Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-20
PROSPERITY BEAMS
. ON ENTIRE NATION
AT CHRISTMAS TIDE
Capitals Golden Year But
Reflection of Country.
Survey Shows.
FAITH IN ADMINISTRATION
is OUTSTANDING FACTOR
Increase in Sales But Not in
Money Receipts Reported by
Local Merchants.

Bringing to a close the most pros
porous year in all it's history, Wash
lnEton business is in the midst of q
Christmas trade never before euualed
in volume of sales and compare BILE in
value only to the record breaking
1uletide boom of last year, an impair
tlal survey of the National Capitals
leading mercantile houses has shown
In all lines there has been sure and
steady progress, and statistics gath
cred from all over the country by
Government bureaus and business
! organizations show that the pros
perity Washington Is now enjoying is
but the reflection of an era of ma
tional confidence and restored peace
tlne stability. America, 1t is pre-
dicted, is on the threshold of its most
fruitful era
Faith in Coolidge
Although many suggestions are ad-
Vanced to explain this period of plen-
", those who have given the subject
most serious and impartial study are
unanimous in declaring that the out
standing factor is the almost aston
lshing but completely abiding faith
of the whole Nation-from the laborer
TO the fnancier-in the common
sense Government" of the Coolidge
administration
Safe and sane" is the way leading
business men here explain their new
prosperity. 1t holds none of the spec.
tacular suddenness of temporary in
nation, they declare. and to a man
they are making plans for even
greater business during the coming
year. And in this view they are sup
ported by their cotempora ries in
other centers of activity, as EXPRESSED
through John W. OLeary, president
/, OF the United States Chamber of Com
merce, reports reaching the Depart
ment OF Labor and kindred bureaus or
organizations
In one respect the Christmas busi-
ness in Washington presents a most
unusual situation. Inquiry among
seven or eight of the city's leading
mercantile houses showed that the
number of sales this year are far and
above those of any previous year One
store has carefully checked this phase
ana nnds that II is delivering better
than 1000 packages daily more than
Z
exist among the others.
Prices Lower
Yet, thus far none of them has
taken in more money than they did
last Christmas. The fact that receipts
! during the holiday season of 1924
broke all previous records in Wash
ington does not furnish an expIana-
ton. Although most of the merchants
said they could not give d definite
explanation so early, they believe il
is due to lowered prices of many lines
OF merchandise, and they predict thai
the percentage of profits will equal
those of last year
For the entire year, however, sales
and finances alike have increa sed
materially over those of any previous
year, not excepting the seasons of tre-
| mendous imitation immediately follow
ing the war. Not a single merchant
interviewed complained of reverse
All We're surprised and perpleXed over
the failure of finances to keep pace
with sales during the Christmas rush,
but they said all lines were moving
rapidly, and they simply ascribed the
situation to reduced prices.
Ihe merchants, however do not find
so much to be thankful for in the
profits of their banner year as they
! do in the prospects for the future. The
tide of prosperity, they declare with.
out exception, is running steadily-but
smoothly. And under such circum-
stances, they have no fear that 1t NAV
lead to sudden precipice or whirl-
pool. Prosperity. they are now conf
dent, Is here to stay.
Year Sets Records.
None of the business men expects
every season to be banner one
There may be slight reverses now and
then. Last Spring, they cite as an in
stance, was the most backward in
memory and sales fell off dangerously.
Yet the year as whole has now set
new records. With such evidences as
these, it is declared, there can no
longer be any doubt as to the sound.
ness of American business and
Americas future.
There is practically no unemploy-
| ment in the country today, statistics
at the Department of Labor SHOW.
Ihls does not mean, it is pointed out
that every man and woman in
America who can work has a Job. II
means that 92.5 per cent of American
! labor, as compared with the fun wears
of the war when men, women and
children filled shops, factories and Of
| fees, has steady work. This, it is said
is an extremely high average, particu-
! larly when it is remembered that
many extra factories were running
| during the war days and labor was
| highly inflated.
Furthermore, per capita earnings of
| the workers show steady increase. In
some cases this increase was as much
| as 60 per cent. and the volume of
! employment in Novembzf vI shis year
/ was S.3 per cent greater than Novem-
J a.
| creased 14.2 per cent. and the average
per capita earnings had increased 5.5
per cent. For the whole year employ
ment has increased ia and employees
| earnings 28.1. The solitary decreas 50
was x-tenths of l per cent in one sr
| two of the Southern Central Statss.
Reflected in Post Offices.
Nowhere. perhaps, is the tremen-
dous business this Christmas so
truthfully reflected than at the post
Offices Although the officials are still
too busy getting the mail out, and
will be for several weeks after Christ
mas, to determine the per cent of
increase in parcel post deliveries this
year over last Christmas, they con-
fidently predict that when the figures
are available they will show Christ
mas, 1925, to have broken all records
for volume of parcel post business.
In the Post Office Department. too.
Continued on Page 8. Column 81