Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-20
BY I. A. FLEMING.

BY I. a. FLEm4Nt.
J. Maury Dove, president of the
Lanston Monotype Corporation. is
very enthusiastic over the prospects
Of that company and certain that
there will be no trouble in maintain
ing the per cent dividend.
During the first SIX months of 1913
the earnings of the company. net,
were on IL per cent basis. and they
are even larger today.
The company has received large
contract from the government for the
manufacture of automatic pistols, on
a percentage basis, that will ma
terially add to the years earnings,
the government furnishing the nee
essary machinery, SO that the Lam
ston Company will not be out any
thing when the war is over and the
production of guns stopped.
1.-The legitimate business of the cor
poraticn," said Mr.. Dove. lis very sat
isfactory. L look for q steady in
crease on the return OF peace, ana
do not believe there will be the
slightest trouble maintaining the dlvl-
dends on the present basis. The stock
is worth more money tnan II Is Sell
ing for
DISSATISFACTION Is Fortunate.
The government does not want
money withdrawn from banks and
placed in liberty loan bonds-not to
any very large degree. The stronger
the banks are the more the govern
ment may benefit through the placing
of Treasury certificates in anticlpa-
ton of the 1918 income taxes anu
when the time for issue comes. IN
anticipation of the next liberty loan
local liberty loan subscriptions the
banks would have made good on tne
allotment. but it is better that they
use their credit for their customers
and carry their bond purchases until
the maturity of their contracts at "a
For this purpose the federal reserve
regional banks will accept liberty
loan bonds as security at a per
cent rate for loans for ninety Gays,
with three renewals for ninety Gays
each. offering a slight profit even al
the low rate the bonds return
Two O'Clock Closing.
There will not be a meeting Of the
District Bankers Association in the
near future, hence the question OF
o'clock closing will not be considered
1t is admittedly unfortunate. ina
action was not taken month ago, al
Ahe Junior officials and clerks OF every
bank in the city, doing the WoEk y,
many absentees, waiting on tens o.
thousands of customers in the noert9
loan campaign and keeping up witt
their regular work, after hours, woule
welcome a chance to get through al
hour earlier each day.
When the directors OF a bank tnln A.
enough of this proposition to urge II:
adoption; when every national banf
in the District favors it, the thing Il
do ia to put it through and let the
oilers keep open If they, will.
After the War.
This subject is attracting the atten
ton of manufacturers, bankers. labol
and the public generally, more ant
more as the end of the great struggle
slowly approaches.
Various suggestions have been made
One suggested that the government
Navy needs for a time, gradual!
reducing, that there may be no sud
den stoppage of all endeavor. with
consequent paralysis of labor ant
disturbances of unparalleled proper
!. tons.
government to maintain its price
fixing regulations to stabilize the
various markets Of the nation wher
the war ends. Many commodities are
now stabilized by government fiat
and serious trouble might be avoided
by the extension of the powers, al
conditions might direct.
ofon6o n reason that steel, COD
per, oil, wool, rubber and cotton. a:
we'll as other commodities that entel
into rebuilding and rehabilitation. ant
the Industries on which they arr
based, will do a large business on
peace basis, not only for export, bu
for home needs.
Fourth Liberty Loan Bonds.
Fourth liberty loan bonds will prob
Exchange this week. 1t remains t.
be seen whether the efforts to sta
blize the bonds will give them an.
material advantage over other Az
per cent bonds.
Billion-Do Bank clearings.
R. G. Dun & Co. give the averag
daily bank clearings of the Unfte'
sta ties for October to date, as $1,Ool,
| $4,000.
Southern Railway Prosperous.
Southern railwa for the year ende
December 81. 1917. enjoyed its great
est prosperity. Growth in freight ant
passenger traffic showed net earning
applicable TO charges of more thai
! double those of 1914. That much o
| this remarkable success Is due to tn
war does not change the result.
The company earned $14.037.415. o
| 1886 a share for its 500. 900 shares
preferred.
Southern has been fortunately stu
ated as to war conditions. practicall
| all southern army cantonments beinl
| located along its. lines. and big gai
| in passenger traffic may be said t
be due directly to this. In 1916 tn
company earned $17,637.412 passenge
revenue, while receipts in 1917 In
creased to $24.303.1S3. a gain o; 37.7
per cent. Mail and express woul
bring total passenger train revenu
to $2s,969.112, or $4.14s per mile
| against total passenger train revenu
| Of 321,s72,373 In 1915. when rate pc
mile was $3,134.22. Passenger densit
grew from 1883 par mile of road Il