Evening star., 1936-10-25
PAY DAY IN THE CAPITAL

As a general rule. the stores do not
show as much as 54 per cent increase,
rising to this peak only on occasions.
such as special sales. But one store
showed the almost incredible gain of
SO per cent, due to an especially ad-
vertised sale on one pay day. The
average may conservatively be said
to range from 80 to "a per cent in
crease, based on figures supplied by
the stores themselves.
REGINNING with figures obtained
on September 3. including the
intakes of the September / pay day,
there was shown, in these six WASH
ington stores, an increase of 30.5 per
cent in business. Bank clearings from
August 26 to September "a period
that includes the September l pay
day-increased from SIG, ,0o3.87 to
s22 400, ,489.79. or a gain due to pay
day in the Nations Capital Of 38.8
per cent. BY the same token the
next period considered in the survey
showed a definite decline in stores
intake and in bank clearings, as the
period ending September 10 from Sep
ter contained no pay day. Spe-
cifically, the six stores surveyed showed
an average decrease of 7.6 per cent
in business under the previous week
and bank clearings dropped 23.9 per
cent.
The next week in line begins the
uptake again, containing as it does
the pay day of September Is. 1t
showed in the six stores studied an
increase Of 1879 per cent business over
the previous week and bank clearings
rose from $17,047,1 1853, on Septem-
Der 9, to $23, 3,15s,494.9l, on September
l6, gain of $50 per cent. In the
next week, from September 16 to Sep.
tember %, a period minus a Govern
ment pay day, bank clearings dropped
1872 per cent. This, despite lack of
pay day, was good week, 1t appears.
for Washington stores, for they
showed slight increase in business
over the usual non-pay day period
about "A per cent.
Taking up the statistics from this
point, from the 18th to 30th of Sep
tember, retail stores showed an in.
| crease over the previous weeks busi-
ness of 73 per cent. Due to the fact
that only one spending day was pro-
vided in this period bank clearings
did not mount as usual, showing a
heavy increase the next period, from
September 30 to October 8, when they
jumped from $1,000, 1868 to ST.
428, ,467.72-a gain of AL per cent in
one week.
Again the decline shows up in nom
pay day periods, for from october Z
to october IA, there was decrease of
26.6 per cent under the previous week
in retail business in these same six
stores and decrease of 17.9 per cent
in bank clearings.
AN INTERESTING comparison was
made during this survey of bust.
ness returns in these same six depart.
ment stores in Washington last year
for the same period, compared with
returns this year. There has been q
continuous upswing and the figures
are still mounting. In fact, several
executives interviewed in this connec-
tion said business with them had
reached the peak Of 1929, and they
made this statement giving due con-
sideration to the difference in the
price of merchandise at that time
and today. From September 30. this
year, to october Z, business increased
1913 per cent over last year, and from
October to October IA 1t showed a
gain of per cent over last year.
Bank clearings for the one week Of
September 80 to October 7 showed an
increase this year of 42.5 per cent over
the same period in 1885.
How does the Government go
through this business Of paying those
who serve? What is the routine of
payment, what precautions are. taken,
what provisions made? When, how
and where does the Government clerk
get his just reward and what does
he do with it? What effect does this
all have on the city Of Washington as
q whole?
It's q story to make you admire an
orderly. swift-moving Government In
general and the executive acumen
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