Evening star., 1934-01-22
Fifth District Building Improves.

Fifth District Building Improves.
mond reports that building in the fifth
district. which includes Washington, is
showing the first upturn in more than
q year. even though the volume is very
small in comparison with normal times.
The retail trade report indicates spotty
trade, some sections reporting gains
last week while others had let-doWn.
Wholesale trade is holding its own.
Heavy lines note the most strength.
Hardware wholesale business is about
the best of any of the lines. Atlanta
also reports that the sixth district Is
enjoying improvement in both whole
sale and retail trade. Wholesale deal
ers in Atlanta report the largest ad-
vance sales for dry goods in the past
three years
In this connection. reference to the
latest report Of Dun & Bradstreet for
the whole country is of special interest.
Orders sent in by road statesmen are
nearly double those Of last year, the re-
port says. Orders from rural districts
and small towns are especially good.
Bradstreet adds:
THE orders placed for women's
Spring wearing apparel lean strongly
to the new bright shades that have been
introduced, with most of the neckllnes
of the dresses low to reveal the costume
jewelry, which is being shown in en-
tirely new shapes and colors. The coats,
as a whole, cling closely to last years
lengths. but the silhouette follows more
closely the "Uindblown" interpretations.
The orders for dinner dresses thus far
for Spring are fully 20 per cent larger
than last season. denoting the con-
tinuance of the custom Of dressing for
hi oh
evidence last Fall"
Income Tax Aid Uncertain.
Washington bankers are pondering
on what to do about assisting their
patrons in making out this years in
come tax returns In the past a great
deal Of assistance has been rendered by
the banks without compensation and
this help has been fully appropriated.
Along comes the new deal. Internal
Revenue officers state that persons
helping taxpayers make out their tax
returns must sign such returns and
thereby become responsible for the ac-
curacy of the reports. This rule will
place more of a burden on the shoulders
Of bankers than many care to assume.
The information they would sign would
be furnished by the banks customers,
and presumably be accurate. But Of
ficials say they lack the time to check
It in detail
So far the matter has been discussed
only casually by members OF the Dis
trict Bankers Association. If special
Internal Revenue agents are assigned
these experts will. of course, sign the
returns without hesitation. Such
solution will be the usual help to pa
irons and relieve the banks
The income tax matter comes up
every year and is hard to adjust. Many
bank patrons prefer officials in the
banks to help them rather than go to
the Governments Income Tax Office
for advice. or consult professionals, on
account of the extra expense
Todsy's Trading on Exchange.
On the Washington Stock Exchange
today, Capital Traction sold at Is and
Mergenthaler Linotype came out at 25,2
on very small sale. Washington Gas
IS. 1860, led trading with four $1,000
sales, all made at 104i2 American Fire
Insurance Co. stock has been added to
the list now being quoted ex-dividend,
TN anticipation of the coming quarterly
payment. The other stocks so quoted
are Emersons Bromo Seller "A" and
Carpet Corporation.
New YORK StOcK EXCHANGE 0WCeS IN
this city were crowded again today as
trading opened for the week. The
market opened higher. Telephone, Gen
erAl Motors, General Electric and U. S.
Steel being among the issues that i'm
proved over Sunday. Brokers say that
public buying is increasing, although
caution is manifested to marked de-
gree At any rate, the increased mar
ket activity has brought great deal
more optimism into brokerage room
discussions.
Heard in Financial District.
Action on the regular quarterly divi-
dend of 25 cents per share on the COM
mon stock of Peoples Drug Stores, Inc,
Is not due until the latter part of Feb
ruary. The special dividend of so
cents per share, just declared on the
common is payable February to stock
Of record January IS.
National Bellas Hess Co.. Inc. has
declared the first liquidating dividend
OF $l65 on the preferred stock. pay
able February l3 to stock Of record jan
uary 80.
new YORK BANK STOCKS