Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-17
WALL STREET LIST
IS FIRM At CLOSE
Days Trading Irregular, But
Quotations Hold Well
h in Afternoon.
By STUART Il. WEST.

By STUART II. WEST.
Special Dispatch e The Star
NEW YORK, December l7.-For
fully half ii today's session on the
stock exchange prices were lower. An
irregular recovery cnsued. and in the
later trading there was an active rally
Professional attempts TO depress
prices and bring about real liquidation
on o. big scale did not accomplish the
reeultS intended.
The railway equipments We're
Rrong, and SO were many OF the
shares of the specially type. Some
Of the latter, however, Were hard to
bull, and offerings were rather heavy
in a few instances.
American Cans Plans.
The long expected split-up of Aneri
can Can shares occurred today. Amerl
can stock broke several points co
incident with the announcement of the
proposed plan and continued under
pressure. Directors voted splitup
on the basis of six shares of new stock
FOR every share OF the old and de
rlared a 3 per cent extra dividend
The new stock, il was decided, Will
receive So annual dividend. which
would be the equivalent OF sl2 share
on the present stock selling In the
neighborhood of $3.50.
The conservatism for which the
American Can directors are noted
was again demonstrated today. Care.
ful treatment of the conlpany's cash
resources was embodied in the action
of the board. The speculative follow
ing no doubt had counted on larger
cash disbursement.
More New High Marks.
Among the railroads when rose to
their highest prices for the year We're
Lchigh Valley. Pennsylvania. South
ern Railway and Wabash "A" A
number of other rails were actively
dealt in at advancing prices. Chicago
northwestern was again "a feature.
Merger talk was heard in the case of
Lehigh Valley and in other connec-
tions. just as it has all along. Della
ware and Hudson was pushed ahead
for time.
Mathieson Alkali was prominent,
going ahead several points on talk of
better earnings and the possibility OF
larger dividends. Columbian Carbon.
Julius kayser preferred. Weber and
lIeilbroner and Fleischmann all eX-
ceeded their previous tops.
Baldwin led the railway equipments
and international Mercantile Marine
was active and strong at a new high
Tor the present movement. The motors
went off al the start. but rallied later
on. Hudson fluctuated over fairly
wide range.
In speculative quarters the opinion
was that these stocks were being pre-
pared for. a new bull campaign in
January.
Chicago Northwestern Strong.
The recent advance in Chicago
Northwestern has been a feature of
the trading In the rails. Along with
Northern Pacific and Great Northern
preferred. Chicag go Northwestern has
been selling at its best prices of the
year. 1t is rumored in the Street that
The same financial group that has
heen behind the market for Southern
Railway for the past several years
IS now heavily committed in Chica-
90 Northwestern. The buying has been
1ounded upon a decided Improvement
m the roads earnings.
Even while the general run of stocks
were showing reactionary tendencies
early today, Lehigh Valley was con-
spicuously strong, and throughout
the trading 1t was a feature. getting
UP to its highest for the year. The
story that New York Central which
high Valley situation. would take over
the system and guarantee dividend,
was taken seriously and was d factor
in the buying.
Strong Afternoon Market
The high prices of the day on the
stock exchange were made in the aft
ernoon. 1t was then that the r;Iilwa Y
equipments advanced sharply. with
particular strength in Pullman. The
attraction in this class Of stocks lay
IN the fact that the railway equipment
industry has turned for the better,
that buying by the railroads in 1925
on a much larger scale than during
any time in 1925 is expected. and that
the shares themselves have dragged
along in the past several months,
while other industrials have risen
sharply.
Elsewhere in the share list buying
operations became more active. Alto
Eether the market gave a much better
account of itself than had been indi-
cated at the outset of the day. The
commodity markets were featureless.
Wheat and corn were higher and cot