Evening star., 1936-12-20
SALES
VOLUME IN CITY
BEST SINCE 1929
Four More Shopping Days
Left to Further Swell
Trading Figures.
ACTUAL YULE GIFTS
MAY SET NEW MARK
Business in General Is 10 to 20
Per Cent Better Than Last
Years Showing.

With four days remaining FOR
Christmas shopping, Washington s
merchants already have been assured
of their greatest holiday sales season
since 1929, and this In spite Of the
fact that some merchants are unable
to meet the demand for certain types
of toys for children and with dehv-
cries tagging from a day TO three
days behind sales.
A survey of the larger stores OF the
city, with q few small ones thrown
in, indicate that business in gen.
eral'' is from 10 to 20 per cent better
than last year. and that sales OF ex-
clusively Christmas goods are the
highest in the last eight years-and
in one case. the highest in one store
executives II years Of service.
At the same time police have been
less harassed by pickpockes. shop
lifters and crowd workers" than in
recent years. although good many
known criminals have been arrested
by the special plain clothes detail
under command of Lieut.. c. P. Cox
o. headquarters.
$4,000, 900 for December.
An unofficial estimate from econ.
omists in the Commerce Department
have placed the December retail
sales in the Capital slightly in excess
of s40,000000. but there is no way
of determining what proportion of
this vast sum is exclusively Yuletide
buying.
Using the 1885 Census Of American
Business and and Retail Distribution
as a base. 1t was estimated that the
December sales year ago totaled
s36, ,389. .430 in Washington stores. Lo-
cal merchants estimated that current
sales are running about 10 per cent
higher than a year ago-and In some
cases as much as 20 per cent more
on the strength of three weeks selling.
Edward D. Shaw, secretary Of the
Merchants and Manufacturers As
sociation. pointed out that three Of
the four remaining shopping days
will be the biggest Of the month,
only December "A being counted as a
slow or slack day.
1T would be extremely hard" Shaw
said, ito estimate the gain In busi-
ness over last December or other past
holiday months, but it is generally
agreed among the members Of the
association that this Is and will con-
tinue to be the best single month
since 1929 and perhaps will exceed
December Of that year.
$4,000 More on U. S. Rolls.
at is perfectly obvious that the
money being spent Is the greatest We
have had in years. There are at least
$4,000 more persons here on the Gov
ernment pay roll than there were three
years ago More business and COM
mercial organizations paid their en-
ployes bonuses this year than were
paid in 1928 or 1929.
From our own experiences as spon-
sor Of the buy early. mail early" cam
paign, We have observed that buying
began earlier this year and that it
has continued in increased volume
through the third week in December.
We can't tell. of course, what next
week holds in store, but unless there
Is terrific weather to hamper shop
ping. undoubtedly three of the re-
manning four days will be record days
of buying and giving"
Mail and delivery rooms OF the
larger stores gave an insight to the
actual volume Of package buying.
Irwin r. Reuling. chief Of the pack
age room of one of the larger stores.
said that his staff has been increased
about 10 to IL per cent over last year,
and that although Christmas buying
actually began before Thanksgiving
his store is from a day to a day and
a half behind schedule in making
deliveries. In the mail section the
staff is about half new and tempo
rary workers. and their schedule is
(See STORES, Page A-s)