Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-17
PROSPEROUS YEAR
|. FOR D. c. BUSINESS
1920 Statistics, Including
Bank c|earances, Give City
High Rating.

! High Rating.
| Washington is about to close a year
| OF prosperity which, according to gov
ernment statistics. bank clearances
! and reports from stores and CONNER
cial houses. will give the. capital con-
spicuous rating among the cities that
have been least affected by the read
justment of business following the
| war.
Record for the Year 1920.
Despite the loss of hundreds of war
| workers who resided here temporarily
during the war. Washington will show
A new high record for bank clear
ances.
An increase over any previous year
IN the number Of automobile and gem
eral business licenses issued.
A gratifying building activity.
Inc largest school enrolment in the
history of the city.
And topping these high points Of de-
veiopment are reports coming daily
from merchants that the Christmas
trade, Is running we'll ahead Of last
year.
Optimistic Over Ou1iosk.
Government officials and business
! men generally are optimistic over the
outlook. They predict that the closing
weeks Of 1920 and the first part Of
1874 will eoDstitute q psfiod m cueiI-
mercfaa activity OF which the capital
may Justly be proud. .,
The capital win show an enor5nous
gain IN bank olearances. Already Tor
the hrst eleven months Of the year the
gain is more than - 900. 900.
From January to Decemher 1 this
year bank clearances totaled $75,z58,-
457.sg. Figures for the c0rrespondiuk
refiod last year are $7I.12s, ,0ss.S1.
December Is expected to be the
largest month Of the year In. clAArineR
which now show a daily average 81
fabout $S.500,0O0. Satisfactory gains IN
deposits are reported by the banks gen.
erAlly-
Aaether EviAenee Of Growth.
Another indication Of Washington
steady and substantial growth during
the Industrial and commercial recon.
istruction period may be found in sta.
tlstics in the office of Wade H
Coombs. District superintendent OF
licenses.
During the first eleven month, of
TINS year ss.4ss automobile tags were
issued, as against 1926 for the yeal
previous. However. the past flye
months show a gain over the CORE
spending period of 1919, and, when
the year is completed. the record il
sxpectsd to beat that of last year
the Office issued 9,712 tags, as com
pared with 8.179 in 1913.
Other statistics in Mr.. Coombs' of.
fee reveal the fact that business has
been better during the last half Of the
present year than it was the same
period last year. Miscellaneous bust
ness licenses issued, for example
show An increase for this period. The
number OF miscellaneous licenses is.
sued between July l and December /,
1919. was 4.7ss. Corresponding figures
! for this year are $3.50.
According to Mr.. Coombs, merchants
obtaining business licenses from his
department are unanimous in the be-
lief that Washington is in for an era
of prosperity.
Building Inspeetor's Figures.
The District building inspectors of.
fee presents a record that probably is
the most significant Of all, consider
ing the depression in building trades
that has been reported from every Sec
, tion of the country.
During the first eleven months Of
the current year the office issued per.
mits for buildings to cost S19.2l2.78O
1 COITCSDOnQlnY
period last year was $1a.37o,4o2.
This, say District officials, shows the
capital has held its own in building
activity, which is considered a re-
| markable showing for a readtustmenj
period when the cost of labor and ma.
terials has been excessive In Septem.
ber this year the building inspectors
| office issued permits for S3,5s8,11l
worth of bui1dings-the greatest sin.
gle months showing in the history OF
| the Office.
Showing IN Population.
! That washington's population has
| not suffered severely through the
| exodus of war workers not only is at
tested by the amount of business be-
J ing done, 1t is pointed out. but also
| Is borne out by the public school
| enrolment. The enrolment is given
I out as the largest on record. being
62.09S. or an increase Of 1851 over
last years enrolment. This show
ing: together with the other salts
| factory evidences of Washington
! healthful growth, is advanced in
many quarters as indicating that the
city has gained in permanent resi-
dents what she lost in the departure
of those temporarily engaged here
in war work.
| One. Of the surprises of the year
is the heavy Christmas trade now
! being reported from every section
Several stores have noted increases
| running as high as 80 per cent,
| In common with government Off.
| cials, bankers and merchants, real
| estate men see only prosperity ahead
| If the capitals population has been
materially reduced it is not mani
Tested in the number of vacant houses
on the market, they say.