Evening star., 1932-08-19
BUILDING COMPANY
ENLARGES OFFICES
Columbia Association to
Spend $25, 900 on Improve
ments-Work Started.

The Columbia Building Association is
remodeling its home at 716 Eleventh
street under an extensive plan which
will change the entire front of the
structure and provide for enlarged
banking space for the public throughout
the entire first floor.
Construction work to cost about
$25,0O0, is well under way, and 1t is
expected, according to John B. Harrell,
president of the association, that the
formal opening will take place about
October /. In the meantime business Is
being conducted and will continue at
the same place during alterations.
The entrance, which now is on one
side, will be changed to the center OF
the building, the old front will be re-
moved, including bay windows, and a
new front featuring black and white
marble, and aluminium ornamentation
will be installed. Already the second
floor has been remodeled and person.
mel which had been using the space on
the first floor rear has been moved to
the enlarged space on the second floor.
New low counters will be installed
providing five bronze wickets along the
south side Of the banking room. The
larger lobby will extend back to the
stairs leading to balcony and the
board room will be located in the
balcony.
A feature of the decorations will be
an innovation in wall decorations.
Above the mahogany panelling, feet
high on artists canvas will be painted
in color, pictures OF II actual houses
in Washington and vicinity to signify
the associations business OF financing
homes They will represent homes OF
three types-Old English, Spanish and
early American Colonial, varying in
size from a $4,000 bungalow to $780,
900 mansion. The paintings will be fin
ished in perspective, with shrubbery.
walks and grounds, to lend an unusual
atmosphere to the room.
The remodeling is being done from
plans by Louis Rouleau, architect, and
under contract with the Superior Con-
struction Co.
Trading on Exchange.
Washington Gas 41as again featured
the trading today on the local ex-
change, $4,000 going at 97l2, frac-
ton advance from yesterdays sales.
Anacostia & Potomac Railway IS sold
at so and Norfolk g. washington Steam
boat Co. at 100.
The International Business Machines
Corporation, with plant here in
Washington, has received an order for
500 electrical recording locks from the
Walgreen Co., operators of large chain
of drug stores, it was announced to-
day. The order calls for immediate
installation of recording door locks on
the main entrance doors of the ats
stores of the drug company located In
119 principal cities of 80 States. The
remainder of the order will be installed
in additional stores Of the chain now
being established.
Insurance Sales.
Sales of new paid-for ordinary in
surance in July totaled $3,613,000 here
in Washington, which was 81 per cent
of the July. 1881. total, according to
the Life Insurance Sales Research
Bureau of Hartford, Conn. The first
7 months figures for Washington stood
at 70 per cent of the comparable period
for last year, while the IL months
ending in July this year stood at 81 per
cent of the prior ~ months. Through
out the country sales of ordinary life
insurance, although below last year and
below the volume of the preceding boom
years nevertheless represents sub
SJdIltldl NOluiilc III ACW l1ouAuASCs
In every working day during the
seven months of 1882, the survey point
ed out, the country has purchased an
average of over s25 ZOO, 900 of new in
surance. For the country as whole,
sales in July this year were n per cent
of July, 1881, while the seven-month
total stood at 81 per cent Of the COM
parable period in 1881.
Business Activity.
The general level of business activity
after allowance for the usual seasonal
influences, has shown almost no net
change since the beginning of July, &C
cording to The Business Week. Al
though, except for few lines of con-
sumner goods affected by special factors,
there are still not significant statistical
indications of expansion, the stability OF
the midsummer business level is dis
tinctly encouraging when considered in
connection with the rise of commodity
prices and the steady improvement in
the bond market since the middle Of
July.
Panic Phase Has Passed.
The panic phase of the depression
has definitely passed, and the upSwing
in stock prices, continues the Business
Week, has offset the extreme def1a-
tionary effect of the acute currency
crisis which marked the Spring months.
Further improvement now plainly de-
pends upon evidences Of Fall business
expansion, which should begin to ap-
pear by the end of August. This. in
turn, depends upon the prompt response
of private business and banking initia-
tive to the positive aspect Of the ad-
ministration's program. now being put
in process through the national CO.
ordination of local banking and indus
trial committees
Reports to the effect that J. w. Pole,
controller Of the currency will resign
from that important post, continue to
persist through the financial district,
but nothing official could be obtained
on the matter today for confirmation
or denial It was pointed out in circles
close to the situation, however, that II
M Pole did have under consideration
any such action it might leave a post
difficult to fill so close to election. Out
side the Treasury Department 1t was
believed that there may be something
to the rumor, but it was considered un-