Evening star., 1927-12-31

States in the last - - W
year is conserVa. / ~ III
lively estimated ut | Al
more than $Sf. 800 - Ill
900 900. AS a re-
suit Of the prOduc-
/ tion Of this huge T. {. ROiLE-
/ hum, the banks
| we're full Of money throughout the
! wear, despite the remarkable volume OF
cash which went into investments. The
/ volume of cash held in savings ac-
/ counts throughout the country did
not decline. but increased appreciably.
| although bank debts. an accurate
barometer of business buying, rose
/ 43 per cent according 20 the National
] City Rank.
The Insurance Business.
The insurance business had another
remarkable year. The life insurance
compa MES now have more than Ss7.-
900 600 600 OF insurance in force and
OF this SIG 900 600 900. il is estimated.
was added this year. OF more than The
total amount in force in 1910 The
companies paid 10 nefciaries during
the year more than Sl.500, 900, 900. TIE
sales of 1921 represent 10 TO small ex-
tent the additions made by those al
ready insured who have adopted life
insurance as method OF thrift in
vesiment There are now three in
surance .conpa MES in this country
with assets exceeding a billion dollars
each.
Real Estate Active.
Real estate transactions showed far
NOR. than he normal activity of the
average year. There was an absence
OF bocms such as prevailed in 1925
and a lack of The burst boOus which
showed M in 1925. Suburban develop
ment. however. continued a. an ss.
founding rate The volume OF trans
actions as expressed in dollars was
slightly less than in 1926. bu; there
was a welcome expansion in the buy
ing Of farm lands in the agricultural
sections.
These properties had Jagged for
some wears and the renewal OF activity
indicated plainly the bejtsTment Of
the farmers position. Many tenant
farmers houSht the lands they had
been working on shares or renting.
There was a falling of in demand
for residence ard hotel properties in
the cities. bur this was FnitiSatei hy
activity in sites suitable for public
buildings and business structures.
The decline IN ordinary building has
been approximately IL per cent. as
compared with last year. but the con.
tracts LEI for municipal and public
utility work. Including engineering
projects. sewers. water systems, sub
ways and other heavy construction.
has made up for much % tha; loss.
The amount expended on building
rSs. .NSsy tNv,
over $s.oeo 00o coo. although the rec.
ord figure ot s6.50o o0a ooa reached in
1925 Was not eauaied. There seems
little indication OF any further check
10 construction except that exersesi
by The weather. for the next three
months at least.
Railroad Earnings Smaller.
The railroads cs The country dA
better than iu ta@5, but not sa wen -
in 1895. The cheering feature 90 the
situation. however. II that volume %
traffic fell oT in much greater ratio
than did the net income. In other
words, while th0 rVN9js carried
smaller tonnage ~ frelSht and fewer
passengers, it cos; them less per .or
and per passenger 10 carry them.
The average weekly freight lNa6trS
mates. Mas lois. 900 cars. as com
pared with Ices GOO cars IN 1925.
Passenger traffic VAS only fair N
comparison with 1925. although the
summer TOURIST movement was Qn 20
expectations IN most REGIONS. The
carriers spent neSr,y three quarters
OF billion dollars in maintenance ara
het'ermsnJ$ this wear. hu, thew Ners
NOT forVed 10 huy aS nany ears ard
!ccomctiNeS as usual. Narrower
While 'he number ~ cars l,,,d,Ss WAS
>ma Ter. they we're better loaded than
III lS~h or :tS Predecessor wears
Tourist ;FaffSc on ne h.sawsXS was
IN heavier volume than at any rYsvs,
"oS TIME. and practically every Se,,>
tior of The country benefited frnp .
travel
American tourists left over ssaa
eeooee III Canada duy,nS the wear
ana more automobile parties vESita,.
'he national parks and eshrr Scrns,, /
wonders og the Nation than IN any +
previous l. months.
* - estimated that about xi.leA .
uV"'oee MAS spent ia ghe hulla.nS ana !
Retirement og highways.
Few Profits for L. :. Shin. /
Much ~ Ihe rrcn; tcom e.esn trans.
wort however, MSnE ~ ships ag for,
Nisn nayionaltgtsS The tranS,s,sa,j,>
Trade did nct Weld adequate returns 20
American shtrwuS latte Was saons
/" Improve the position VI The Amev,>
'Ao metVhant marine. Additional
shipping EsNs3 Vessels we're NhanSa ~
NOM trcirrncating StsAn to Diesel en-
Sines, and at1 now cperatlns in Nl<,.
'eSStul VomrSugsen with tegvtka shseS
Ah certain Trade l1AuseS
Lake shipping, on shs Nther ASnd
had a splendid Nea', and The lane
shtpNarttS were morv actively enSaS~<i
ihan At any Itahs since the MAR. s,Miux
10 demand rrr huge new SVa, ,s>,>,t
.r~ikhters The river tNNuaSe Also In I
'fva>ed and VAS extensively utinxNd
Tia WteVSes$tal Vessels na,se Tar
'oStes rrHntS than ghe traaStA,Aami,
't'atS, Then We're aided nv Au snereaSe
" u Yer cent in netSht rates As
rsuU the No(Ume ~ flvgSAt taSS,nS
hr"uSh the Panama Canal Slsw ts~s,
nehdnuSN despite tha ,tros, In the
t'iNnsot "f petroleum AMI its eg>s4ursS
tom California te the Atlantis, tN>aSt,
Elrctrlc Current t'oasuopthaa
The power curve, SheMsuS pg>N,,tl-
1An And sAls NJ elsctFlr current.
moved UPWARD IN each mengh in c>,se-
'arisah With the VeTeeSI,>'i,tlas rSriN>t