Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-19
LOCAL FINANcIAY NEWS.

IL might have been sensational Biove
and no doubt would have been at any
other place than the local stock exchange.
when broker today calmly piled 20 points
on the last quoted bid for Columbia Bank
and bid 200 for the stock One circum-
stance lessened its unusual character and
that was the same bid has been made for
this stock in recent days, and also the
further fact that such extraordinary Jumps
In the figures are not SO uncommon in the
list of the bank stocks.
None OF the Columbia Bank stock was
oIiered for sale at any price In addition
to the broker who made the bid there was
also an inquiry from another broker as to
whether there was any stock for sale, and
Especially large block of It. In reply to
a question the latter sad that he would
not bid for the stock. hut IL there was any
quantity offered and the offer was kept
open he would get busy and see what he
could do.
There Is no call perhaps for an explana-
ton as to the cause of this apparent de-
mand for the stock. the figures through
out the entire bank stock list. with some
exceptions. of course. represent rather the
condition OF securities strongly held for
investment purposes than real values. AS
rule II is pretty safe thing to make most
any sort of bid for this class OF stocks
without running much danger of accumu-
lating any great quantity.
In connection with the Columbia Bank
preston that there Is a considerable block
or II that might come on the market. and
sometimes il is thought that these moves
at the meeting of the stock exchange may
De premonitory symptoms Of future events.
An advance of a point and half In the
DID Tor the stock Of the Metropolitan Fire
Insurance Company was made but the only
result was the Offering of twenty-five
shares for 9S and 100 shares for lO5. There
was no Did made for the larger lot, and the
DID Tor the quotation lot was 91E. The bal
ance OF the fire insurance stocks showed no
chafge or consequence and whatever Is be-
ing done now makes but very slight impress
sion on the daily CALL
Fifty shares Of telephone stock sold for
65, the highest point yet reached for such
block in the recent upward course of this
STOCK. There was more stock to be had al
me same figure. but the bid was half q.
point less and nothing was done.
Gas stock was fairly abundant. and at
prices which We're lower than those which
have prevailed in the last few days A
couple of hundred-share lots were the fea-
ture of the trading today. and one such lot
went for ooh and the other an eighth of a
point less.
There was still a supply on hand at 604,
but the demand did not seem to tns very
pressing and the only bid that was made
was at CO. and that was for a quotation
lot of twenty-five shares.
The volume of the trading in Lanston
represented the largest proportion of the
activity of the day, but that does not mean
much, as the business seemed TO share in
the spirit which prevails in the New York
market. where dullness reigns.
The figures obtained for Lanston were
slight fractional advances above 10, with
an option at 1875. At the close the bid
and the asking prices was separated by
only an eighth of d point.
Greene Copper was also one of the large
traders of the day. and the scale of prices
showed somewhat of a decline from the
level that has been maintained.
At the meeting In this city of the com.
mittee on bank legislation of the American
Bankers Association a clean money bill
was indorsed which provides that banks in
the interior may send bills for exchange.
unfit for circulation. by registered mail
without expense, The committee also ia
vored issuance of s. gold certificates
means of furnishing a sufficient amount of
small bills to the country.