Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-03-24

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March 24.-Today Roger w. Babson
issued his report on conditions in
that section of the country which
extends from the agricultural states
through to the Pacific Coast States.
Thls group consists of Montana,
Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, Utah,
Nevada, New Mex,: 20, Arizona and
part of Texas and Oklahoma.
Il am very fond of this mountain
section" says Mr.. Babson. 1T is
the section which develops those
manly and robust qualities which are
the backbone of American civiliza-
ton. This is the west, which de-
veloped Roosevelt spiritually, men,
tally and physically. Rugged charac-
ters of both country and people,
freedom from artificial conventional
itv and the custom of Judging men
solely by what they are; character
ize these mountain states. This was
very forcibly brought to my mind
last month when, on my way south,
l stopped in Philadelphia to call
upon George Horace Lorimer editor
of the Saturday Evening Post, a man
who it is said has the greatest po-
tential influence of any man in AM
erica. When urging Mr.. Lorimer to
visit me in the South he replied:
'Babson, the South is all right for
those who want to live in big hotels
and play golf-but give me the
Grand Canyon of Colorado where I
can ride up and down the trails.
There is something about that noun
famous country that inspires me
as well as rests me- Similar state
ments have been made to me by
many of Americas greatest captains
of industry. They may go to other
sections of the country for amuSe-
ment and diversion but when they
desire real recreation, to be rebuilt
and re-created they go out into the
Rocky Mountains.
"Y "Yet,"-continues Mr.. Babson, -
this mountain section has it's struG-
giles. The same dimculties, which
meet the traveller when climbing the
hills and crossing the deserts, seem
to confront those who have settled
down to develop the country. Not
only has this section suffered more
than any other, but its problems are
m lore difficult of solution. The chief
industries are cattle and sheep rais-
ing. mining, numbering and a certain
amount of agriculture including the
irrigated sections. All of these lines
have suffered during the past few
years and are only now beginning
to look better.
REIMBURSEMENT in this section has
been severe and prolonged. but l
believe that 1928 will go down in his
tory as year of local improvement.
Although no sharp upturn is likely,
those doing business in these states
will note a gradual broadening of
purchasing activities and diminish
ing volume of overdue accounts.
From a mining standpoint, 1922 was
one of the worst years on record.
Poor market conditions and the un-
usually low prices for copper, lead
and zinc resulted in the closing of
many mines. The value of the lead
ing mineral products taken out of
the ground in Montana in 1921 was
only s16,212,000 compared with
Sos, 900 in 1920. Greatest activ-
ity was noted in the mining of silver
and silver-lead ores. The market
for all of the non-ferrous metals is
quiet, but the fundamental tendency
il toward a better demand and
strengthening prices. Already a
number of the larger mines and re-
nIlIS pidlllo nave I6ouillcu Optl
tions. Progress along these lines
may be slow for a few months, but
it will be in the right direction. Per-
sonally, l am distinctly bullish on
the copper situation and believe that
Montana and the other copper dis
tricts will show the greatest per-
centage of increase in 1928, over
1921 and 1922, of any sections of
the country. The same thing, only
to a lesser extent, should apply to
the cattle and sheep business
In discussing some of the cities
of the mountain section, Mr.. Bah
son reports as follows: Denver, a
city approaching 100000 in popula-
ton, shows sales to be 105 per cent
of what they were a year ago. Car
shops, packing and miscellaneous in
dustries are about normal today. ]
am sure, however, that Denver and
the entire state of Colorado will have
a better year in 1928 than it had in
1922. Salt Lake City, Utah, with a
population of about 125,000, reports
greater activity in mining and smelt-
ing with an improved condition of
those industries catering to the far
mers. Pueblo, Colorado, with $4,000 |
is not yet back to normal; but be- |
lieve the tariff will help this section. |
1t has already begun to feel the ef- '