Evening star., 1931-06-18
D. c. ]STOCKSHELD
GOOD INVESTMENT
Issues on Local Board Have
Made Good Record During
Past Year.


change have held up remarkably well
during the current depression, as COM
pared to the general level on the big
boards of the country, IL was pointed
out today by q prominent member Of
the local exchange.
This reflects credit upon the sound
ness of local institutions, financial lead
ers said, and the traditional stability of
the National Capital In times Of coun-
try-wide stress and strain.
Investors for the most part have been
buying local securities for investment
purposes. 1t was pointed out, ana not
for speculation.
Bank stocks here, for instance, 1t was
said. have shown some depreciation
during the general depression. but their
falling OF has been much smaller than
the drop In prices of the stocks of
financial institutions located In the
larger cities of the country. There has
been q much greater depreciation out of
this City than here.
The public utilities here have held up
better than elsewhere, based on the rate
Of return, ii was explained.
Trading on the local exchange was
moderate in volume today, with prices
generally holding steady. Transactions
for the most part were in utilities.
Capital Traction SIS sold at 8S, Po-
tomac Electric Construction 5s at 104%
and washington Gas IS "a" at 1884.
Potomac Electric 5la per cent pre-
ferred stock turned over in two blocks
at 1101k, while the per cent pre-
ferred Of the same company went at
ll3l2. Washington Railway preferred
changed hands at 98%.
Federal American National Bank &
Trust Co. held steady at so on sale OF
10 shares and one share Of Mergen-
thaler went at 76h.
Much interest In financial circles here
today was turned toward Hot Springs,
Va. where more than 200 Washington
bankers are In session at the annual
Bankers Association. The sessions con-
tinue through Saturday. and delegates
viii return to Washington Monday.
Bethesda Bank Dividend.
The board Of directors of the Bank
of Bethesda, in annual meeting, declared
the usual semi-anual dividend Of 8 per
cent, payable June 80, to stockholders
Of record June 20.
New Building Opens.
The new American Security Building
Of the American Security & Trust Co.
has Just been occupied by the first ten
ants ON upper floors while the financial
institution expects to move into its own
quarters later on. The building con-
tains 10 floors, q basement and a sub
basement, Of which the three lower
floors, the tenth and a portion of the
fourth will be used exclusively by the
bank in the conduct Of its regular busi-
ness. The basement and a part Of the
Sub-basement will be given over to the
company vaults and safe deposit de-
partment.
Entrance to the lobby is through a
~-4s sA..lA - T.. .-l-1
doors, marble walls and travertine floor.
Doors OF the four passenger elevators in
this lobby are of heavily decorated
bronze, while the mail chute, bulletin
boards and other appurtenanceS are of
ornamental bronze. Radiators through
out the officeS are made less conspicuous
by being of fiat design and hung from
the windowsills. All piping is concealed.
Stockholders Increase.
Holders of General Foods Corpora
ton stock now total A 400, and nearly
nah Of these are women who own the
stock individually or jointly with their
husbands, according to an announce
ment by the company today. The
number Of stockholders has increased
3S per cent since February last year,
and 1880 per cent since 1927.
The percentage Of woman stockholders
has shown an increase each year since
1928. In that year SO per cent were
woman stockholders either as indi-
viduals or co-holders; in 1929 this per-
centage had increased to 35.4. while
last year 1t stood at 42.3 per cent. As
of June this year, according to the
company'S announcement, 1t had in
creased to 47.9 per cent.
The production of electricity by the
electric light and power industry of the
United States for the week ended Satur-
day, June 13. was 1881 1900 kilowatt
hours, according to the Statistical Re
search Department of the National
Electric Light Association. This Is 80
per cent below the corresponding period
in 1880.
The Atlantic seAboard shows q mark
ed decline in electrical output from last
year, registering a decrease Of IA per
cent The great central industrial re-
gion, outlined by Buffalo, Pittsburgh,
Cincinnati, st. Louis and Milwaukee,
registers, as a whole, q decrease Of 8.3
per cent, although some relative inn
provement from previous weeks Is In
dicated in the Chicago area. The Pa
cific Coast shows a drop to so per cent
below last year.