Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-01-13

WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass. Jan.
13.-Roger w. Babson today issued
the following statement in which he
further discusses the points that
aroused greatest interest in his "Out-
look for 1928" which appeared in
these columns on January last:
Whatever 1923 brings forth 1t is
starting out exceedingly well. AS
explained last week, satistically bust
ness lie now in a better position than
it has been since October 1920. TAX
ing all sections OF the country and
all lines of business, the Babsonchart
Is practically normal today. This
compares with minus 81 per cent.
a year ago, and minus 13 per cent.
two years ago." says Mr.. Babson.
Q course, the improvement has
been so rapid during the past few
weeks that 1t probably cannot hold
up during the entire year Of 1923.
However, most lines of business are
doing well today and we should
make the best of this opportunity.
Those who are not in lines which are
improving should get busy and find
find out why. Certainly the ulti-
mate consumers of most goods are
today in position to buy in reason
able quantities. Every business man
should be doing business with them
and sharing their prosperity.
The farmers are feeling better"
continued the Statistician, than
they have for some years. The value
in money of the crops just harvested
Is over 80 per cent. greater than the
value of the previous crop. The
banking situation in the farming
sections is liquidating. Failures are
running only 400 q week compared
with 500 or 900 a year ago. My rec
ords from the mail order houses
show that December has again been
a record month, and that most far
mers' families had a sumptuous
Christmas. This applies not only to
the grain sections of the West, but
most cotton sections of the South.
Conditions in Texas are better than
they have been for some time. Since
the textile workers have returned,
the cotton mills r. very busy. Cot
ton should remain firm until we
know something about next years
crop.
THE iron and steel industry is in
a better condition than 1t has been
prosperous Christmas. Most plants
are working 80 per cent. of their ca
pacity and the demand for this time
of year for their products is excep-
tionally good. Ordinarily many
steel plants close down this season,
but there is little chance of it at
present. Most railroads are buying
locomotives, cars, rails and other
track material. Building, which is
usually dull this time of year, con-
tinues to be active, and the demand
for brick, lumber, and hardware is
greater than ever before at this sea-
son. The demand for copper is in
creasing and I would not be sur
prised to see higher prices during
the next few months. The coal in
dustry continues to boom, and SO
long as the present cold weather
continues, there should be n let-up
in the producing end Of the indus
try. Certain sections of the country,
however, which have been suffering
for lack of coal should soon get
plenty. Coal prices should be lower
in 1928 than in 1922.
Foreign trade is holding up bet
ter than most people anticipated.
Various reasons exist for this, but
the principal ms is the renewed in
terest which President Harding is
taking in foreign affairs. The state
ments last week by Senator Borah
should be beneficial to the foreign
trade situation. Expert business is
dependent upon confidence. Moth
ing will help so much to restore our
foreign trade as a feeling that Eu-
rope is to be kept from bankruptcy.
My financial friends have been " ry
pessimistic over the European situa-
ton during the past few months. Re-
ports which I have received this
week in regard to Europe seem
brighter and more hopeful.
There Is even a bright side to the