El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-02-28
"Whats the Matter With Business?"
Asks the Santa Fe New Mexican
~ R. Bediehek, Deming. n. d.

THE Santa Fe New Mexican deliv-
ers itself editorially IN a recent
issue regarding business condi-
lions in New Mexico. as follows:
Albuquerque business men have pc
titioned that the city government re-
store the red light district They are
doing this for business reasons. as
existing dullness at the Duke City is
blamed on the restrictive policy From
Roswell comes word that many bust
ness men are opposed TO prohibition.
because they claim that business is
duh in Roswell at present and that
prohibition is TO blame. Las Vegas
wants 70 stage a PIKE fight because
business IS dull Eastern New Mexico
demands new land laws because bust
ness is dull and many dry farmers
are leaving. From other parts of the
southwest comes the same plant of
business. men who have been disap-
pointed because statehood did not
bring an immediate boom, but they all
blame adverse business conditions to a
wrong cause, to conditions that lie on
the surface, and are. therefore, easily
grasped. The remedy that is suggest
ed is like that OF pulling ones self up
by ones bOOtStraps. New MexicO's
development and growth viii not come
like a flash. will not be the. result OF
suit of careful fostering. The coming
legislature. for instance, must adhere
to sane legislative ideas, must cOun-
teract the adverse blow given busi-
ness interests when 1t was flashed
over the country last November that
New MeXicO's ship of state had cut
loose from its conservative mOOriugs
and was headed for waters that mean
instability, agitation, unsettled bust
ness conditions. Capitalists who had
depended on sane stable cOnstitu-
tiCn to protect all interests, were
checked by the adoption of the blue
ballot and are now waiting to see
whether the legislature VIII legislate
along the new lines or along the old,
conservative, safe lines
But the business man VINO 1mag1nes
that bringing back the red light, the
prize fight, the wide open conditions,
will bring permanent prosperity to
New Mexico is merely fOOling him
self"
The towns OF Albuquerque, Roswell
and Las Vegas are listed as among
the compliments, but II VIII be noted
by the careful reader that Tor some
reason or other Demlng IS not IN me
list And. strange to say DemlnB
has not resorted to any of the rene
dies suggested by other places, and IS
yet within the baleful influence OF the
passage of the blue ballot amendment
And still things are prosperous IN
Deming, business men report steady
increase in business, new business
houses are opening every week, there
is tremendous activity in the building
trades, and generally speaking. bust
ness conditions could hardly be in bet
ter shape.
The remedies suggested by the vari-
Gus towns, together with the solution
by the New Mexican. must go
to pieces. fOundered. so to speak, upon
the solid rock Of Deming's prospert-
~. Perhaps an examination Of the
causes Of Deming's advancement might
throw some light upon the question
proposed.
The basis of business activity in
Deming H. Of course. the rapid deTel-
opment OF farming and irrigable lands
In the vicinity OF the town. Ten years
ago. these lands We're supporting one
steer to the So acres Now many
acres in the vicinity Of Deming are
yielding from $50 to $500 net to the
acre. The change has been brought
about by the discovery and develop
ment Of a tremendous water supply
lying underneath the surface OF the