Evening star., 1935-06-30
TRADE CONTINUES
STEADY ADVANCE
ABOVE 1934|ND.C.
Volume and Prices Score
Substantial Rise ON Cap
itaI Exchange.
GAIN IN RETAIL SALES
ABOVE 12.4 PER CENT
Clearings, Phone Calls, Postal
Receipts, Power Output and In
surance Sales Also Mount.
BY EDWARD c. STONE.

Washington has enjoyed mild
boom during the first half Of 1895, IN
comparison with the first half OF 1884.
Volume of trading on the Washing
ton Stock Exchange has been sub
stantially ahead of the figures for the
like period in 1884, while quotations
on nearly all issues on the board have
scored notable advances.
Bond sales in the first half OF this
year totaled s547, 400, in comparison
with s436,8O0 in the first six months
Of 1894. The number of shares OF
stock changing ownership this year
was 1901, against Sab last year.
So far this year Capital Traction IS
have been the most active bonds on
the list, more than S278.500 having
changed hands since the beginning of
the year. against turnover of $4,000
in the first half of 1884. Since the
opening of 1884 the bonds have ad-
vanced from 81 to par.
In the period under review Ana
costa e. Potomac River Railroad guar
anteed SIS advanced from 94l2 to l06.
while the other Anacostia & Potomac
River Railroad issue climbed from 40
to co. Washington Railway & Elec-
trio As have been active this year. but
the turnover was larger in the first
half of 1884 They have moved from
SO to los. Many other equally sharp
contrasts in volume and quotations
might be cited.
Stocks Also Score Advances.
In the stock division the demand
for Potomac Electric Power 5l2 per
cent and 6 per cent preferred stocks
has been extra good in the past six
months. There was turnover of
SIS shares in the sig per cent issue,
against 122 in the first half of 1884.
The stock moved from 1852 to 1I514
Trading in some of the other issues
has been lighter than year ago. not
because of lack of demand, but because
holders would not part with their in-
vestments even at advancing prices.
Members of the Exchange say they
could have transacted a great deal
more business if they could have found
sellers willing to accept prevailing
prices.
Elsewhere in the financial section Of
The Star is presented complete COM
parison of the volume of trading and
the price changes in Washington Stock
Exchange issues in the first half of
this year and the. first six months of
1894 The compilation is from the
records kept by w. B. Hibbs g. Co.
So much for the Exchange Busi-
ness has increased in many lines, re-
flecting steady recovery which now
promises to continue during the rest
Of the year. There is no better indi
Gator than bank clearings, substantial
increases having occurred in every one
Of the first six months of 1885. com-
pared with the corresponding months
Of the previous year.
Bank Clearings Gain Shar ly.
It was announced by the Ws shing-
ton Clearing House Association yester-
day that clearings in the first six
months of this year totaled s445 1885,
39.42 in comparison with $3.50, $685.
1894 in the first half of 1884, an i'll
crease of $89, 1868, ,438.
Retail trade in Washington's leading
stores was 1874 per cent ahead of last
year in the first five months of 1885,
the Federal Reserve Bank Of Rich
mond reported. Since the May report
came out, the weather has turned very
hot over the fifth district and Summer
goods have been in much greater de-
mand. This means that the record
for the six months is certain to be far
ahead of last year.
Telephone calls, installation of new
phones and earnings tell the same
story Of six months progress. In the
first five months of 1885 net earnings
Of the Chesapeake g. Potomac Tele-
phone Co. were ahead of last year.
Telephone calls in the five months
numbered 107,3l9,000 against 101,-
$4,000 in the like period year ago.
At the end Of May there were 1929
telephones in service against 10000 at
the end of May year ago. with indi-
cations that the full six months will be
equally satisfactory.
Postal Receipts Up.
Postal receipts reported by the City
Post ONCE for the first five months
Of the present year revealed substan-
tial gains over the same months last
year. The trend is so strongly upward
that the half years report will show
the same results.
In the first half of this year the
kilowatt hour output of the Potomac
Electric Power Co. has been working
higher every month. Operating rev.
enues have revealed sharp gainst, but
increased expenses have kept net
about the same as last year.
Washington Gas Light revenues
have indicated the same expansion IN
business in Washington. Here, too,
increased expenses have held down
net returns in the first half-year. So
far this year the Georgetown Gas
Light Co. has scored a notable gain
in both operating and net revenues,
net being about four times larger
than year ago.
Insurance Sales Soar.
Sales of life insurance in the first
half year in the Nations Capital have
far exceeded last year. In the first
five months sales scored jump of "a
per cent over last year. The May
report alone showed larger increase