Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-02

Tho growth in check payments
considered together with an increase
Of only about per cent in the popu-
lRtion Of Washington from 1924 t."
1925. should have particular signid-
rance as indicating An advance tr
business far in excess or the growth
assiRnahle Ia the necessary demand
of the ever-enlarGinG pnpula ton.
This is real growth which we are
witnessing in Washington. And il i
his margin between the rate Of pop
ulation growth and the rate Of buei-
ness growth that measures the really
remarka bic absorption of automobiles.
Chinese rugs, radios. electric house
hold refrigeratOrs. oil-burning heat
ing devices and the thousand other
evidences Of our human well being
II this increase in business had oc-
CURED without any commensurate
growth in the savings of the people.
such as, for instance, As are evidenced
by bank deposits. building and loan
association resources. life Insurance
md the ma ny and oIhep varied forms
Of saving and investment. even this
achievement would not he so notable.
Fun despite this tremendous growth
in genera husiness-in the sales of a II
tNpeS Of furnishings and equipment-
the people Of this city have made
respectable showing in the matter Of
thrift and investments. and this with
out DENYING themselves an Rxpendi-
ture VOL in excess Of $40 coo 600 for
theater anusemenis.
Ora phicalIy the chart the head
~ this page depicts the trend OF
Washington business since the mid
die Of f92h. For purposes Of com.
psrisnn the trend for the country al
large has also been drawn Even the
most casual observer Of this cha TT
can see the corresponding adVantag e
which Washington L. gaining oVer
the Nation : business. while in the
lower right Of this chart the reader
can see tho gains which business has
made here month by month over the
year 1924
Postal Receipts.
While check payments, represent
ing they do checks drawn on all
individual hank accounts, today con-
stitute III best single current index Of
business he astute observer will ex-
anime other pertinent general data
checking deductions drawn from the
figures on check payments Such data
include postal receipts. newspaper ad-
vertisine. Ia Dor conditions building
contracts. life insura nee and retail
trade.
Figures on postal receipts in the
District of Columbia for the wear 1925
also attest TO the solid growth which
We have Witnessed. the increase over
the year l924 amounting To per cent.
or about double the rate of population
growth. This is Of especial siGnii-
canoe. since. II adjustment We're 10 he
made in the figures on check pay
rnents for the fluctuating value Of the
dollar. We should find a strkinGly close
Correla ton between those adjusted
data and the figures on postal receipts
Incidentally. the gross receipts at the
Z street postal station. which may
truly he said to sense The purse Of
business activity. were smaller month
by month in 1925 than in 1924 until
the month Of May. since which time
they have run ahead by 90 per cent
1t Is notorious thai bush - in Wash
ington was quite &c. ally disap
pointing during the early months OF
The year. and this fact of postal re
ceipts in he downtown station brings
striking evidence to bear upon this
point. Increases noted in the postal
revenues Of the Park road station
month by month during 1925 as com
pared with the corresponding months
OF the previous year. with the annual
total for the year Is per cent greater
than in 1924. bring light upon the in
crea sing Importance of this section OF
he city trading subcenter. SINH
lar comparisons and conclusions ma y
he drawn with respect to the Chevy
Chase section.
Another check on the march Of hus
re-e may he made from the viewpoint
lewspa per advertising. If there /.