The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-03
HOWELL F0RESEES. PR0sPE YEAR|
Brooklyn Economist Grips Rotarians In Discussion Of
 Good Times

Unprecedented business prosperity, 1 assured for at least the first six months of the year. yet probable for the entire year and varying only to the degree of confidence displayed,
 Wednesday was forecast to nearly 300 Birmingham Rotarians and their guests, members of the Lions club. by John c. Howell, manager of the
 commodity department of Brookmire Economic Service. at their regular
 weekly meeting in the ball room of the Tutwiier hotel.
 There is no crime in business prosperity but a decided crime it Is not to be prosperous. discount to the fullest the old parallel of de- pression which business men believe inevitable following period of busi- are at fault if they allow this situa- tion to develop" MT. Howell said. Four determining factors he point. ed out as responsible in the main for. the bright outlook bof the futnre-- Irallroad and credit stabtlitys low. stocks and @a high civiifzatfon. s@-
 T hold \no brief for the railroads, yet 1t Is an undisplted fact that the prosperity of the carriers; in other words highly efficient transporta- tion system. is of vastly greater im- portance to American good business
 than any other single factor.
 "The' railroads have rehabilitated their credit and are now moving the peak loads of their history. When they function normally, unhampered Iby freak Legislation. every conceiv- able article of manufacture is used by them in one department or an h fz they contribute vastly to the suc- cess of American business. The best evidence of the prosperity of the ma
 ton is the prosperity Of the rail-
 roads,"
 MT. Howell laid particular empha- sis on the more even tenor or the American citizen in the purchase ot daily necessities: He said t' You |1H hmt
 who are salesmen cannot heip put realize tho import of what am tell ing you. Tho American business man must use salesmanship to dis
 pose of his wares. The American
 m blic is done with running about
 madly in desire to purchase. fet the business Is ever avaliaoie TOT the man who goes after 1t.
 "Even now we see a brightening of the skies in Europe and the dawn ing of a better day over there, yet
 there are some business men skeptl-
 cal enough to believe Europe VIII share our prosperity. To me such an idea is absurd. Is there any pront Tn doing business with a pauper? Does
 nor a prosperous Europe right now mean an even more prosperous Amer fca?
 "This country is closer to . more
 phenominal international trade our- ing the next ten years tha ever De- fore in its history.
 "America has the White House
 todav as sane a thinking and con seryatiye man as has occupied that nosition in many years. There IS no doIbt but Calvin Coolidge and ms Associates will use the tremendous
 resources at their command to the
 vast betterment of American pusA- ness." ie5
 l "rhe general outlook was never more reassuring. Confidence only is lacking in some quarters. Destroy confidence and all possibility or sue. cess is destroyed. Where ls tne cloud on the horizonT '' :
 Few speakers have received sne
 enthusiastic reception accorded Mr.
 Howell by the Birmingham Rotar-
 fans. without hesitation ne drove home his views to the evioent Keen appreciation of one of the larsest
 meetings the club mas hao iN months