Evening star., 1936-05-10
Retail Trade Far Ahead of
Previous Week and Like
Period in 1885.
BANK CLEARINGS HERE
ALSO SCORE ADVANCE
Bond Club Sets Annual Outing
for May 22-Murphy & Co.
Expands H Street Offices.
BY EDWARD C. STONE.

SOuplcu Will SeNeTdi pTOfQOIlOEal safe!
boosted Washington department store
business to high levels during the las
week. Dollar volume of sales wa.
63.4 per cent higher than in tht
previous week and 1922 per cent higher
than in the same week in 1885, the
Commerce Department reported yes.
terday in its weekly review.
Bank clearings in the Capital were
S0.3 per cent over the preceding weei
and 234 per cent over the correspond.
ing period last year, the report added
There was lull in the city's build.
ing activities as compared with Other
recent weeks, the value of building
permits receding 1873 per cent from
the previous week and being dowr
S5.1 per cent from the corresponding
week in 1885. Tourist activities alsc
slowed down, judging by the number
OF visitors registering at the Smith
Sonian Institution.
Retail trade also improved in many
other sections of the Fifth Reserve
district. Baltimore merchants are
optimistic over the immediate future
on account of favorable employment
and payroll conditions The whole
sale price outlook is considered good
due to relatively low retail inventories
For the week ended May /, Baltimore
reported a better than 25 per cent
gain in electric power output over the
same 1885 period. Richmond bank
debts advanced sharply
Bond Club Outing May %.
James H. Lemon, partner in James
M. Johnston g. Co.. and president OF
the Washington Bond Club, an
nounced yesterday that the annual
outing will take place Friday after
noon and evening, May %. at the
will be the clubs eighth annual out
Ing and the program indicates the
biggest and best party yet held.
The annual mock exchange session
will take place on the clubhouse lawn
250 seats to be sold in advance Elab-
crate prizes are to be awarded to the
highest bidders during the session. The
announcement gets right down to
brass tacks and says that only men,
bers whose dues are paid will be ad-
mitted to the outing. Each member
may buy two exchange seats which
will be held until May Is, after which
they may be sold to other members.
The slate for the clubs officers for
next year is included in the announce
ment. Charles Carroll Morgan, chair
man of the Nominating Committee,
presents the following ticket to be
elected at the outing: T. C. Mont
gomery, president; Clark Brown, vice
president; Chauncey Parker, secretary
treasurer; George Ferris and Frank
Hall, members board of governors.
Clifford Folger is general chairman
OF the Outing Committee; Earle
Amick, Golf Committee; Chet Allies,
Banquet Committee; Monk Ellis,
horse shoe pitching; Donald McKnew.
prizes; Frank Perley, Putting Com
mittee, Harvey Gram, stock exchange,
and Clark Brown, Committee on Ex-
change Subscriptions.
Murphy Expands Offices.
The Washington Offices of G. Mp.
Murphy g. Co., 1903 H street north
west, have been expanded to include
the entire street floor, business to open
tomorrow under the new arrangement
The New York Stock Exchange firm
has had its board room on this floor
for years and the company has now
oil
front OF the building, at the same
time retaining part of the space on
the third and fourth floors.
Under the new arrangement the
investment department, under the
management of T. Baker Robinson,
will be located on the ground floor.
There will be additional space for the
board room and enlarged facilities for
the commission business, the concern
doing a general investment banking
as we'll as brokerage business.
The firm has been in business in
Washington since 1926, having taken
over the business of John L. Edwards
e. Co. which was started in 1912. The
firm has Offices in many other Eastern
cities and in London. The Office here
Is under the associate managership of
John E. Parker, A. Chester Flather and
C. Carroll Morgan.
Life Insurance Week Opens.
Members of the District of Colum-
bia Life Underwriters Association will
open National Life Insurance Week"
tomorrow morning with a breakfast at
the Willard Hotel, starting at o'clock.
j. e. McCombs, president of the local
association, will preside as the OPEN
ing guns are fired in the form of four
or five inspirational speeches, an
nouncement of prizes and general
plans for the six-day push.
Business on the Washington Stock
Exchange yesterday was confined to
sales in Potomac Electric Power 51k
per cent preferred took at 1111a and
Capital Transit at 1917. Only six
shares Of Transit stock changed hands
but the price made a new low for the
year. The high mark this year is
1874, several recent sales being made
around 13.
The board of governors of the In
vestment Bankers Association will
hold the Spring meeting Wednesday
and Thursday of this week at White
Sulphur Springs. Several Washing
ton investment dealers are expecting
to attend. The 40 governors and many
committee chairmen will be present
Many important reports relating to
investments and business conditions
are on the program. The huge total
OF recently refunded bond issues has
cheered up investment dealers tremen-
lously.