Evening star., 1927-12-31
CONTINUATION OF CHEAP
MONEY In '28 PREDICTED
Savings Deposits Increase Appreciably.
Insurance Does Well-Rail Earnings
DrOp-Real Estate Is Active.

hFfro%tecfrIc ara steam Cny.~ai
power stations
Consumption Of both natural ard
artificial gas grew trernendolsly.
Many pipe lines we're complets1 or
started from the producing felGs -,
industrial centers. The use Of gas r.
domestic heating as we'll as for coc..
ing purposes showed marked pso.-
ress. and the situation was f,rtrar
improved by the broadening marie
for gas plant by-products. Low e0a.
prices have aided gas producers. Eas 70
w 125, 900, 900, 900 cubic feet OF man
featured gas was burned during tr>
year. and about 800 900 .b00 900 feet ot
natural gas was consumed.
The street railway compa MES rna'A-
rally improved their positions. Tre
average fare for the country ia r0w
we'll above cents and approaching
IS cents. Industrial activity nss
helped raise the number Of riders. and
the bus and taxi concerns when ftr-
rnerIy were acting as competitors nave.
in many "a ses, been absorbed oy f1e
traction concerns and now are op%--
a,ed in conjunction with the eiee'y.c
cars The latter have been mucn III
pro.ed in comfort.
Advertising in general showed r.
cine az COEDpdEcn Will ~~-"+
Favorable Trade Balance.
The wear ended with foreign tTade
showing A favora bic balance 20 tnls
country and decided growth n
volume These results were obtained
over no small obstacles. China nas
been in the throes OF political unrest,
and this has affected trade WITH
Japan and other oriental countries as
well The fact that England, i1e
Tinted States and some otner co1n-
tries do not officially recognize the
Soviet government has made CONNER
ciaI relations with Russia diffcult.
Mexico was in a state OF unrest and =
was not until lars in the year that 'rs
decision of the Mexican Supreme Court
in the oil controversy produced BE-.
ter understa nding as basis for trade
Nicaragua was disturbed ard Cuoz
uneasy over her sugar situation.
France checked trade for time BY IL
Producing advanced tariffs. which kept
shipments down until the difnculties
were ironed out BY the two govern
ment< Germany earned a sharp re-
buke in connection with payments IN
der the Dawes plan.
DESPITE these factors. foreign trade
grew in Central and South Arierics.
the Antipodes. in Canada and Europe.
especially in Italy and Scandavis. The
trend is shown clearly by the figures
for The leading producer Of suicnao-
biles in this country, whose foreign
sales in the last year have increased
over So per cent as compared with
1925. For the first 10 months Of shs
year exports totalei s5.els. 500. geo ard
imports s3.507 900 600. These figures
compare with 1855 500 coo and So.
1o5, 500 600. respectively. in 1895.
Spending for Sport.
The country spen; more on sports
and amuSements than in 1925. Base
hall and foot hall were the largest
drawing cards. and more paid 20 SO
others perform or the xr:dircn ard
diamond than for any ether ar,u<s.
ment- Golt accounted for the largest
sport expenditure by par;icipsnts
New records were hung up fcr prize
fSht attendance. and extreme interest
vas manifested in tennis. POO.
hockey and other sports 0,rv 80
Shor'uess OF the series kept word
series base hall crowds below record
runlbeS
The speaking stage p-oxre-e.4
nightly in the last hals cs the year.
Producers recorded success after svr-
cess. and while the Crcp oE failures
vas not small, Z was below its usxAl
proportions There was TO falhnS -
IN the attendance az moving psc.S re
ihaatcrs. bCt tAeaIsr owners co-,.
planned ;has profits were not sa:issSc-
tory ow.rg 10 ihe added sxperss -
the additional attractions in the wav
- vaudeville acts and music wa.cA
the public was demanding
The horse and the dog came more
fully into their own. Tns xvcw,h -
popularity ~ dog racine WAS A fsxr,.-.
% tNe wear hcsh here and abroad
horSs racing Was prs <eerocs ars =.
tsrssI III polo and in eo9essria-sx-.
vas Keen. Millions cf dollars vsr~
appended merely IN TRANSPORTING Nsxs.
priced 'horcug hrsd eo0lr~s a.s "a
Aln~s from ore track or shcw -F-S -
arena 20 another.