Evening star., 1926-03-11
WRIT. SHOWS SALTS
Loss IN JANUARY
Federal Bond Issue Reported
Subscribed Books viii.
Close Soon.
BY EDWARD c. STONE.

Net operating losses of $4.2I5 for
the month of January, 1926, were
shown by the Washington Rapid Tran.
sit Co. in its report for THAI month
filed today with the District Utilities
Commission.
The report gave the ret operating
revenue as $3S,156 for the month, as
compared with S31, ,721 for January,
1925, and S42,509 for the preceding
month-December. 1925. 1t places
the operating expenses for January,
1875, at SAP ,391. which is much larger
tnan for the same month in the pre-
Vious year, the January operating ex-
penses in 1925 being S30.212 In De-
cember, 1925, they were S37,345.
The net corporate income for the
month covered in the report filed to-
day reveals a loss of S4,715, against a
profit of S4,441 for the corresponding
month in 1925, and loss of 1901 in
december of the same year.
The total number of revenue pas
seEgers carried on the busses during
the month in question reached 413,350.
IhiS was an increase over the same
month year ago. when the busSes
transported 346,S ,S37, but fewer than
were carried in December, comparison
showing the total to have been AL ,999-
Comparison Difficult.
December bus traffic would surpass
that of January, as the Christmas
rush is included in that month, which
makes 1t usually prove to be the best
revenue month in the year. And
traffic comparisons between last Janu-
airy and January, 1925, are more or
less unsatisfactory, owing to the reduc-
tion in bus fares which went into ef-
feet on January /, 1926, the purchase
of tokens being cut from to Sls
cents on the half dollar purchase
basis.
Operating expenses during the
| month showed a considerable gain.
being $4,550 for maintenance of
chassis, against 50, $50 in December.
| wages of bus drivers and conductors
totaied $S,768, against SO, in De-
cember. The fuel bill was 1896,
compared with $5.338 in December.
There was also a marked increase in
| the amount expended on lubricants
| and tires.
Comparison of these expenses with
those of a year ago are difficult be-
cause of an increase in wages Of drivers
and conductors and the placing of
| much heavier types of busses. in
] service in February. 1925. The report
does not show whether the new man.
agement was forced to do a large
amount of back repair work, or how
much of the increased cost of opera
ton was due to cold weather, acci-
dents, etc.
| U. S. Issue Subscribed.
1t was announced at the Treasury
| Department today that the latest
| Government bond issue, offering $780,
| 600, 900 at 3& per cent, has been fully
subscribed.
| It was put out three days ago at
a premium of Il of / per cent above
par. 1t is expected the books will be
closed soon.
The interest rate on the bonds,
which will mature in 80 years, is the
lowest proposed by the Treasury since
| pre-war days.
Trading Is Steady.
! Trading on the Washington Stock
Exchange today was of good volume
and at steady price levels.
Georgetown Gas 5s sold at 9S, while
| Washington Gas 5s brought 9912 in
a $500 block. Washington Gas 6s
went at 10214 Potomac Electric
Power Is changed hands at 1861.
On the stock side Capital Traction
came out at 11S, which was off half a
point from the market yesterday.
Potomac Electric Power, preferred.
J was down quarter of a point from
yesterday, Is shares changing hands
in four transactions at 107. Potomac
Electric Power interim certificates
went at 106. Washington Gas Light
brought 72%, while 10 shares of
Lanston Monotype were sold at S13s.
Forty shares of Merchants Transfer
and Storage, preferred, sold at par
and National Mortgage and Invest
| InRnt csfn
I. A. Fleming Returning.
Friends of /. A. Fleming. for many
years financial editor of The Star and
still Nirile writer on financial topics.
have received word that Pop will
leave the Sunny South about the Ist
of April and return to his home in
Washington. Mr.. Fleming has been
ipending the Winter basking in the
gentle breezes at Hotel Indialantic. a
| new resort located on the ocean close
to Melbourne, Fla. Mr.. Fleming has
passed many Winters at Melbourne.
ard about a year ago was honored bv
being asked to lay the cornerstone OF
the hotel in which he is now living.
His associates in Washington will re-
call that the hostelry where he had
stayed for many years was burned
last Winter, and that he was forced
to leave the building in such haste
that he left much of his finest wear
ing apparel to help make the blaze
more spectacular.
That Mr.. Fleming has been drinks
ing freely of the fountain of youth
during the present season is shown
1 by the fact that he is in such good
health that he will get back to
Washington earlier than he often has
in the past.
Seeking Stock Subscribers. 4e
Employees of the Chesapeake and
Potomac Telephone Co. are carving
on the drive which they started last
year to get more subscribers to be-
come stockholders in the business.
| Last year special drive was carried
on in 81 cities and surrounding ter
ritory in this part of the country and
highest honors for the sale of Amer
lean Telephone and Telegraph stock
went to Lynchburg, Martinsburg and
Wheeling. AT the close of the year
| Washington stood in sixteenth place
on the list. Alexandria was four
teenth. baltimore was twenty-fourth.
Frederick, twenty-f1fth and Rich
mond twenty-seventh. The reason
that the larger cities were left far
behind in the race is likely due 10
the fact that the large number OF
stock and bond houses in these
places make competition much keen
er than in the so-called small towns.
Want Finance Decisions.
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sfon's decision disappearing the
Nickel Plate merger has led other
roads to seek light on financing pro
posals of their own.
The commission rejected the Nickel
4 Plates plan to issue preferred stock
with limited voting rights. Today
the Pittsburgh and West Virginia
filed a memorandum saying it as.