The Washington times., 1914-02-07
RAIL WAY COMPANY
STOCKS HOLD FIRM
Public Utilities Commissions
Adverse Report Fails to A.
feet Securities on Change.
By GEORGE H. GALL.

The report of the Public Utilities Com
| mission on the Washington Railway and
Electric Company and the Potomac
! Electric Power Company did not appre-
| ciably irtfuence the securities of either
corporation on the local Stock Exchange
| today.
The Washington Railway 4 per cent
| bonds sold higher than they did yester-
| day. 5000 being taken at 81 and par
Was paid for 5000 of the Potomac con-
| solidated IS. AS to the Railway COM
mon stock. none was offered, and tho
bid was only 4 under that of yesterday.
After call the bid was raised to 81, with
meme offered. The only sale was of two
| shares of the preferred at 30.
| The action of the board of directors
of the Washington Railway and Elcc-
trC Company IN increasing the common
dividend to a per cent basis and de-
Claring a dividend on the preferred,
taken two days ago, was officially an
nounCed on exchange today. The diYi
dend of ia per cent on the common win
| be payable March to holders of record
February 13. The preferred dividend is
semi-annual, 212 per cent, payable June
| l, but holders of record February 13 who
have certificates bearing stamp show
| ing the change of payment from semi
annually 10 quarterly will be paid Ia
| per cent March !.
Mergenthaler sold higher, a ten-share
lot bringing 2164. There was also a
| sale of Georgetown Gas at rs.
A block of 800 shares of East Wash
| ington Savings Bank was for sale, and
| it was taken in 100 shares lots on a
| scale down from l! { to 15H. After this
| was sold. howeve' the bid was raised
to 15A, with none offered under II.
Henry p. Blair has been elected presi-
| he
| Company Of the District of Columbia,
| and Joseph Sanders. vice president. The
| company'S $ report for the years shows
| the greatest income and amount of new
| business in its history.
Fred Z. Farnsworth, general secretary
| of the American Bankers Association,
| announces the selection OF Hot Springs.
Va, as the place, and April 90 May /.
| as the time for the spring meeting OF
| the executive council OF the association.
Evidences Of improving business con-
ditiOns and a continuance of optimism
| are reported today in the weekly re-
views of the mercantile agencies r. q.
Dun & Co.'S Review says, In part, as
fellows:
There are further evidences OF revlv-
| ing business activity with the expansion
in Industrial operations constituting one
| of the best features of the situation.
| somewhat less COInIAGlIlL IO" Is LtdAu
regarding labor conditions, as the num-
| ber of unemployed. while apparently
still large, has been reduced consider
| ably of late.
still proceed conservatively. advices from
| the Pittsburgh district indicate lna7
| terial gain in the rate of new business.
Bradstreets review is in part as fol-
lows:
Optimism continues to spread. and
| in some lines of industry, particularly
| iron and steel, actual Improvement
| keeps encouraging pace with sentiment.
| Wlthall there is sufficient irregularity,
| primarily traceable to unreasonable
weather conditions, to act as a check
rein On the general tendency toward
| betterment.
industrial operations are expanding
! steadily, thus placing a much different
! face on the problem of idleness than
! was apparent a month or so ago.
! Especially good reports come from the
| iron and steel industry. increased de-
! mands, higher prices and better employ
Tnent being cOmprehended in the returns,
| and the textile industries are active.
| Incidentally, business failures show an
almost perpendicular drop. indicating,
| perhaps, that the credit strain is less
| burdensome
Declining tendencies have prevailed in
| the New York stock market, represent
| Ing in part reaction from the recent
general and rapid advances in prices.
! p'ii4Su operators again were dCuNep
and though foreign buying assumed fair
proportions, the market showed a dis
position to sell off, despite the under
| lying tone of strength based on the con-
! tinued extreme ease of money.
| business failures for the week ended
| February were 80, which compares
| with 431 last week, @59 in the like week
| Of 1919: 3-3 in 1872. "a In 1911, and 2i9
in 1910"
| The directors Of the Washington and
Rockville Electric Railway Company
| and the Washington. WOOdside and
Forest Glen Railway Company were re-
elected at the annual meeting Of stock
| holders at Rockville FRIDAY.
Robert +. Eopes local representative
Of Kcan, Taylor 4 Co., New York, is
Offering slGo,"H each Of three railroad
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