The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-06-29
Edw. Chambers, Vice President
Santa Fe, Wears Smile.
Country Is Headed Back to
Normally, He Declares,
WILL NOT TALK ABOUT STRIKE
Big CrOps--Car Shortage
Lots of WOrk-GOOd Pay.
Wheat Crop 125, 100000 Bush
eIs-TOpeka "Fine Old Town."

The business situation in the south
west is better than it was a year ago.
and is improving steadily, according
! to Edward Chambers, vice president
of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
Railway company, who was in To-
peka Wednesday night on his way to
Chicago. after a trip OF a month in
territory served by that line.
| Crop yields generally in Kansas
and other Santa Fe states for 1929
will be larger than those of 1921. and
marketing conditions will be more
satisfactory" Mr.. Chambers said.
THE livestock industry. which suf-
fered a depression following the war,
is recovering slowly, and should be on
a firm footing in another year. An
encouraging sign is the large number
of farmers who have begun to raise
! few cattle and hogs for the market
farmers who for several years have
not included these side lines in their
operations.
Business Is Picking Up.
. Everywhere men have begun to
talk hopefully of the future. Business
actually is picking up. and transac-
tions again are carrying profits.
Nearly every community has a build
J ing program, and new factories and
other branches of industry are start
ing. California, for example, is AL
most back to normal. Los Angeles,
| 1 would say, is going ahead more rap
J idly than at any previous period of its
j existence Half a million new acres
will have been planted to fruit and
vines as many more new acres 10
vegetables and other crops peculiar
J to California during the five-year
period ending with 1922.
Large areas also are being brought
/ under cultivation in the natural rain
81 ~
Texas, and in the irrigated states OF
/ Colorado. New Mexico and Arizona,
1 the new settlers having come mainly
\ from the congested centers of the
and from Canada I rode all day in
1 Kansas today. The state never was
more beautiful than il is now.
"A hopeful sign is the reopening of
] the great copper mines OF Arizona and
New Mexico, for the products of these
mines are used in featuring all
over the country. They will increase
! their output steadily until full caDac-
: ity is reached. Several reliable con-
Germs have begun to prospect for cop
per, particularly in the jerome dis
/ trict.
Headed Toward Stabnization.
THE main thing at this time is for
the country to get stabilized. and we
are heading in that direction. When
prices are stable, buyers make more
extensive purchases, and that helps
business. The uncertainty of prices
has been the biggest obstacle in the
way of our recovery from the diff
culties caused by the war"
Won't Discuss Strike.
Mr.. Chambers would not discuss the
threatened strike. Il have been away
from my office thirty-two days and
am not familiar with the latest deveI-
opments," he said.
Regarding the threatened car short
a ya in
| "Of course, there will be a car short
age, If most of the wheat growers
want to sell direct from the threshinec
machine. Kansas suffers from a lack
of orderly marketing facilities. There
is not nearly enough storage capacity.
hope the time will soon come when
every farm owner will be IN position
to hold at least part of his produc-
ton, thus allowing the grain to flow
steadily to the markets. This would
stabilize the price, which would be
good thing for the grower. The
railroads have plenty of cars to take
care of the wheat If it comes in a
/ steady flow, but If there is rush "a
every locality, it will mean a tempo
rary car shortage. The Santa Fe is in
better shape for cars than it has been
since the war, and is increasing the
number as rapidly as possible"
Likes TOpcka-Startcd Here.
Mr.. Chambers estimates the Kansas
wheat yleld at 1Z5sOOD,O05 DusnelE-
"Or, rather, that is Jim Koontz's esti-
mate" he added. land II Is the guess
of several Kansas grain men and mill
! lers with whom l have talked"
J. NJ. Connen. general passenger
. agent, took Mr.. Chambers for a short
} drive. This is a fine old town" the
visitor said, land 1 have a warm spot
in my heart for it. Ny first job with
the Santa Fe was in Topeka. in 1888.
1 was a clerk in the superintendent
office"