Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1914-01-20
Head of Great COlfax County
Coal Mining Interests Says
Prosperous Conditions Are
Ahead.
BELIEVES RAILROADS
WILL GET RATE ADVANCE
Finds Sentiment in the East
Favorable to Immediate Re-
vival Of Business Activity.

The immediate return uf nation
wide prosperity IN uii lines of busi-
ness activity W looked for by j. Van
fiouten, manager Of the great CoifaX
county mining interests OF the 81.
Louis. Rocky Mountain and Pacific
Fuel company and allied corpora
lions, and one of the leading business
men of the southwest. who ie in Al
buquerquc TO-DAY Nj Van Houtcn
Is here 60 attend the annual meeting
OF the Occidental insurance compan-
icH. Of which he Be- "a director tie
has just returned from Europe ana
from un extended stay la the east
and what he finds there confirms his
belief that there ia prosperity ahead
Tor the Whole country
n like the general business out
look said Mr. Van Houtcn this
morning - have studied conditions
carefully during my stay IN the cast
and from all J have been able 90 see
and 10 hear from others We have a
period Of prosperity Immediately be-
fore us. There b. a general feeling
Of optimism. Business men great ana
bamall are talking good times. and
when the business men OF this coun-
tfy get To- talking good times in
chorus. good times are mighty sure
60 come.
'On what 30 Is based do not
know. but there seems to DC a pretty
definite feeling that the i've per cent
freight rate increase which has been
asked for rs the railroads east OF the
al a
should this be the case. ~ will mean
much in the way 81 renewed activity
MOT ottly us the railroads themselves
but iu general business. Probably
the basis of this belief Us found Va
the geneai feeling now apparent
that the railroads have had enough
regulating and that they need some
fair business like consideration. and
that in the course of the regulating,
rates have gone too low. short line
railroads used 60 be- profitable In TINS
country. They are so no longer, fof
the rates on the trunk lines have
been crowded down Go such "a point
that fair divisions Tor the littlc lines
are no longer possible. short lines
in our own state have fct this tO
their SORROW
The currency mW Is an accom-
pliHhcd fact now. 10 seems 10 be- Civ
Ing general Satisfaction. and thos,
who are not altogether satisfied fee
that al least lt can de- no harm
while the question Is settled Thin
has had much 20 de- with cncourag
ing the optimistic feeling nov pre-
Nniling ~ the whole the outlook ia
most encouraging.
Notth New NcNlCo Prosperous.
I'm northern New Mexico We have
u very happy prospect for the
coming year, We had some great
snow storms early tn the winter. Fur
several days our coal mining opera
lions we're ~ spended because We
could not get our locomotives up ga
the mines But this was only tempo
rary. cattle losses were slight and
while there were some sheep LOSSES
la the open country la Union cuun'
a. they were not general and aside
from few instance not heavy. cat
tie prices are good and the lumber
market is Eoing forward nicely, st
that We look for a mighty good yeai
In ColfnN county and the northern
part of the state.
Coal strike About over.
The coal strike IN southern Colo
RADIO mas been q very ugly one, but
fortunately mas not had much epec'
on our mines on this side Of th,
mountains. There have been EFFORTS
10 get among our men by agitatorH
but our miners for the mos, par, are
satisfied with conditions and have
refused 10 be agltated. Ho that tbs
strike has affected uH but slightly
We have had most Ut our trouoi,
with IN Ureck laborers. Many OF
them have just returned from th'
Balkan war and they respond to me
talk OF fight Tor liberty and human
rights with wild desire to get
gun and murder someone. That AIS
positinn makes them somewhat dan
gerouH Thus fnr, however We have
had little serious trouble with them
II think the Colorado strike h. Ct
fectlvely broken. a viii take SONS
time 10 get the disaffected miners on
of the district, bat Il appears tina
the worst OF Il is over"
Ar. Van Houten expects 10 return