Findings are presented in 5 tables and are summarized--e.g., Table 1 presents gross and net effects on income of each category of competitive capacity. (FF)