Evening star., 1935-02-24
INSURANCE SALES
IN CAPITAL JUMP
FAR ABOVE 1884
January Volume Exceeds
Last Years Mark by
SO Per Cent.
LARGE GAINS RECORDED
ALSO IN NEARBY AREAS
Virginia Total Up "a Per Cent
and Maryland's Increases 81.
Bank Sessions Near.
BY EDWARD c. STONE.

llt1SClIS lit
ance experts started 1885 off at a
furious rate of speed by writing 38
per cent more new insurance in jan
uary than in January, 1884, at the
same time exceeding the national aver
age by one per cent and scoring a
higher record than the averages for
40 of the 48 States, according to re-
ports from Hartford.
Virginia reported "a per cent in
crease over January, 1894; Maryland
was 81 per cent ahead of last year;
Carolina 25 per cent and North Caro-
lima 10 per cent. chalking up the
best monthly average advances in
years. Delaware topped the whole
list with rise of 1873 per cent. while
Arizona stood at the bottom with a
loss Of II per cent in new business
over January. 1884.
January sales in Washington totaled
$4,919,000, in Virginia S6,765 900, in
West Virginia S4,2740O0; Maryland
sales amounted to S8,304,000. North
Carolina 1892 900 and South Caro-
lima s2,716,000. In Washington Sc
per cent of the companies doing busi-
ness here reported gains, So per cent
showed gains in Maryland and 65
per cent in Virginia.
The report for the National Capital
ties in with other business figures for
January, which revealed substantial
improvement in check transactions,
increased telephone calls. number of
phones In use, Post Office receipts,
demand for electricity and expansion
in retail trade. The insurance per-
centage figures, however, show a most
surprising gain than the other barom-
eters.
Bankers to Study Investments.
Bankers in this city are taking much
interest in the savings bank confer
ence to be held in New York on March
z and 8. Several local financiers will
attend. Bank investments. real estate
mortgages and public utility securities
are to be given special attention
Walter M. W. Splawn. Interstate
Commerce Commissioner, will be one
Of the chief speakers at the banquet
on the evening of the first day. with
Philip A. Benson. president of the
Dime Savings Bank, Brooklyn, pre-
siding.
Revising Bank Investments in
Maryland: Reasons and Comments"
will be the subject of James K. Steu-
art. treasurer of the Savings Bank Of
Baltimore. David Friday Of Wash
ington. member of the board of di-
rectors Of the Economic Research Bu-
reau, is on the program to speak on
Federal Objectives in Public Utility
Operation" One of the leading ad-
dresses on mortgages and Real
Estate" will be presented by Robert
E. Simon, member of the board Of
governors Of the Real Estate Securi-
ties Exchange. New York.
prises the District of Columbia. Della
ware, Maine. Massachusetts,. Mary
land, New Hampshire, New Jersey,
New York. Pennsylvania. Rhode
Island. Virginia, West Virginia and
Vermont The conference is spon-
sored by the A. B. A.
Drugs Top Wholesale Demand.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Rich
mond reported yesterday that drugs
led the wholesale demand in the fifth
district in January, over groceries, dry
goods, shoes and hardware. At the
same time collections for the month
showed very fine increase.
Eleven big wholesale firms reported
January demand for drugs as 9.9 per
cent better than a year ago. Twenty
one wholesale grocery firms did 81
per cent more business than in jan
uary. 1884. Hardware demand was
up 7.9 per cent, but orders for dry
goods were down 20.7 per cent and
for shoes, per cent.
January sales compared with De-
cember revealed striking advances,
shoes being up 81 per cent, dry goods,
80 per cent; drugs, 1875 per cent;
hardware, 10 per cent. and groceries,
ia per cent. Stocks on hand at the
end of January, compared with the
same date in January, 1884, showed
groceries 81 per cent higher, dry goods
up 30 per cent, shoes, go per cent,
and hardware, 8 per cent.
Stocks on hand compared with De-
cember 81, 1884, reflected IT per
cent gain for groceries, 423 per cent
for dry goods. 40.5 for shoes and
per cent for hardware. OF the re-
ceivables collected in January grocery
firms reported a percentage gain of
81 per cent, dry goods 45.7 per cent,
shoes 52.1 per cent, hardware AZ per
cent and drugs 681 per cent.
d. c. Exchange Issues Steady.
During bond trading on the Wash
ington Stock Exchange yesterday,
Capital Traction SIS made new high
mark for several years, selling up to
96 from the last previous sale at 951a.
Sales included $500 and $1,000 trans
actions. These bonds opened the pres
ent year at go and there has already
been a $4,000 turnover in them.
Washington Railway g. Electric As
were active yesterday, five 81 900 sales
being recorded during the session.
The price was 100%, up u from the
previous high mark this year. In the
stock division Lanston Monotype was
in excellent demand, again selling ex-
dividend at so, on a total turnover
Of 100 shares.
The s225 quarterly dividend on
American Telephone, 30-cent divi-
dend on National Dairy Products COM
mon and the increase to so cents on
Loew's, Inc, common quarterly pay
ment, voted last week, were of unusual
interest here because Of the large
amounts of stock held in the Capital.
purT AnFIpuTA pPnnJrCE