Evening star., 1935-11-07

BANKERS T0STUDY
NEW CONDITIONS
Management Problems Un.
der 1885 Changes Placed
on A. B. A. Program.
BY EDWARD C. STONE.

made today. Some of the best known
bankers in the country are among the
speakers. including Ronald Ransom.
National Bank, Atlanta. who will dis
cuss Reducing Losses on Loans"
Other addresses of special interest
20. Washington financiers include
talk by Robert NJ. Hanes Of Winston
Salem on The Problem OF Bank
Earnings" and one by William r.
Riggs of New York on Reducing
Losses on Investments"
Control of expenses through reducing
interest on deposits. service charges as
source of revenue and small loan
departments as sources of revenue also
will be vital topics presented by bank
ing leaders. The opening address will
be made by Oval w. Davis, Salt Lake
City. on Bank Earnings and Expenses
and What to Do About Them"
The first of the Washington delega-
ton to New Orleans will leave mere
this evening aboard the Crescent Linn
tied. The members of this party will
include Robert v. Fleming. who will
become head of the organization dur
ing the final days session. Frank j.
Hogan. general counsel Of the District
Bankers Association, also plans to
leave here tonight. The other Wash
ingtonians start tomorrow night aboard
regular and special trains.
Service Charges Gain Headway.
The general principle of applying
service charges against Improbable
bank accounts has gained great head
way during 1884 and 1885. is evl-
denced in the results of survey made
public in New York today by the Bank
Management Commission Of the Amer
lean Bankers Association.
The commissions survey dealt with
reports from 587 clearing house asso-
Citations which indicate that in IS per
cent of the cases service charges are
in effect under clearing house rules.
and that in another 20 per cent the
individual members of the clearing
house associations have their own set
Of service charges.
The commission observes with ap-
proval that the tendency has been
away from the fiat" service charge to
the measured" variety. Flat charge
systems were formerly used almost en-
tirely because of the relative ease and
economy of administration. However.
this system failed to take into con-
sideration the question of the activity
of the smaller accounts. Now, it ap-
pears, the tendency is toward the
establishment of systems under which
charges are made on the basis Of the
number of checks drawn each month.
This is the system used in this city.
D. C. Merchants On Committee.
Eghty-five retailers, principal ex-
ecutives in department stores from
coast to coast. have been appointed
to a committee for the silver ami
Versary convention of the National
Retail Dry Goods Association at the
Hotel Pennsylvania, New York, jan
uary 20 to "a, 1t was reported at the
offices of the association today.
Uniting their efforts for what is
being planned as the most important
event in the 25-year history of the
N. r. D. G. A., the committee men,
bers from now until the opening Of
the gathering will take an active
hand in formulating plans for the
sessions and relaying information con-
cerning it to retailers in their home
areas.
David Ovens, president of the re-
tail organization, which includes more
than $500 department, dry goods and
specially stores in its membership,
will head the committee. Analyzing
future trends and influences in re-
tail distribution as we'll as re-evaluat-
ing what has gone before, the ses-
sions Of the convention will have
as their general theme, Building a
Profitable Store-Better Selling. Bet
ter Buying. Better Management"
Among the members of the National
Committee are w. w. Everett of
Woodward g. Lothrop and Mark Lans-
burgh of Lansburgh g. Bro. of WASH
angton. D. Baker Ames of Norfolk is
also a member, as is also Irving May
pf Richmond.
Common Is Offered at $3.50.
On the Washington Stock Exchange
today the bid on Washington Railway
IL Electric common stock remained at
$50 share, the same as the bid at
+ close of the market yesterday.
At the same time the stock was
offered at $3.50 share, but no sales
were recorded. While the stock was
offered at $500 per share on Monday,
the stock was not to be bought at any
price on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Today's asked price of $750 a share
may be based on the expected price
of the new participating shares to be
put out by the North American Co.
If rs shares are issued for one share
OF the old stock, and sold at $50 per
S:are, that will ankle the old common
t'-ck figure $3.50 share.
In few days Washington Railway
& Electric common will pay the usual
50 quarterly dividend and an addi-
tional payment of Sc a share, these
dividends already having been voted
by the directors. This coming pay
ment may be one reason why holders
show so little interest in selling their
stock.
There seems to be little or no float
Ing supply In Railway common. OF
course, the 1900 shares held by the
North American Co. are not for sale.
A few Washington investors bought
the stock around $25 or $40 q share
They have watched it go to sur
prising prices. These holders say they
are not yet ready to take profits.
Trading Heavy on Exchange.
Trading was unusually lively on the
Washington Exchange today. The
market opened with Anacostia & Po-
tomac River Railroad IS recording
three $1,000 sales at 81. Later it sold
again at the same figure.
Capital Traction IS were quite &C
tive today, again selling at 96. Wash
angton Railway & Electric IS were also
IN demand, three 1000 transfers TAX
ing place at l06, unchanged.