Evening star., 1932-11-27
TRADE IN CAPITAL
IS WORKING TOWARD
NORMAL ACTIVITY
Washington One of II Cities
Making Notable Progress,
New Survey Reveals.
LOCAL BANK CLEARINGS
DO WELL DURING WEEK
Vass Heads Institutes Advisory
Committee-Bankers Arrange
Trust Conference.
BY EDWARD C. STONE.

BY EDWARD C.. STONE.
Based on bank debts. Washington is
one Of 81 cities in the United States
that have made noteworthy progress
toward the attainment of a normal flow
of trade, according to an exhaustive
survey just completed by the Standard
Statistics Co. While bank debts may
sometimes fail to reflect the business
Of specific localities, due to special or
local influences, discrepancies. are large
ly eliminated and a basic trend estab-
hshed over the long term
Every effort has been made in this
survey to include only those cities which
appear to be showing definite improve
ment in business volume, either as COM
pared with prior months in 1892 or as
compared with year ago. Washington
Is not only among the cities showing
an upward trend in trade volume, but
Is also narrc wing the gap between pres
ent conditions and the business records
OF a year ago.
Other cities in the South are re-
ported as making steady progress. These
include Richmond, Atlanta, Durham,
N c.; Memphis, Winston Salem, N c.,
and Jackson, Miss. Louisville is also
included and in the Southwest. Hous-
ton Austin and Dallas are mentioned
Other cities in widely separated Sec
tions of the country make up the re-
mainder of the list, among them being
Portland, Me-; Fargo, N. Oak, and
Oakland. Calf
d. c. Weekly CIearings Of.
Bank clearings in Washington for
the week ended November % totale6
S16,075,0 900. against s16,625, 900 for the
week ending November rs, according
to the Washington, Clearing House As
sociat;ons figures. The figures are 9.3
per cent below the corresponding week
a year ago.
Baltimore reported clearings as total
ing $50, 0,261 900 in the week ended No
vembsr 23 against S52,291 900 in the
previous week, but 81 per cent above
the seme week IN 1881. Richmond
clca-ings were also lower than in the
preyio'1s week, being s29, ,392, 900 against
$50, ,721 600, but in the capital of Vir-
ginia clearirgs were ahead Of last year
by 5.4 FER cent.
Atlanta made a good showing, clear
ilgs during the pas week being S27,-
3o3, go, compared with $25, 500 600 in
thc previous week and 10 per cent
AHEAD of tie corresponding week a year
Ggc. Ncrfol- reported a small drop
fran the previous week and TT recess
siCn from the corresponding week in
1891.
Clear.ngs in Al cities in the whole
United States tctaled S4,110, AT, ,001, 4.3
per cent less than the previous week
and 97 per cent below the week ending
November rs, 1881. Last years dates
covered Thanksgiving day, but this
years figures do not include the hoh-
day. This fact makes the comparisons
Of less value, but Bradstreet's Weekly
reports the decline as less than sea-
sonal and considers the returns make
o favorable showing. ..,,....
In connection with bank clearings
reports. it must be kept in mind that
hcsts of people are paying bills with
cash this year when they used checks
a year ago, avoiding the 2-cent check
ta~ For that reason business is really
bet er tlan the total Of Cancelled checks
tndicas-s.
Vass Heads Advisory Committee.
Appointment of George o. Vass, first
vice president of the District Bankers
Association, and a vice president and
cashier OF the Riggs National Bank, as
chairman of the Advisory COMMITTEES of
Washington Chapter, American Inst-
tute of Banking, was announced yes
terdav by Richard A. Norris, chapter
president. Mr.. Vass has selected the
following bankers to serve with him:
G. H Pope, Munsey Trust Co.;
Charles H. Doing, Washington Loan &
Trust Co.. Victor B. Deyber, Second
National Bank; Howard Moran, Amer
ican Security g. Trust Co; A. o. Dooley,
Federal-Amer!can National Bank 4,
Trust Co.: w. w. Spaid, w. B. Hibbs
g. Co; Frank j. Stryker, Columbia Ma
ticnal; Francis F. Addison, jr., Security
Savings & Commercial. and James A.
SoDer. Lincoln National.
Another interesting announcement
was made yesterday by Norman E. Tow
son, chairman Of the institutes Forum
Committee The next meeting will be
held at the Hay-Adanls House on De
cernber 7, with a prominent speaker
from out Of the city. Dinner reserva-
tions may be made through the com
mittee chairman at the Washington
Loan & Trust Co.
The fourteenth annual Midwinter
trust conference of the trust division
American Bankers Association, will be
he'd February IA. Is and Is, at the
Waldorf Astoria Hotel, New York CITY
It is announced by R. NJ. Sims, presi-
dent Of the division The annual ban
uuet will bring the conference to q
clo~e the evening of February l6.
THE most substantial service q
trustee renders its benefciaries is the
conservation of estates and this subject
trust conference this year" MI Sins
saws in his announcement. To this
end a program is being prepared which
will give special attention TO the ad-
ministration Of trust funds and to in
vestment problems from the standpoint
of the trust offlcer."
About 1000 trust men and bankers
from all sections Of the country are eX
pected to attend the conference. Sew
eral Washington bankers always attenc
these sessions.
Cleaned in Financial District.
In cooperating with the "share-the
work" movement, employees Of the New
York Federal Reserve Bank, retroactive
to November Is, will take OF one-hal
day a week for a period Of six months
Approximately 1900 employees VIII D
affected. Vacancies created by IN
plan have been filed.
The continued recession of the It'd
of failures, now under way for Is week;
is believed by Bradstreet's Weekly t
be a development of major importance
The liquidation Of business which ha
been relentlessly taking place for thre
long years, now seems substantial
completed The survivors have EN-
phatically demonstr- ted their economi
fitness, and are in position to join i
and to stimulate the movement towar
business recuperation.
Standard Brands, Inc, has declare
quarterly dividend Of Is cents
share on the common stock, reduc