Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-01
Report Reveals $109, 764,614
for Month-$7, 1903, 456 De-
cline From December.
WASHINGTON GAS STOCK
is LEADER ON EXCHANGE
Small-Lot Trading in Capital Trac-
ton Shares Also Features
Transactions.
BY EDWARD C. STONE.

BY EDWARD e. STONE.
Iank clearings in the National Capital
in January totaled $109, 764, 614.34 in
comparison with $117,573,071. 06 in De-
cember, according to the monthly re-
port made yesterday by the Washington
Clearing House Association, Charles E..
Bright, manager.
while this is a falling off of $7,808,-
45672 from the December figures, yet
December figures included the holiday
trade and is always one OF the best
months in the year for the total num-
Der of checks Cancelled.
It also happened that December clear
ings made a record for the whole year
1880, being the only month in the year
in which local clearings showed an i'm
provement over the corresponding
month in 1929. For these reasons the
January clearings will not be considered
in an unfavorable light
Comparisons with previous January
clearings are of wide interest, during
the past five years being as follows:
January, 1890. ..... $116,219,26283
January, 1929. ........ l29,438, 29l w
January, 1923. ...ss.... 1l4,4Oo, ooZSz
January, 1927. ......... l1IUl4,SoSOz
January, 1875. ......... 11Z,o0o'44oSV
Clearings for the remainder of the
present year will furnish an excellent
local business barometer. Each month
will be compared with period of bust
ness activity since the Wall Street
break. All but one of last years
monthly comparisons were made with
a month before the stock crash, an alb
normal situation, and one less indica-
tive of real business and mercantile
trends in Washington.
Gas Stock Leads ID. c. Market.
Washington Gas Light stock led the
vo,um. of trading on the Wsshinton
Stock Exchange yesterday when 5O
shares changed hands ex-dlvldend at
1881. Small lot trading in Capital
Traction stock was active and several
other prominent issues appeared on the
board during the days session. Sales
follow:
Sales.
washington Gas $500 at 104.
Capital Traction Cos at 4012, 10 at
40Is. 10 at 40, 10 at 4oIs, 5 at 401s,
10 at 40.
w shington Rwy. & Elec. pfd.-1 at
99ls, 40 at 93Ia.
Mergenthaler Linotype-10 at 88l2.
Real Estate Mtge. g. Guar. pfd.-3OO
at 6i2.
Washington Rwy. & Elec. 4s-s2,ooo
at SO.
American Sec. g. Trust CO. at s45.
Washington Gas Light-50 at 123l2.
Washington Rwy & Elec. pfd.-3 at
93t2.
National Press Bldg. 5l12s-s1,O0 at 70.
Congratulated on Seventeen Birthday.
Rob-rt N. Harper was 20 years young
yesterday. He received a host OF
congratulations from his friends and a
shower of birthday postal cards. In
fine health, Col. Harper IS enjoying well
earned retirement from active banking
and expects to walk the streets of Wash
ington for many more years and receive
the cordial greetings of his legion OF
associates.
For 54 years Col. Harper engaged in
uninterrupted business activity, u OF
which were put in as a bank president,
his resignation as head Of the District
National being a matter of compare
lively recent history. Only one other
financier in Washington has been a
bank president as long, Edward j.
Stellwagen.
Democrat, Mason, Presbyterian, and
member of scores of clubs, he is still
active as a director in several corpora
tions: among them being the Potomac
Electric Power Co., Washington Rail-
way & Electric Co., Peoples National
Bank, Leesburg, Va, and the RoSslyn
Trust Co. He was president of the
American National Bank in this city
from 1908 to 1908, and organized the
private banking firm of Harper q Co,
which was later absorbed by the
District National He also organized the
Farmers Trust Co. of Leesburg.
Space prevents listing of the amaZ-
ing number of activities in which the
banker has been interested. He served
as chairman of the Inaugural Com
lnittee for President Wilson's second
administration. and as a young man
founded a chemical manufacturing
concern which has been a great finan-
cial success for four decades.
Financial Nistrict Notes.
President Lanier p. McLachlen of
the District Bankers Association yes
terday appointed a committee to Sc
lect a subject for the annual essay
contest for members Of Washington
Chapter, American Institute Of Bank
ing. They are Edward j. McQuade,
Liberty National; George o. Vass, Riggs
National, and F. P. H. Siddons. Amer
lean Security & Trust Co. The sub
ject is to be announced at Washington
Chapters annual Washington's birth
day banquet
John r. Waller president of the
International Bank has sent his an
nual report TO the stockholders show
ing assets and liabilities of S2,235,-
392 CD. The institution has $37, 400 in
cash with other banks, loans and dis
counts amounting to over S911 900. and
bonds and investment securities total
ing Sl,052, 249 The bank has $1,206,-
400 in stock outstanding, $47,l48 in
surplus and profits, over $238.000 Sc
curities held in trust. and thrift trust
notes amounting to Sl08,859.